Domenico Scarlatti: 20 Sonatas

Featuring

Margherita Torretta
Domenico Scarlatti

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Composer Biography

Domenico Scarlatti, born in Naples in 1685, had a restless youth and an excessive propensity for gambling, but also possessed a gentle, refined, introverted, and reserved nature.

Interpretation

Pianist Margherita Torretta believes that performers should use all expressive means of the piano, including strong dynamics and rubato, to interpret Scarlatti's sonatas, rejecting clichés about their 'lightness'.

Compositional Technique

Scarlatti's sonatas contain theatrical elements, with themes acting as characters, sections as scenes, and developments as intertwining moments, often featuring exaggerated gestures and sudden pauses.

Performer Biography

Margherita Torretta, the pianist on this album, began her piano and music studies later in life, achieving honors at the G. Nicolini conservatory and receiving a scholarship for advanced studies in Switzerland.

Composer Biography

Scarlatti's father, Alessandro, a famous musician, initially guided him towards a career as an organist and composer of theatrical, vocal, lyrical, and religious works.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Scarlatti's sonatas blend Italian and Spanish, high and popular, and archaic and innovative elements, creating a totally new style that fully explores the harpsichord's possibilities.