During his Italian period, Handel was influenced by which two composers?

• A. Scarlatti and Corelli
• B. Palestrina and Gabrieli
• C. Vivaldi and Monteverdi
• D. Rossini and Donizetti

Answer: (A)

Handel’s Italian period brought him into contact with two influential strands of Italian music: the expressive vocal writing of Alessandro Scarlatti and the refined instrumental style of Arcangelo Corelli. Scarlatti dominated the late-Italian opera scene, and his declamatory, emotive vocal lines helped shape Handel’s own approach to melody and drama in operas and cantatas. Corelli stood at the forefront of instrumental music, especially for violin and the concerto grosso form, providing a model for balance, clear harmonic language, and concerted textures that Handel incorporated into his instrumental works. While other Renaissance or later composers aren’t as directly tied to Handel’s Italian experience, Scarlatti and Corelli together represent the vocal and instrumental influences that most shaped his music during that period.