Giuseppe Domenico Scarlatti (26 October 1685 – 23 July 1757) was an Italian composer. He is classified primarily as a Baroque composer chronologically, although his music was influential in the development of the Classical style. Like his renowned father Alessandro Scarlatti, he composed in a variety of musical forms, although today he is known mainly for his 555 keyboard sonatas.  TheScarlatti sonatas show a wide variety of techniques, themes and motifs. Some are deeply serious, others are light and humorous; some sound like courtly dances, others like street songs. This ability to cover a wide range of styles and moods is one of the hallmarks of Scarlatti's work.  He spent much of his life in the service of the Portuguese and Spanish royal families. In this capacity, he composed several operas, cantatas, and liturgical pieces.  His work is seen by many modern musicologists as laying the foundations of classical form.