Scarlatti: Complete Piano Sonatas, Vol. 4

Featuring

Christoph Ullrich
Domenico Scarlatti

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Cultural Impact

Scarlatti's sonatas were used for the 1917 ballet 'Le donne di buon umore' (The Good-Humoured Ladies), arranged by Vincenzo Tommasini and premiered by the famous Ballets Russes.

Composition History

The 30 'Essercizi' (exercises), dedicated to King Jose V of Portugal, preceded the main collection of 496 sonatas and are considered part of Scarlatti's keyboard compositions.

Interpretation

Christoph Ullrich is recording all 555 of Domenico Scarlatti's preserved harpsichord sonatas on a modern Steinway concert grand piano for this album series.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Scarlatti's music often tells stories through operatic language or allusions to dance characters, forming imaginary ballet scenes, and allows the listener's imagination to evoke theatrical associations.

Composition History

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

Compositional Technique

Many of Scarlatti's sonatas have an inherent dance-like character, often comprising two repeated sections and following the key structure of 18th-century dance movements.

Composer Biography

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