Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757)

[DarkAngel]

While I have close to 150 LP's/CD's of various works by Vivaldi and probably have most if not all the recorded works, I find it somewhat difficult to justify getting Scarlatti's complete harpsichord works.  Scarlatti was clearly no JS Bach and he was also less accomplished than Vivaldi.  At any rate, how is the BC set by Peter Jan Belder?

Coop
I just commented above (#225) reasons that I prefer the Scott Ross/Warner Classic set over the Belder/Brilliant set, hard to get fully acquianted with 34 Cds of sonatas, always new things to discover..........if you buy from UK especially during sales Ross set will not cost much over $100, during Xmas sales it was as low as $82

Scarlatti is more entertaining to listen to compared to Bach, but I really think Scarlatti comes off better on harpsicord and sounds a bit bare on modern piano

[DarkAngel]

I got a few of the Lester/Nimbus and Belder/Brilliant releases, and I like the older Scott Ross performances better, and if you want a complete set I would definitely go for the Ross/Warner boxset as first choice. (or get 3CD Ross Anthology set at Archiv Music re-issue)

Took my own advice and finally purchased the Scott Ross boxset from UK.......this will take some time to explore

Would also like to buy Padre Antonio Soler sonata set from Naxos currently on volume 13, I will wait for a boxset to be released by Naxos, shipping is a killer for all those individually. Similar to Scarlatti in style, I love these also....nearly as prolific as Scarlatti with over 200 sonatas known today but very little recorded and no complete sets that I know of

[DarkAngel]

Having a complete boxset does not dimminish the hunger for new individual Scarlatti collections, really like this Skip Sempe CD recently acquired and have been buying other french baroque harpsicord Cds he has on his own record label. Very dashing imaginative playing like Hantai and some of the very best artists, make these gems sparkle

[Scarpia]

Scarlatti was clearly no JS Bach and he was also less accomplished than Vivaldi.

I am trying to contemplate someone less accomplished than Vivaldi, but I am drawing a blank.

[Mandryka]

Having a complete boxset does not dimminish the hunger for new individual Scarlatti collections, really like this Skip Sempe CD recently acquired and have been buying other french baroque harpsicord Cds he has on his own record label. Very dashing imaginative playing like Hantai and some of the very best artists, make these gems sparkle

I much prefer Sempe to Hanti in fact.

What do you think of the way he doubles up the harpsichord in some of them?

[jlaurson]

D.Scarlatti
17 happy freaks
Zhu Xiao-Mei
IMV  019

Wow. wow. wow! What Scarlatti this is! Bolder than her supra-musical
but understated Bach and Haydn... but not as bold and spiky as Pletnev.
Still, it manages just the same amount of rhythmic verve that makes
Pletnev (in my ears) so very special. Hurray, I have a new second-favorite
Scarlatti disc.

[The new erato]

I am trying to contemplate someone less accomplished than Vivaldi, but I am drawing a blank.

Even though I think are harsh on Vivaldi here, I must admit that the statement you reacted to, drew an uncomprehending reaction with me as well.

[DarkAngel]

I much prefer Sempe to Hanti in fact.

What do you think of the way he doubles up the harpsichord in some of them?

They are great and just further "amplify" the dramatic artistry of the lead keyboard, increased dynamic range and fullness of sound, basically you are using a lead harpsicord and a continuo harpsicord. I was feeling the "duende"

Sempe mentions in the notes it is not uncommon to have 2 and 3 harpsicord performances at that time as evidenced by Bach's well know keyboard concertos for 2 and 3 harpsicords.....

I have many of Sempe's solo harpsicord works now and will watch him closely

[DarkAngel]

Bunny and Jens.......
are very strong advocates for Zhu Xiao-Mei but to be honest I like harpsicord much more than piano for Scarlatti sonatas.....and I do have Pletnev, Sudbin, Horowitz etc piano CDs.

Piano just sounds slightly bare compared to the florid richness a skilled harpsicord player can render these works in, a more baroque sound that seems to flow better for these works

[karlhenning]

Scarlatti was clearly no JS Bach

All right, but I find it quite enough that he was such a fine Scarlatti.

[jlaurson]

Bunny and Jens.......
are very strong advocates for Zhu Xiao-Mei but to be honest I like harpsicord much more than piano for Scarlatti sonatas.....and I do have Pletnev, Sudbin, Horowitz etc piano CDs.

Piano just sounds slightly bare compared to the florid richness a skilled harpsicord player can render these works in, a more baroque sound that seems to flow better for these works

That's fine. We're not trying to force apple-tart down a pear-lovers' throat.  Diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks.
Incidentally I like--in principle--the harpsichord better in Scarlatti, too. But I find that there are more great piano recordings that please me, than there are ones on the harpsichord.

