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See Terms & Conditions for p&p rates. | |  | Scarlatti - Piano Sonatas
“performances of a superlative vitality and super-fine sensitivity” Gramophone “…there is plenty to enjoy in Sudbin's expressive, rhythmic and thoughtful playing, virtues which come together rewardingly in the Sonata in B minor (K87).” BBC Music Magazine, May 2005 *** “This generously packed CD is sheer delight from start to finish. Even with recorded selections available from the likes of Horowitz, Pletnev, Schiff and Pogorelich, the 25-year-old Russian pianist Yevgeny Sudbin makes his solo debut on disc with performances of a superlative vitality and super-fine sensitivity.
His choice of sonatas is richly enterprising, pinpointing their infinite variety, their abrupt changes of mood and direction, so that whether familiar or unfamiliar (and there are many unfamiliar numbers), each offering is a delectable surprise. Free from the nervous tension that can sometimes plague him in the concert hall, Sudbin relishes the way Scarlatti turns convention topsy-turvy, presenting him in both performance and his affectionate accompanying essay as one of music's most ardent and life-affirming adventurers. He's brilliant and incisive in Kk545, and makes every bar of the reflective Kk57 glisten with poetry. What thrumming guitars he evokes in Kk435 and 487, reminding us that Scarlatti forsook his native Italy and later Portugal for a heady addiction to all things Spanish.
There are spicy and witty imitations of changing registrations and some notably rumbustious closes to make every facet of these diamond-like sonatas spark and scintillate as if new-minted.
This is, arguably, among the finest, certainly most enjoyable of all Scarlatti recitals. As a crowning touch Sudbin is heard in a beautifully warm and natural acoustic.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010 “Sudbin finds, besides much to charm the ear, an infinite expressive depth in many of the minor key works, which are played here with appealing expressive freedom...There is sparkle and brilliance here too, and Sudbin can be both strong and delectably light-fingered. He is recorded splendidly, and this can be placed among the finest and most generous of recent single-disc Scarlatti collections.” Penguin Guide, 2011 edition | | | (also available to download from $10.50) | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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| |  | D. Scarlatti: Sonatas
Scarlatti wrote no less than 555 keyboard sonatas, all of them true gems thanks to their melodic and rhythmic inventiveness. They use many of the harpsichord’s subtleties and appeal to the whole of the agility and imagination of those who endeavour to play it. Racha Arodaky simultaneously displays her great virtuosity, her artful eloquence and her intimate knowledge of baroque music throughout this disc. | 
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| |  | D. Scarlatti: Sonatas
Domenico Scarlatti was born in 1685, the same year as J S Bach and Handel. Early life was spent in Naples and Rome where his father Alessandro held important posts. From 1719 he resided in Portugal, teaching keyboard to Maria Bárbara, daughter of King John V, whose marriage ten years later initiated a move to the Spanish court where he remained based until his death in 1757. Few details are known of Scarlatti’s life and a considerable amount of his music has been lost. He nevertheless left 555 single movement sonatas contained in two collections known as the Venice and Parma manuscripts. His brilliance at the keyboard is reflected in these sonatas which require very considerable dexterity. For this recording Carole Cerasi, whose previous discs for Metronome have attracted important awards and critical acclaim, has chosen fifteen contrasting sonatas which brilliantly illustrate Scarlatti’s staggering virtuosity, unexpected eccentricities and a strong awareness of Iberian influences. “Domenico Scarlatti's fusion of Italian and Iberian styles dazzles in this artfully programmed recital...It's a playful performance, as impressive in its moments of introspection as it is in those of extrovert brilliance.” The Independent on Sunday, 3rd June 2012 ***** “Cerasi's recording builds a sense of a deeper Scarlatti, a composer filled with delightful musical quirks and oddities, at turns wheeling, ruminative and bumptious. It is a well-plotted disc, capturing the full range of the composer's moods...With Cerasi, there are no false steps...In short, Cerasi's disc is [a] delight and will please longtime Scarlatti collectors as much as it entices newcomers to explore further.” Gramophone Magazine, July 2012 | | | Usually despatched in 4 - 5 working days. |
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| |  | Conversazioni I: Cantatas from a Cardinal’s Court
