Part 1: Music of the Late Baroque (1700-1750) Italian opera was composed all over Europe. Metastasio was a famous librettist who supplied Italian opera stories to composers of the late baroque and classic periods.Two of Handel's best-known Italian operas are Giulio Cesare and Rodelinda.The Italian city to the south of Rome that became the trend-setting center of opera was Naples. Two famous composers that worked there were Leonardo Vinci and Leonardo Leo.When Handel came to Italy he worked primarily in the city of Rome.A choral work from his ....