ABSTRACT
Allegri’s simple strophic structure is almost completely abandoned in favor of a freer succession of different sections, characterized on the contrapuntal and harmonic plane by an expressive intensity that is unprecedented in the musical settings of this psalm. An example of Scarlatti’s ability to balance the influences and musical formulae from different eras is the Salve Regina, in which the emotional power of the piece is not hindered by the prevalence of the contrapuntal system and the presence of the Gregorian melody which circulates among the various voices throughout the piece. There is no doubt, however, that the Sicilian composer was one of the few composers active in Rome between about 1680 and 1720 to have gained a great deal of experience in both sacred and secular music, and opera in particular.
