Scarlatti - Any Thoughts?

Ultimately all of the 555 sonatas are worth hearing, and Scott Ross' excellent cycle of all the sonatas is pretty cheap nowadays. I've worked my way through the whole thing twice, and find it a treasure trove of riches. I'm planning on buying some more harpsichord recordings in the near future.

For piano recordings you simply must hear Mikhail Pletnev on Virgin. Amazing in every regard. Ivo Pogorelich and Sergei Babayan are nearly as compelling. Andras Schiff (on Decca, don't know his Hungaroton recording) is suppler and gentler, yet quite remarkable, too.

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Thanks Todd, I'll definitely check the Pletnev out. What about good selections on harpsichord (not sure I'm ready for the full 34CD experience yet - though your excellent "Summer of Scarlatti" post did tempt me)?

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What about good selections on harpsichord

The Pierre Hantai discs (and Bach Goldbergs) on Mirare are excellent.

Regards
Mark

Thanks mark - shoulda thought of Hantai myself!

Droo,

A facinating Domenico Scarlatti disc, a 'must have', is of Teodoro Anzellotti playing his Accordion on the Winter & Winter label.
It is an exquisite meeting of sounds from the different worlds of the European structered music and the Andalusian gypsy free spirited music which Scarlati found in Spain.

Haim

http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/hnum/3383694?rk=classic&rsk=hitlist

Haim

Thanks, I wouldn't have found that in weeks of surfing. The samples sound absolutely delightful. Oh dear, this is gonna be expensive...

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Originally posted by droodzilla:
Haim

Thanks, I wouldn't have found that in weeks of surfing. The samples sound absolutely delightful. Oh dear, this is gonna be expensive...

Good. I just brought up the disc from downstairs (I keep my music in our basement) so I could add it to my iTunes on the Mac.
I found it years ago when I was sampling different musics on the Winter & Winter site. I already owned an excellent accordion disc by Stefan Hussong doing Bach's English Suites, so I did not think twice and got the Scarlatti.
Droo, when you are ready and if you can still find it...

http://www.amazon.com/Bach-English-Suites-Nos-5/dp/B000...id=1200844318&sr=1-2



Haim

Since no one has mentioned it, I'll put in a word for the Horowitz recording from the mid 60's. Every other recording of this composer has sounded like sewing machine music, to me.


Mac

quote:

Since no one has mentioned it, I'll put in a word for the Horowitz recording from the mid 60's. Every other recording of this composer has sounded like sewing machine music, to me.

It is interesting to read what Pierre Hantai has to say.

"If it's not played in the right spirit, if the instrument is unsuitable, if understanding of the structure is lacking (or if the fingers are too lazy...), Scarlatti most often comes out sounding like a trivial, even stupid composer. But Scarlatti is something completely different from that: he needs performers who are proud, who are colourists, excited by the rapid changes in texture. For me, Leonardt and Landowska are the players who understand him best. With them, you won't find the slightest sentimentality. An above all, wonder of wonders, when they're playing you suddenly realise that this is great music! Horowitz, of course, is masterly. But it has to be said that the modern piano does rather smooth the rough edges off this repertoire, and the demonic effects you often find in it lose much of their meaning."

If I'm not mistaken, Ralph Kirkpatrick, the musics' cataloger and foremost authority, heard Horowitz's performances and deemed the excellent. However, I would certainly like to hear Leonhardt's performances as he's one of the few harpsichordists who can hold my attention.


Mac

Horowitz is in a league of his own when it comes to Scarlatti. Pogorelich is also very good with this composer. Pletnev would be the first choice, only if the other two didn't exist. All IMHO, of course.
Regards,
BB

On piano, Sudbin's Scarlatti recording on BIS is excellent.

While we're on the subject, could someone please explain what is meant by "binary form" - most of Scarlatti's sonatas are in it, apparently? In language that a complete ignoramus could understand, please!

Well, I plumped for the Pletnev double CD as my starter for ten - impulse buy from HMV (in truth I was please to see any Scarlatti at all in the racks). It's dazzling stuff, which, according to the notes, the Italian poet Gabriele D'Annunzio described thus:

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A necklace that breaks, producing a resounding hail of glistening pearls rolling around and bouncing about like precious bubbles or drops of watery beauty.

I really couldn't have put it better myself.

Next step is to try out a harpsichord disc or two, to help me decide if I'm ready to take the plunge with the Scott Ross set (gulp).

In short, 31 down, 524 to go!

Looks like another complete set is available. Don't know anything about, but the price is right. Who knows, maybe I need another set . . .






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