From Scarlatti’s more than 500 sonatas, Christoph Ullrich now presents the sonatas K. 296-325 as well as an original work and two arrangements by flautist Jens Josef in Volume 9 of his complete recording.
Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757), born in Naples on October 26, 1685, died in Madrid on July 23, 1757, was active in Naples, Rome, London and Madrid, among other places. He composed operas (until 1718), sacred music and more than 550 harpsichord pieces. These were hardly ever published during his lifetime. What is available today comes from many different sources.
The Henle edition states: «With his characterful themes, natural cantabile melodies and dance-like movements, Scarlatti triumphed over the heavy Baroque style. The technical moment is a formally constitutive element within his one-movement sonatas. For the first time in the history of piano music, the performer has to cross his hands and make long leaps.»
Many of Scarlatti’s sonatas have a recognizable style and contain Spanish and Portuguese tonality and rhythm.
What you really have to admire about Ullrich’s performances is the way he not only plays the music, but lives it. The way he nuances and rhetorically enhances the music is remarkable.
So, as in previous recordings, one can admire truly imaginative playing that is also characterized by an excellent sense of rhythm and color.
Norbert Tischer<< retourner