Domenico Scarlatti, the composer of these sonatas, was born in 1685, the same year as famous composers Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel.
Performer Biography
Racha Arodaky, the pianist on this album, began playing piano at age eight and entered the Paris Conservatoire at thirteen, later studying with Yevgueni Malinine and Murray Perahia.
Critical Reception
In his own time, Domenico Scarlatti was universally recognized as the foremost harpsichordist of the first half of the 18th century, according to Francesco Florimo.
Historical Context
The Florentine musical scene, which Domenico Scarlatti's father frequented, was keenly interested in Bartolomeo Cristofori's experiments with the 'Cimbalo di piano e forte,' an early version of the piano.
Compositional Technique
Domenico Scarlatti's sonatas, though mostly in binary form, exhibit a "prodigious variety in the nature of the ideas" and "charming grace in the melodies," as noted by François-Joseph Fétis.
Composer Biography
Domenico Scarlatti's father, Alessandro Scarlatti, referred to his son as "an eagle" in a letter of recommendation to Prince Ferdinando de' Medici.
Composition History
Domenico Scarlatti's early training included an apprenticeship in Venice with Francesco Gasparini, who authored a fundamental treatise featuring the earliest illustration of the acciaccatura.
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