Scarlatti: Complete Piano Sonatas, Vol. 7

Featuring

Christoph Ullrich
Domenico Scarlatti

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Composer Biography

Many years of Domenico Scarlatti's life remain obscure, with almost no documents in his own hand and only occasional mentions by his contemporaries.

Composition History

Most of Scarlatti's sonatas survived in two collections, likely copied by his student Antonio Soler for Queen Maria Bárbara of Spain.

Composition History

The two main collections of Scarlatti's sonatas ended up in Venice and Parma via the estate of the famous castrato Farinelli, who was a friend of Scarlatti and worked at the Spanish court.

Compositional Technique

Scarlatti's music often defies classical rules of composition, incorporating elements like overt parallel fifths and extravagant modulations.

Recording & Production

Christoph Ullrich is recording all 555 of Domenico Scarlatti's surviving harpsichord sonatas on a modern Steinway concert grand piano as part of a series.

Performer Biography

Christoph Ullrich, the pianist, has a multi-faceted repertoire comprising approximately 1000 works from all epochs and styles since Bach, including solo piano, chamber music, and around 500 songs.

Cultural Impact

Literary figures like Alejo Carpentier, Irene Dische, and Nobel Prize winner José Saramago have been inspired by Scarlatti's life and music in their novels.