With the passage of the Viceregno under the control of the Habsburgs in 1707, cultural and artistic exchanges between Naples and Vienna intensified. Sources related to the makeup of the Cappella Reale show two significant trends: the growth of the string section and the introduction and increasing relevance of wind instruments. New documents record the early career in Naples of Francesco Geminiani in connection with the beginnings of the operatic season at the Teatro de’ Fiorentini, where the virtuoso is employed as first violin. Following the outset of the War of the Spanish Succession, Neapolitan musicians were summoned to the Real Capilla of Barcelona, the splendid music chapel established by Archduke Charles of Habsburg to assert his claims to the Spanish throne. When Charles became emperor in 1711 some of these musicians joined the Imperial Chapel in Vienna. The lists of personnel of the Hofmusikkapelle show that a number of virtuosi from Naples formed the core of the string section and contributed to the cosmopolitanism of that ensemble. The prestige of the Neapolitan string school is confirmed by the appointment of Giovanni Antonio Piani, who moved from Paris to Vienna in 1721, at the helm of the Imperial Chapel.

Through the study of lists of personnel and records of appointments, the chapter looks at Neapolitan music institutions and illustrates in details the central place of the Cappella Reale, the ensemble that participated in all the official ceremonies and represented the sonic embodiment of the Neapolitan royal power. A remarkable example of the court’s representational culture, the Cappella was impacted by the rulers’ shifting political agendas. The chapter traces the evolution of this ensemble, considering in particular the expansion of the string section during the early eighteenth century. The career of violinist Pietro Marchitelli, leader of the ensemble for about thirty years, is emblematic of the opportunities for social mobility available to some string virtuosi. The ascending trajectory of Marchitelli’s professional path – from his birth in a small village in the province of the Neapolitan kingdom, to his training at the Pietà dei Turchini Conservatory, and finally to his appointment in royal ensemble – is retraced through documentary evidence, such as bank accounts and notary contracts, and demonstrates the social status and wealth attained by musicians, with the support of powerful patronage and of cultural and artistic networks.

This chapter further investigates the role of Queen Maria Carolina within contemporary Neapolitan society, focusing on her interests in the visual arts and literature as crucial elements within her cultural agenda. The role of the Cappella Reale within the promotion and performance of instrumental music at the Neapolitan court is also investigated, particularly through archival documents (primarily transactional registries of compensation) and prior research, which reveal the identities of the personnel and associated instrumentation of the ensemble. Based on these sources, a more accurate portrait of the Cappella Reale, its constitution, and even its repertory in the late eighteenth century is offered. Contemporary keyboard culture in the capital city is also discussed, noting the thriving sector of craftsmen, whose activities complemented the wide-ranging cultivation of keyboard and instrumental genres.