Scarlatti: Sonatas

Featuring

Nicolau de Figueiredo
Domenico Scarlatti

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Composition History

Domenico Scarlatti accompanied Maria Bárbara de Bragança to Spain in 1729 and worked at the Spanish court until his death, composing cantatas and organizing his keyboard sonatas.

Composer Biography

Domenico Scarlatti, the composer, began his career following his father Alessandro Scarlatti, but his father initially urged him to compose operas and vocal music.

Compositional Technique

Scarlatti's keyboard sonatas often feature virtuosic techniques like crossed hands and acrobatic leaps, which he systematically used in his harpsichord music.

Compositional Technique

Domenico Scarlatti's 555 keyboard sonatas are typically short, single-movement pieces, mostly in binary form, and are recognized as cornerstones of the keyboard repertoire.

Recording & Production

Nicolau de Figueiredo insisted on recording these Scarlatti sonatas on the same anonymous French harpsichord from the 1715s at the Chateau D'Assas that Scott Ross used for his iconic integral recording.

Composer Biography

Domenico Scarlatti served as music director for the cathedral in Lisbon and taught King João V's brother and daughter, Maria Bárbara de Bragança, who later became queen of Spain.

Performer Biography

Nicolau de Figueiredo, the harpsichordist on this album, was a highly sought-after continuo player and also performed as a soloist and conductor across Europe, Canada, Japan, and Brazil.