DOMENICO SCARLATTI 3 CD set The Complete Sonatas DOMENICO other titles in this series SCARLATTI Volumes I • II • III • IV • V • VI VOLUME VII DOMENICO DOMENICO DOMENICO Appendices & Diversities SCARLATTI SCARLATTI SCARLATTI VOLUME I VOLUME II VOLUME III 57 Sonatas Essercizi per Gravicembalo Venice III – V (1753) Venice VI – VIII (1753-4) (K1-30) (K206 – 295) (K296 – 355, K358 – 387) Venice I & II (1752) (K49, K98, K99, K129, K148-201) RICHARD LESTER RICHARD LESTER Harpsichord RICHARD LESTER Harpsichord & Organ Harpsichord & organ RICHARD LESTER Harpsichord DOMENICO DOMENICO DOMENICO SCARLATTI SCARLATTI SCARLATTI VOLUME IV VOLUME V VOLUME VI Venice IX – XI (1754-6) Venice XII – XIII (1756-7) Venice XIV (1742) (K388 – 451, K454 – 483) (K484 – 543) (K3, 10-12, 17, 31, 36-38, Continuo Sonatas 43-77, 79, 80, 82-87, 92, 93) (K78, K81, K88 – 91) RICHARD LESTER Venice XV (1749) (K96, K98-138) Harpsichord Richard Lester & FORTEPIANO Harpsichord RICHARD LESTER Academia Musicali Harpsichord For availability and complete track details please visit www.wyastone.co.uk/nrl/scarlatti.html NI 1731 DOMENICO SCARLATTI located near the jack rail.The length of the instrument (8ft entrance is possibly the lair of the she-dragon Python, 3ins) allows for a rich and resonant bass and the tapering whom Apollo slew to gain control of Mount Parnassus. The Complete Sonatas of the soundboard in certain areas produces a sonorous Richard Lester treble. The case is of pine with tulipwood veneer, spruce soundboard with walnut bridges and the keys, like Queen Through this single recorded marathon Richard Lester has VOLUME VII NI 1731 Maria Barbara’s instruments are of ebony and mother of now established an international reputation as a virtuoso Appendices & Diversities pearl. harpsichordist. His piano teachers have included Bernard Roberts - and on the harpsichord, George Malcolm - who 57 Sonatas The painting on the inside of the lid is a faithful sponsored his London debut recital. His many solo reproduction by the artist Ann March of the original engagements have included broadcasts for BBC radio and classical Greek theme. On the central oval of the keyboard RICHARD LESTER television, recitals at the Royal Festival Hall Purcell Room, flap, Athene, goddess of wisdom and war, is highlighted. Harpsichord Wigmore Hall, Bath International Festival, Bruges She wears a plumed helmet, holds a spear and carries Festival, many concerts abroad - and master classes at Zeus’ shield (the aegis). An owl representing wisdom Dartington Summer School. APPENDICES & DIVERSITIES accompanies her. Artemis’ chariot led by silver horses draws the moon across the sky. Pegasus, a shining white It was at Dartington that he met the great 23 Sonatas from existing and unpublished manuscripts winged horse, is also depicted. A figure, possibly Pallas, a Spanish/American harpsichordist, Fernando Valenti, who friend of Athene, is attended by loyal servants. A book, ignited Lester’s enthusiasm and passion for Scarlatti’s musical instruments, manuscript, weapons and other sonatas. He subsequently recorded an album of Scarlatti ‘Domenico Scarlatti was without doubt, the most The Court in 1729 moved first to Seville, residing in artifacts associated with Athene adorn the four corners of sonatas which was hailed by all the major recording original keyboard composer of his time’, wrote Ralph the Alcazar, ancient palace of Moorish kings.This area the flap. magazines as ‘brilliant’. He has written extensively for Kirkpatrick, Scarlatti’s biographer. 1 ofAndalusia in Southern Spain is considered the home music magazines and contributed two chapters on Scarlatti On a background portraying the southern slopes of Mount to a leading Hungarian book on early music, Regi Zene. He was born in Naples on October 26 th 1685, the of Flamenco, and frequent visits by the court to major Parnassus and temple at Delphi, Apollo, the central figure same year as Bach and Handel. It was not until around towns afforded ample opportunity for a discerning playing the lyre, is surrounded by a number of Muses. Nine His reputation as an organist is clearly celebrated and ear, as Burney states to, ‘imitate the tunes sung by in all, they represent amongst other things, music, dance, includes numerous recitals at King’s College, Cambridge, 1720 however, that his compositional skills developed 2 fully following an appointment in Portugal as chapel carriers, muleteers and common people’. drama, comedy, tragedy and poetry.They are accompanied St Paul’s Cathedral, Coventry Cathedral and many other cathedrals and churches in this country and abroad. During music master to King João V, - and harpsichord This then, is where Scarlatti first heard the hypnotic by priestesses famous for their prophesies or oracles, who a busy musical life Richard Lester has also held positions as teacher to his younger brother Don Antonio - and his sounds of Andalucian gypsy music that were to sleep on the extreme right. To the far