Search - Domenico Scarlatti, Andreas Staier :: Scarlatti: Sonatas

The legacy of a genius ahead of his time and contemporaries.

Ludovico Ladislaus Ivan | Los Angeles, CA | 09/16/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Domenico Scarlatti(1685-1757) wrote more of 500 sonatas for the harpsichord, his keyboard music reflects the genius of a composer ahead of his time and contemporaries (J.S.Bach, G.F.Handel and J.P.Rameau)and highly demands an unusual virtuosity from the performers. The harpsicord sonatas draw up jumps and triad passages over several octaves, the crossing of hands, ans fast tone repetition or octaves as sound effects which are an end themselves. In 1709 George Friedrich Handel's patron ( Cardinal Ottoboni ), arranged a friendly keyboard contest between his protege and Scarlatti which was a tie, Handel being adjudged the better organist and Domenico the better harsichordist.

Andreas Staier is in his element and displays in all these single-movement sonatas a staggering range of colors, nuances and texture. An absolute great moment in Staier's performer career, technically matchless, but full of passion and love for Scarlatti's music. If you do not know Domenico's keyboard music, here is the perfect introduction to his masterworks, full of fabulous colors taken out from the harsichord, which has been sensitively recorded thanks to a co-production with Westdeutscher Runffunk, Koln in the Pedagogic Center of Lindar, Germany in 1990 (CD 1) and 1992 (CD 2).

A very enjoyable reissue, sometimes an absolute tour de force in every sense. Do not miss it.

"