Scarlatti: Complete Piano Sonatas, Vol. 3

Featuring

Christoph Ullrich
Domenico Scarlatti

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Composer Biography

Maria Bárbara de Bragança, the Spanish Queen and Scarlatti's patroness and pupil, bequeathed the volumes of sonatas to the castrato Farinelli, who brought them to Bologna.

Performer Biography

Christoph Ullrich, the pianist on this recording, is undertaking a project to record all 555 of Domenico Scarlatti's sonatas on a modern Steinway concert grand piano.

Composition History

The 30 Essercizi, designated by Scarlatti himself, were dedicated to King Jose V of Portugal in gratitude for his knighthood and precede the larger collection of 496 sonatas.

Composition History

Domenico Scarlatti's one-movement sonatas are preserved exclusively in manuscripts, compiled under his supervision into 15 volumes, each typically containing 30 sonatas.

Compositional Technique

Scarlatti incorporated 'cantabile' (singing style) elements into his sonatas, believing they complemented the instrument's virtuosic aspects rather than contradicting its idiom.

Critical Reception

Carl Czerny, a composer and pianist, stated in 1839 that Scarlatti could be considered the true founder of fortepiano playing, laying the foundation for his posthumous fame.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Scarlatti's sonatas were often written for the instruction of Maria Barbara, the Portuguese Princess and later Spanish Queen, showcasing her extraordinary ability.