D. Scarlatti: Complete Keyboard Sonatas, Vol. 31

Featuring

Martin Cousin
Domenico Scarlatti

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Composer's Artistic Vision

Domenico Scarlatti redefined the limits of contemporary keyboard writing, bridging Baroque complexity with Classical innovation.

Compositional Technique

Scarlatti's writing for the keyboard was visionary, exploring the instrument's expressive potential from delicate lyrical phrases to explosive, percussive flourishes.

Historical Context

The sonatas reflect Scarlatti's synthesis of Italian refinement with the rhythmic verve of the Iberian vernacular, making them cosmopolitan yet rooted in regional color.

Performer Biography

Martin Cousin, the pianist on this album, was awarded First Prize at the 2005 Ettore Pozzoli International Piano Competition and the Gold Medal at the 2003 Royal Over-Seas League Annual Music Competition.

Composer Biography

Domenico Scarlatti, the composer of these sonatas, was born into a distinguished musical family; his father, Alessandro Scarlatti, was a seminal figure in Baroque opera.

Compositional Technique

Scarlatti's sonatas are characterized by bold harmonic explorations, intricate counterpoint, and a salient rhythmic freedom that sets them apart from his peers.

Composition History

Scarlatti composed his most enterprising and innovative works, the 555 sonatas, during his years at the Portuguese and Spanish courts, where he found patronage and artistic freedom.