Search - Scarlatti, Pinnock :: 14 Sonatas

Wow!

Eloi | Ely, NV USA | 04/09/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have been underwhelmed by Pinnock's solo performance of the Bach harpsichord toccatas and by his ensemble work, but this recording is great! Pinnock focusses on the sonatas in the K 460 and up number, so if you believe Kirkpatrick, these are the "Late" sonatas.



More to the point, they show Scarlatti in his most creative or original mode. K 547 makes a listener edgy with a descending sequence of arpeggiated parallel 7th chords in a progression that Thelonious Monk might have played. It also contains in the second half one of those weird episodes that have no relation to anything previously heard, like Scarlatti had this urgent message from his home planet that he just had to pass on--yet it works!



And K 544-545 were a revelation. K 544 is often played, since Kirkpatrick identified it in his book as the paradigm Scarlatti sonata. It's gentle and nice and a terrific setup for the seldom-recorded K 545, with its pounding Habanera rhythm. Think Carmen on steroids. The well-recorded, very live sound of a Hemsch-copy harpsichord will keep you awake.



"

Masterly performance

G. Van Santvoort | Tenby, Wales, UK | 02/28/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It is only since two weeks that I managed to purchase this wonderful recording of the Scarlatti Sonatas. It took me about 6 months before I managed to get hold of this CD.

Personally I believe that Trevor Pinnock's performance is truly breath-taking. What you hear is a rare complementarity of the mind and the heart: there is a technical skill which is very close to perfection, whilst he maintains an openness through which ideas and colours remain fresh and playful as if they left the spirit of the age far behind...

What a shame that Archiv Produktion has not continued to print this amazing achievement. A recording such as this ought to be kept available."