[DarkAngel]

They are great and just further "amplify" the dramatic artistry of the lead keyboard, increased dynamic range and fullness of sound, basically you are using a lead harpsicord and a continuo harpsicord. I was feeling the "duende"

Sempe mentions in the notes it is not uncommon to have 2 and 3 harpsicord performances at that time as evidenced by Bach's well know keyboard concertos for 2 and 3 harpsicords.....

I have many of Sempe's solo harpsicord works now and will watch him closely

Bulldog would not be a fan of these two keyboard sonatas I predict........
The rich "wet" reverberant  soundfield would obscure the clarity of line he prefers, but I love them

Samples from JPC, two harpsicord sonatas tracks 2,7,9,16
http://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/Domenico-Scarlatti-Cembalosonaten-Duende/hnum/1845598

[Bulldog]

Bulldog would not be a fan of these two keyboard sonatas I predict........
The rich "wet" reverberant  soundfield would obscure the clarity of line he prefers, but I love them

Thanks for the heads-up, although Scarlatti is not one of my favored composers.  I do have many Scarlatti keyboard discs, but most of them come from friends. 

[kishnevi]

Another possibility in the Scarlatti recital CD lists:
Racha Arodaky on Zig-Zag Territories (Sonates au Piano)
18 sonatas, K. numbers 466 193 32 1 247 208 209 9 213 427 87 474 457 481 159 462 551 30

[DarkAngel]

Took my own advice and finally purchased the Scott Ross boxset from UK.......this will take some time to explore

This may turn out to be one of my greatest purchases.......10 Cds into it I jut love what I am hearing!
It is just amazing the consistent quality of these sonatas, there is just no filler or let down, they all represent the highest standards of harpsichord composition, everyone is worth while hearing......I am serious.

Scott Ross deserves his cult reputation for this accomplishment, his imaginative and dramatic playing never sound routine or dull.........just a joy to explore this vast body of work.

[Que]

This may turn out to be one of my greatest purchases.......10 Cds into it I jut love what I am hearing!
It is just amazing the consistent quality of these sonatas, there is just no filler or let down, they all represent the highest standards of harpsichord composition, everyone is worth while hearing......I am serious.

Scott Ross deserves his cult reputation for this accomplishment, his imaginative and dramatic playing never sound routine or dull.........just a joy to explore this vast body of work.

A can't agree more with everything you've said. It's a pleasure to hear it from someone who just made the discovery and to be reminded of my own excitement when I did the same.

Q

[dirkronk]

A can't agree more with everything you've said. It's a pleasure to hear it from someone who just made the discovery and to be reminded of my own excitement when I did the same.

Q

There was an old friend of mine here in San Antonio named Bill Case. Legally blind since he was very young, he played piano in jazz ensembles before WWII and ran the city's first serious hi-fi shop for about four or more decades after the war. In his last years of retirement, his late 80s through his death at 95, he "discovered" the internet and utilized it to download sheet music for Scarlatti's sonatas, which he then blew up so he could see the notes...and he spent countless hours playing that music, for his own sheer enjoyment. Never got to hear him doing it--he was reticent to let others hear until he'd gotten things down well--but I think about him frequently when I put on an LP or CD of Scarlatti myself.

Dirk

[DarkAngel]

A can't agree more with everything you've said. It's a pleasure to hear it from someone who just made the discovery and to be reminded of my own excitement when I did the same.

I have made it to CD 21 of the complete Scott Ross set, and there is no way to ever go back to Belden/Brilliant after this.

I have noticed that Ross did not often use lute stop effects, but on sonata K 335 he does a neat trick where on 2 manual harpsicord the lute stop is only applied to one manual and other plays normally. The result sounds like a 2 instrument sonata between guitar/lute and harpsichord......one hand plays each. You can now clearly hear the complex interplay between each hand during the sonata, gives you a new respect for the artistry involved here of Scarlatti.......

[SonicMan46]

I have made it to CD 21 of the complete Scott Ross set, and there is no way to ever go back to Belden/Brilliant after this.

DA - glad that you're enjoying the Scott Ross Scarlatti set - for myself, just own the first 3-disc volume of Belder - decided not to buy into him any further w/ the varied opinions; also have 3 discs of Hantai, which I do enjoy.

But now anxious to experience these Ross' performances - HEY, maybe Brilliant can license these recordings and offer them at a decent price?      Dave

[Coopmv]

DA - glad that you're enjoying the Scott Ross Scarlatti set - for myself, just own the first 3-disc volume of Belder - decided not to buy into him any further w/ the varied opinions; also have 3 discs of Hantai, which I do enjoy.

But now anxious to experience these Ross' performances - HEY, maybe Brilliant can license these recordings and offer them at a decent price?      Dave

I took a look at this Warner set a while back but really did not have a strong conviction for having a 33-CD Scarlatti's Complete Harpsichord Works set in my classical music collection.  While I may have many Beethoven Symphonies cycles and Bach Complete Organ Works, Scarlatti was no Bach or Beethoven.  Perhaps I will change my mind ...