Series I of excellent G. Ricordi edition edited by Alessandro Longo includes 38 sonatas K.478 through K.515. The crowning achievements of an outstanding Baroque composer these sonatas feature exciting experimental effects â consecutive fifths and octaves crossing hands internal repetitions and extended chords â that celebrate the marvelous potential of the keyboard.
SKU: BT.EMBZ14695
Besides Bach, Domenico Scarlatti is the other Baroque composer whose keyboard works sound really great on the modern piano. The editor of this volume has chosen sixteen pieces from the 555 surviving single-movement keyboard sonatas by Scarlatti. This compilation is designed to offer a representative selection in order to give a taste of the incredibly rich world of Scarlatti's sonatas in terms of their character, structure, and keyboard techniques: they include lyrical Andantes and powerful, etude-like, whirling Allegros, pieces inspired by Spanish folk music and guitar-playing, as well as sonatas that anticipate the Viennese classical style. None of these movements exceed amoderate difficulty level. Neben Bach ist Domenico Scarlatti der andere Barock-Komponist, dessen Werke für Tasteninstrumente auch auf dem heutigen Klavier gut klingen. Aus seinen 555, meistens einsätzigen Sonaten wählte der Herausgeber für den vorliegenden Band sechzehn Stücke aus. Diese wurden mit dem Anspruch einer repräsentativen Auswahl zusammengestellt. Der Band gibt einen Vorgeschmack von der unglaublich reichen Welt der Charaktere, Texturen und Tasteninstrumententechnik en der Scarlatti-Sonaten: Neben melodischen, wunderschönen Andanten und etüdenähnlichen, wirkungsvollen Allegri bekommen in ihr auch Stücke ihren Platz, welche von der spanischen Volksmusik und von der Gitarrenspieltechnik inspiriertsind, oder Sonaten, die die Wiener Klassik erahnen lassen. Diesen ist außer dem Komponisten nur eines gemeinsam: Hinsichtlich ihrer technischen Anforderungen überschreitet keine die mittlere Stufe.
SKU: PR.110406720
UPC: 680160001316.
I have always been fond of writing works for specific people or organizations. It has been my good fortune during most of my creative career to be asked to compose for many extraordinary performers. The Sonata for Harpsichord Solo is such a case in point: it was written in 1982 for Barbara Harbach, a superb performer, close friend, and collaborator on many musical projects. The Sonata was premiered on March 2, 1984, in a recital given by Dr. Harbach at Nazareth College in Rochester, New York. During my formative years as a composer, one seldom heard of the harpsichord as a modern instrument, though while I attended undergraduate school at Boston University, some of us banded together to construct a small harpsichord from one of the first do-it-yourself kits which began to appear in the late '40s. It was also during this time that I heard the Sonatina for Violin and Harpsichord by my teacher Walter Piston and consequently specified that the accompanying instrument for my second violin sonata could either be a piano or a harpsichord. It was not until recently, however, that my interest in the harpsichord as a solo instrument for new music was aroused. This was because of the emergence of so many young virtuosi, such as Barbara Harbach, who are interested in the performance of new music besides the great harpsichord music of the Classical, Baroque, and pre-Baroque eras. The keyboard music of Domenico Scarlatti has always intrigued and fascinated me. The brevity, excitement, and clarity of this sparkling music is charming as well as exhilarating. It is this type of Baroque sonata that inspired the conception and form of my harpsichord sonata. The entire work is loosely based on the musical translation of Barabara Harbach's name, especially the conflict of the B (B-flat) and H (B-natural in German notation). This secondo rub or dissonance especially pervades the first movement, which is in a modified sonata form, pitting jagged and tense melodic elements against most lyrical and smooth lines. This second movement is a song-like melody accompanied by rolled chords which may be played on the lute stop of the instrument if this sonata is performed on a two-manual harpsichord. The final movement is an ever-driving joyous toccata which brings the work to an exciting close with a coda made up of accelerating repeated chords. --Samuel Adler.
SKU: BO.B.3649
Padre Antonio Soler is the most important Spanish composer of keyboard instruments of the XVIII century. Born in Olot he was baptized in 1729 and died in El Escorial in 1787. As a young boy he entered the Escolania of Montserrat, where he studied composition and organ, coinciding at the same monastery with the also Spanish composer of that time, Fernando Sor. Padre Soler spent great part of his life in El Escorial as chapel master and organist and met in Madrid Italian composer Domenico Scarlatti with whom he developped a deep friendship inspired on mutual admiration.In spite of the similar styles of both composers the fluid inspiration of Padre Soler excels for his own personality, definitely influenced by Spanish roots. Furthermore, I ask myself if the fact of being at the same monastery of Montserrat with guitarist composer Fernando Sor didn't play an important role in the future development of Padre Soler's style.I have transcribed for two guitars these three sonatas in the hope that also the guitarists can enjoy playing these little jewels, truly musical delights, that Padre Antonio Soler left for us.