left of the scene Head of music at the Mall school in Twickenham, Oakley nine-year-old daughter, Princess Maria Barbara. become an endless source of inspiration for many appear two figures in armour, possibly Hermes and Hall School in Cirencester - and as Master of the sonatas, all as far as we know, written for his royal Dionysus, Apollo’s half-brothers. The furnace-lit cave Following her marriage in 1729 to Fernando, Felipe Choristers at Cirencester Parish church. V’s son (heir to the Spanish throne) Domenico was to pupil. ൿ remain as her music master for the rest of his life. The court remained in Seville for four years before This compilation 2007Wyastone Estate Limited © 2007Wyastone Estate Limited moving northward to Madrid. The annual itinerary Issued under license from the copyright owner Privilège Accord Cover/inlay photo: © iStockphoto.com/djeecee Design: doubletakedesign.co.uk page 2 Domenico Scarlatti VOLUME VII Page 15 connection has been. Search for a link and there is none. some interesting puzzles. The most elaborate harpsichord writes Ralph Kirkpatrick, ‘…was then divided Spanish court. Some years after his death in 1782, This could even provide a possible solution to the pair- with four sets of strings had a limited keyboard compass of between the royal residences. Easter, Buen Retiro they were housed in the Biblioteca Marciana, in wise conundrum: quite simply, that there is no fifty-six keys and the two instruments with three sets of near Madrid; Spring and early summer in Aranjuez, Venice. These are now referred to as the Venice connection, apart from key relationship, between the strings possessed respectively fifty-six and fifty-eight keys. the ancient seat of Carlos V and Felipe II in the Tagus manuscripts and constitute the principal source for sonatas that would appear to be arranged in pairs. The pianos also had short compasses of fifty-nine, fifty- valley between Madrid andToledo; La Granja, high up these recordings. four and fifty-six keys respectively. Many of Scarlatti’s Of the remaining sonatas on this CD, K203 and K205 in the Guadarrama mountains toward Segovia; sonatas demand a full five-octave range which would have In addition, a further fifteen duplicate volumes were offers an interesting extended variation from the more Autumn at the Escorial on a lonely hillside usual binary format. excluded their performance on many instruments in the copied out mostly by the same copyist, possibly Padre collection. It is also interesting that sonatas, suggestive of overlooking the great plain toward Madrid, – and Antonio Soler, who studied with Scarlatti. These The Instruments the piano’s expressiveness, actually fall outside of the January to mid-March at the old hunting lodge of the volumes are now housed in the Biblioteca Palatina, in Pardo.’ In choosing instruments on which to perform the instruments’ compass. Of all the instruments in Queen Parma. Maria Barbara’s collection, the three Spanish harpsichords complete cycle of sonatas, I was guided by the Queen’s When Felipe died in 1746, Fernando VI and Queen Further sonatas have also been discovered and referred to in her inventory were probably the most inventory in which quite a detailed account of the Maria Barbara made their state entry into Madrid. It authenticated (included in volume 7 of this series) by frequently used. instruments in her possession is presented. She owned is thought that between 1738 and 1756, Scarlatti W. Dean Sutcliffe, author of The Keyboard Works of twelve keyboard instruments distributed between the The Portuguese family of Antunes were prominent wrote the majority of his keyboard sonatas. Little is Domenico Scarlatti . I am indeed indebted to him for royal palaces of Buen Retiro, Aranjuez and the Escorial. harpsichord and piano makers in the 18th century and known of him during his time in Spain, although we furnishing copies of manuscripts, which have enabled Seven were various types of harpsichords and five were shared a workshop in Lisbon, and it is quite probable that know that he married twice and had nine children. He me to compile what is to date, the only complete pianofortes made in Florence. These were probably made Scarlatti was familiar with their excellent work. Joachim was knighted in 1738 and remained in loyal service recording of Scarlatti’s keyboard sonatas. Sonatas in by Cristofori or his pupil Ferrini. It is interesting to note José (1731-1811) was probably the most notable and at until his death on July 23, 1757. Scarlatti’s hand have completely disappeared and in that two of these instruments had been converted into least four instruments exist. It is a fine copy of the 1785 harpsichords. Either the instruments had been Between 1752 and 1757, thirteen volumes containing fact examples of his writing are scarce. instrument by Michael Cole of Cheltenham that we hear thirty sonatas in each were copied out for the Queen. unsatisfactory as pianos, or were of more use as on Disc 3 - 6.