Description
Domenico Scarlatti is considered one of music history's great piano composers and the first-ever piano virtuoso. This collection features 24 sonatas from various periods, offering a survey of Scarlatti's rich and varied output. The Italian composer, who worked at the Spanish court, triumphed over the heavy Baroque style with his characterful themes, natural cantabile melodies, and dance-like movements.
A key aspect of Scarlatti's one-movement sonatas is the performance-technical element, which is a formally constitutive element. For the first time in piano music history, the interpreter must cross hands and master wide leaps.
Renowned pianist Bengt Johnsson provides background on Scarlatti's life and career, as well as the sources used for this edition, in the preface. Several sonatas appear in print here for the first time. The collection also includes a reprint of a 1738 preface to an edition of 30 of Scarlatti's piano sonatas - an additional "bon-bon" for those seeking a deeper understanding of Scarlatti's piano music.
