Scarlatti, D: Keyboard Sonata K115 in C minor

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.

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.

A selection from the 600 sontas by Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757) that illustrate two facets of his musical personality.

CD1 depicts the genius of the composer – some of his greatest and most remarkable sonatas have been selected by Carbonara. These works illustrate the exploratory and innovative nature of the sonatas. CD2 gathers together a selection of sonatas that illustrate the gambler, or the reckless side of the composer. These sonatas are just as innovative as those on CD1, but there is a devil may care craziness to some of the music. These are dramatic extreme works that give some idea of the incredible technique Scarlatti possessed as a player, and of his remarkably fertile imagination.

2CDs of Scarlatti sonatas containing some unknown and rarely recorded works.

New recordings made in 2009.

Extensive booklet essay by the artist on each sonata.

Carbonara has recorded Ravel’s complete piano music for Brilliant Classics, and a CD of piano music by Nino Rota. He studied with Andreas Staier, Alicia de Larrocha and Leon Fleischer.

This is the second volume of Music and Arts’ complete Scarlatti project and is a co-production with Bösendorfer, Vienna. Carlo Grante plays a Bösendorfer Imperial piano. The set includes a biography of the composer by Eva Badura-Skoda and an essay on the music by Carlo Grante.