Profession: composer

Alessandro Scarlatti was his father. Domenico Scarlatti met Cristofori in Florence. He is famously said to have competed against Handel in a trial of skill at the organ and harpsichord (it was declared an honourable draw: he continued to laud Handel’s technique). Seixas and Soler were met during the long period he lived in Portugal and Spain, Soler studying under Scarlatti. Corelli, Farinelli and Quantz were also met in Rome (though Farinelli’s long residence in Madrid later overlapped with Scarlatti’s).

Lunel was a schoolmate. Milhaud met Honegger, Auric, Ibert and Tailleferre as a student in Paris, where Widor and d’Indy taught him. He was an attaché in Rio with his lifelong friend Claudel, and set some of his work to music. He collaborated with Léger, Cendrars and Lifar, was friends with Cocteau and (for life) with Poulenc, admired Schoenberg, another lasting friend, and helped sort through Satie’s jumble of possessions following his death. Poulenc, Durey, Honegger, Tailleferre and Auric were fellow-members of les Six, and Stockhausen, Reich, Xenakis, Brubeck, Glass, Subotnick and Bacharach among his students.

Potter studied under Attwood. He visited Beethoven in Vienna. Sterndale Bennett was among his pupils.

Neefe followed Hiller as kapellmeister with a travelling theatre. He was the 12-year-old Beethoven’s first real teacher of music: they remained friends for many years. Reicha played alongside Neefe and Beethoven in Reicha’s uncle’s orchestra, and may also have been taught by Neefe.

Widor and d’Indy taught him, with Milhaud and Ibert (a future collaborator) fellow-students. Poulenc, Milhaud, Auric, Durey and Tailleferre were fellow-members of les Six, Satie having a fatherly role, and Cocteau writing them a manifesto. Valéry, Cendrars, Jacob, Picasso, Apollinaire and Louÿs were all good friends, Cocteau and Claudel important literary collaborators. Gance commissioned scores from him, Stravinsky offered sage advice, and Xenakis was a student. Fauré liked the younger man and his music, while at a party for Ravel (they enjoyed a long warm friendship), Honegger once dressed up as a waiter.

Alessandro Scarlatti was Domenico Scarlatti’s father. Metastasio knew him, and the elder Scarlatti later set his words to music. Quantz and Hasse both came to study under him. Corelli was a colleague — both benefited from the same patronage, and seemed ready to lend each other professional assistance; Corelli certainly played Scarlatti’s music. Handel knew both in Rome, and was influenced by the two older composers.