▁in ▁Scotland , ▁or ▁based ▁around ▁Scottish ▁them es , ▁but ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁notable ▁oper as ▁written ▁by ▁Sc ots ▁is ▁far ▁lower . ▁Their ▁actual ▁connection ▁to ▁Scotland ▁var ies ▁greatly . ▁ ▁Search ing ▁for ▁its ▁typical ▁and ▁characteristic ▁features , ▁Scottish ▁opera ▁( and ▁Scottish ▁classical ▁music ▁as ▁a ▁whole ), ▁has ▁often ▁been ▁under ▁strong ▁foreign ▁influence . ▁Italian , ▁French , ▁English ▁and ▁German ▁oper as ▁have ▁served ▁as ▁models , ▁even ▁when ▁compos ers ▁sought ▁to ▁introduce ▁character ist ically ▁national ▁elements ▁into ▁their ▁work . ▁This ▁dual ism , ▁to ▁a ▁greater ▁or ▁less er ▁degree , ▁has ▁pers isted ▁throughout ▁the ▁whole ▁history ▁of ▁Scottish ▁opera . ▁ ▁The ▁Italian ▁style ▁of ▁classical ▁music ▁was ▁probably ▁first ▁brought ▁to ▁Scotland ▁by ▁the ▁Italian ▁cell ist ▁and ▁composer ▁Lorenzo ▁B oc chi , ▁who ▁travel led ▁to ▁Scotland ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 7 2 0 s , ▁introdu cing ▁the ▁c ello ▁to ▁the ▁country ▁and ▁then ▁developing ▁settings ▁for ▁low land ▁Sc ots ▁songs . ▁He ▁possibly ▁had ▁a ▁hand ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁Scottish ▁Opera , ▁the ▁past oral ▁The ▁Gent le ▁She ph erd , ▁with ▁libre tto ▁by ▁the ▁poet ▁All an ▁R ams ay . ▁ ▁The ▁most ▁significant ▁figure ▁in ▁Scottish ▁classical ▁music ▁of ▁the ▁mid - e igh teenth ▁century ▁was ▁Thomas ▁Er sk ine , ▁ 6 th ▁Earl ▁of ▁K ell ie ▁( 1 7 3 2 – 8 1 ), ▁whose ▁chamber ▁music ▁was ▁frequently ▁performed