Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757)

[Coopmv]

Yes but this JC, if I am not mistaken, is one of JS's sons....

Indeed, Johann Christian Bach was the most accomplished of all JS Bach's sons.  I believe JC Bach also settled in London and became famous there just like GF Handel ...

[jlaurson]

 

Indeed, Johann Christian Bach was the most accomplished of all JS Bach's sons.  I believe JC Bach also settled in London and became famous there just like GF Handel ...

I believe Traverso was talking about recordings of Bach that are not by J.S. or any of his sons.
And in any case, clearly Johann Phillip Heinrich Bernhard Bach was the most accomplished, albeit not in the field of composing but butchery.
They still talk of his sausages today, in Leipzig. Some say--you can overhear this every so often--that what J.P.H.B. Bach did with Venison
Sausage equaled or surpassed his Father's work on the Mass in B-minor. But that's a little difficult to ascertain, really, given that very few
of J.P.H.B. Bach's original recipes have survived in their original form. Much of it had to be reconstructed from other "Metzgers" sausage
parodies.
Still, I think you would only have to take one bite of one of his late concoctions (roughly JPHB-Bach Würste Verzeichniss
nos. 189 - 244) to acknowledge that J.C. Bach had nothing on him.

Cheers,

jfl

[Bunny]

I believe Traverso was talking about recordings of Bach that are not by J.S. or any of his sons.
And in any case, clearly Johann Phillip Heinrich Bernhard Bach was the most accomplished, albeit not in the field of composing but butchery.
They still talk of his sausages today, in Leipzig. Some say--you can overhear this every so often--that what J.P.H.B. Bach did with Venison
Sausage equaled or surpassed his Father's work on the Mass in B-minor. But that's a little difficult to ascertain, really, given that very few
of J.P.H.B. Bach's original recipes have survived in their original form. Much of it had to be reconstructed from other "Metzgers" sausage
parodies.
Still, I think you would only have to take one bite of one of his late concoctions (roughly JPHB-Bach Würste Verzeichniss
nos. 189 - 244) to acknowledge that J.C. Bach had nothing on him.

Cheers,

jfl

That's a heck of lot of BIG sausage to swallow!

[Ciel_Rouge]

Coming back on the subject of Scarlatti sonatas, any chance this was recorded?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcsRl_LIJHA

[jlaurson]

Coming back on the subject of Scarlatti sonatas, any chance this was recorded?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcsRl_LIJHA

Scarlatti, K141 (among many other things) Argerich, Concertgebouw '78, '79

I can't tell you for sure that these are the same performances--but at the very least they are the same piece and roughly from the same time (judging by how she looks in the video.) There's only one other recording of her of K141 that I know of... a Polish concert where the Scarlatti is the encore.

[cliftwood]

What is it about this great composer?

So many superb recordings of Scarlatti's sonatas and yet his works are rarely, if ever, programmed in recitals.

I don't get it.

[Holden]

Neither do I. The few times they have been programmed has usually been as encores. Considering that there are 555 sonatas to choose from, you could easily do half a recital of Scarlatti sonatas and make it very enjoyable.

Scarlatti's pieces range from being virtuosically brillant to tender and emotional. I have no problems sitting down and listening to a whole CD of Scarlatti from the likes of Horowitz, Babayan, Shehori, Zacharias, Meyer, Tomsic and others. If this is the case then it's possible that an audience could happily experience at least half of that live.

[cliftwood]

Neither do I. The few times they have been programmed has usually been as encores. Considering that there are 555 sonatas to choose from, you could easily do half a recital of Scarlatti sonatas and make it very enjoyable.

Scarlatti's pieces range from being virtuosically brillant to tender and emotional. I have no problems sitting down and listening to a whole CD of Scarlatti from the likes of Horowitz, Babayan, Shehori, Zacharias, Meyer, Tomsic and others. If this is the case then it's possible that an audience could happily experience at least half of that live.

Hi there, old friend!

You and I have been Scarlatti fans for years! I wonder how many more of us are out there?

Best regards.

HH

[Que]

Hi there, old friend!

You and I have been Scarlatti fans for years! I wonder how many more of us are out there?

Best regards.

HH

I guess you'll find them here: Scarlatti sonatas - piano/harpsichord

Q

[cliftwood]

Que..

