Pietro Alessandro Gaspare Scarlatti was an Italian composer from the Baroque period. He mainly acquired fame through his oratorios, cantatas and (Neapolitan) operas. He was the father of Domenico, who followed his father's example and became a composer himself.
In total, Scarlatti composed 38 oratorios, along with many masses and operas. His music has a spontaneous and unpredictable character, and at times a bit incoherent. Scarlatti had a great influence on the music of Georg Frideric Handel. Around 1708, the two composers met almost daily.