Scarlatti: Complete Piano Sonatas, Vol. 15

Featuring

Christoph Ullrich
Eric Schaefer
Domenico Scarlatti

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Composition History

Domenico Scarlatti's 555 one-movement harpsichord sonatas were compiled into 15 volumes under his supervision during his lifetime.

Composer Biography

Scarlatti dedicated his 30 Essercizi (exercises) to King Jose V of Portugal in 1738 as thanks for his knighthood.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Scarlatti reportedly told a physician, Alexandre-Louis Laugier, that he intentionally disregarded compositional rules in his keyboard pieces, as long as the music did not 'offend the ear'.

Compositional Technique

Scarlatti incorporated 'acciaccaturas'—deliberately playing notes belonging to a chord simultaneously with notes alien to it—into his compositions, making them a composer's intention rather than a performer's discretion.

Compositional Technique

Scarlatti adapted harmonic phenomena from flamenco music, such as the 'Andalusian Cadence' (a descending four-note bass figure with a semitone step at the end), into his sonatas.

Performer Biography

Christoph Ullrich, the pianist on this recording, is also the Artistic Director of the 'Taschen-Oper-Companie' (Pocket Opera Company) and co-founder of the 'Ohrwurm-Projekt' (Catchy Tune Project), which focuses on children's concerts.

Historical Context

Scarlatti lived and worked in Spain from 1729, first in Seville, then near Madrid, and married an Andalusian woman in the early 1740s, providing him ample opportunity to learn about Spanish music.