Thanks so much for the telling me about the Scarlatti thread!

My question about interest in the composer has been more than answered!

I still am saddened by the infrequency of current pianists to program his sonatas.

[George]

In younger years, she sure was easy on the eyes.

[karlhenning]

I still am saddened by the infrequency of current pianists to program his sonatas.

Yes, there should be more.

[jlaurson]

In younger years, she sure was easy on the eyes.

...and with a reputation to boot!!!

[Bunny]

What is it about this great composer?

So many superb recordings of Scarlatti's sonatas and yet his works are rarely, if ever, programmed in recitals.

I don't get it.

You know, even though Horowitz was fascinated with Scarlatti, I don't think he ever performed an all Scarlatti concert.  He would include a few of the pieces, but he knew that his bread and butter was the romantics and he did give the people what they wanted.  It would be nice to see a larger collection of the Essersizi programmed into a piano recital, but I think it would be more likely to show up in a harpsichord recital at this point.  Aside from expensive "intégrales" on harpsichord, the most recent recordings of Scarlatti on piano that I know of are Sudbin's disc for Bis and Zhu Xiao-mei's OOP disc from about 2000 for INA Memoire Vive which was available in France and Japan, and now only as a download from Amazon or Itunes.  This is meaningful when you realize that most concert artists tour in order to push their most recent cd releases.  If someone else comes out with a cd of Scarlatti on piano which is hopefully not going to be an "encore collection," it becomes more likely that you will get a concert of Scarlatti, so keep your fingers crossed!

Otherwise, Scarlatti's essersizi, as with most shorter piano works, seems to be relegated to the "encore" section of a recital nowadays. 

[Holden]

I think a complete 2 hour recital of Scarlatti might be a bit tough to take for an audience. This has nothing to do with the quality of compositions (which I strongly admire) but the nature of the pieces themselves. They are all relatively short, follow the same ABA structure and are constrained by the limited dynamic range of the keyboards of the time. This sameness of structure and keyboard range could become wearying for many audience members. It would be like going to a concert in which the only works cast were the Chopin Mazurkas - all excellent compositions but again the structure and rhythmic sameness would certainly get to some after a while.

No problem for the aficionados of course. I could easily sit through a complete Scarlatti concert (provided it was someone like Sudbin, Shehori or Babayan at the keyboard) but I feel that many couldn't. Also, it is not  easy to play these apparently simple works well. The temptation for many pianists is to embellish the music with a rubato or series of ritardandos/rallentandos that were never there. (I feel that Pletnev was gulity of this in his much lauded recording and when I auditioned this CD I kept waiting for the music to move forward - it was frustrating.). To keep the flow lines and phrasing that Scarlatti intended and to make the music speak takes quite a bit of talent and maybe this is why a lot of pianists won't program them for fear of producing something that is merely routine.

Just my thoughts on one of my favourite composers.

[Coopmv]

In younger years, she sure was easy on the eyes.

Isn't this the case for any woman?     

[The Six]

I've actually just started listening to one volume of a complete recording of the sonatas. There are many that are very unique in their keyboard and harmonic technique, especially for that time.

[Josquin des Prez]

Yes, harmony is really one of the greatest elements of his music.

[71 dB]

I have only one CD of D. Scarlatti's sonatas: Volume one on Naxos played by Eteri Andjaparidze. While it's a nice disc highlight being track 12 (sonata in E minor, K.402/L.427/P496) I don't complete get Scarlatti's reputation. Perhaps the performances on that CD just suck? I have been more impressed by the (vocal) compositions of Alessandro Scarlatti. Go figure.

[karlhenning]

I have only one CD of D. Scarlatti's sonatas: Volume one on Naxos played by Eteri Andjaparidze. While it's a nice disc highlight being track 12 (sonata in E minor, K.402/L.427/P496) I don't complete get Scarlatti's reputation. Perhaps the performances on that CD just suck?

Maybe.  In all events, I should never, ever write any composer off based on the only disc I've listened to having been on the Naxos label. Puh-leeze.

Of course, D. Scarlatti may just not be your thing.  Keep in mind: your not liking a composer, doesn't call that composer's reputation into question. It just means, maybe you don't like the music.

I have been more impressed by the (vocal) compositions of Alessandro Scarlatti. Go figure.

Apples & oranges. Go figure.