Andrew Radley (countertenor) & Julian Perkins (harpsichord / director) Sounds Baroque Rising star countertenor Andrew Radley with harpsichord virtuoso Julian Perkins and his period instrument ensemble Sounds Baroque, mirror the conversazione, or musical gatherings, of 17th and 18th century Italy with a programme of dramatic cantatas and magical instrumental works. In the late 17th century, all roads really did lead to Rome for the aspiring musician. There, wealthy aristocrats-turned-priests and Catholic nobility from across Europe vied for cultural status through artistic patronage. In particular, the young Pietro Ottoboni (1667–1740) reigned supreme among patrons of music, supporting among others Caldara and Albinoni, Alessandro Scarlatti and his son Domenico, and Handel, all of whom inspired and were inspired by one another. Musical gatherings of the time – called conversazione – often featured dramatic cantatas as well as virtuoso instrumental showpieces such as the works featured on this album. Recalling this fertile musical era, rising star countertenor Andrew Radley with Julian Perkins and his London-based period instrument ensemble Sounds Baroque, dispatch these entertaining vocal works with aplomb, interspersed with virtuosic harpsichord works performed to perfection by Perkins. With this, the first in a series of conversazione recordings, Sounds Baroque celebrates the passion, theatricality and sheer variety of music from the 17th and 18th centuries. “This debut disc from Sounds Baroque draws up a ringside seat and delves into the lovelorn world of the secular dramatic cantata with compelling specimens by Caldara and Alessandro Scarlatti...With delightfully expressive woodwind 'conversations' topping and tailing the disc, classy continuo, and deftly imaginative programming, Sounds Baroque proves a stylish ornament to the most discerning Cardinal's Court. Roll on Conversazioni Vol. 2!” BBC Music Magazine, November 2011 **** “There's a seductive tonal warmth (sometimes too seductive) to his voice. The countertenor does let loose the cutting edge of Handel's Mi palpita il cor...It's hearting to discover yet another group of young musicians, fuelled by intellectual curiosity and a corporate commitment to excellence, with enterprise and genuine flair. Roll on Conversazione II.” Classic FM Magazine, September 2011 **** “Andrew Radley demonstrates tender story-telling skills during the soft "Camminando lei pian piano"...In gentle arias [his] singing has affectionate intimacy and delicacy (such as Caldara's lovely last aria, "Parto mio ben costante"). I look forward to Volume 2.” Gramophone Magazine, October 2011 “Countertenor Andrew Radley is both swoonsome and stately, depending on the material: the somewhat melancholy progress of Albinoni's "Senza il core del mio bene", for instance, befitting a love plaint of such wretched torment, while a more playful involvement suits Handel's "Vedendo Amor", with its tortuous tale of mythic enslavement by Cupid.” The Independent, 15th July 2011 *** | | | Usually despatched in 4 - 5 working days. |
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| |  | Italian Harpsichord Music of the 18th Century
This CD gives us a tour of 18th Century Italian harpsichord music, both historically and geographically. It includes works by Durante and Cimarosa, both from Naples, Martini from Bologna and Galuppi from Venice. Roberto Giordano performs throughout the world and a film-portrait of him has been broadcast in many countries including the UK. | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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| |  | D. Scarlatti: Keyboard Sonatas
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| |  | Scarlatti & Soler: Sonatas per Cimbalo & Fandango
Bertrand Cuiller (harpsichord) Born in the same year as Handel and Bach in 1685, the Neapolitan harpsichordist Domenico Scarlatti was a virtuoso with a very particular style. In Madrid, he became 'Domingo Escarlatti' and lived as a music teacher to Queen Maria-Barbara. He wrote almost 555 sonatas in which he created an explosion of wide ranging sounds from Italy and Spain. As he was able to utilise the technical possibilities of the harpsichord to the full, he produced the mournful notes of the hunting horns as well as the passionate chords played on a flamenco guitar. This programme also presents the 'Fandango' of his disciple, Padre Antonio Soler, a sort of virtuoso dance on an ostinato. The harpsichord played on this disc is an Italian model, conceived by Philippe Humeau, with a warm sound which is ideal for this repertoire. | | | (also available to download from $10.50) | Usually despatched in 4 - 5 working days. (Available now to download.) |
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| |  | D. Scarlatti - Thirteen Sonatas
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| |  | Scarlatti - Harpsichord Sonatas & Fugues
Tomoko Matsuoka (harpsichord) Thrilling and full of intense passion, these are the qualities of the 16 sonatas by the great Italian-born composer Domenico Scarlatti. Tomoko Matsuoko relishes in the technical challenges of these sonatas; challenges that were once daunting to Scarlatti’s contemporaries. The wonderful sounds she elicits on the authentic Neuchâtel Ruckers instrument illustrate why this young lady is one of the world’s most sought after concert harpsichordists. | |
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| |  | D. Scarlatti - Sonatas for Piano
“…this is Scarlatti playing which makes considerable appeal. No exaggerated gestures, no histrionics and no blurring of textures which, throughout, Arodaky preserves with praiseworthy clarity.” BBC Music Magazine, October 2006 ***** | | | (also available to download from $10.50) | Usually despatched in 4 - 5 working days. (Available now to download.) |
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