Others recorded Scarlatti using a harpsichord, most notably Ralph Kirkpatrick, whose ‘50s era critical edition is still widely referenced. Kirkpatrick’s playing is faithful and his Archiv disc beautifully captured. Scott Ross recorded all 555 sonatas on harpsichord and organ on 34 discs, originally for Erato, but now available on Warner Classics. Ross has staying power. Pieter-Jan Belder is currently working on a complete set for Brilliant Classics, performed on both harpsichord and piano, which he is recording in Kirkpatrick numerical order and is currently at Volume IX, a three-disc set (ending with the K427 G major sonata).
A revolution akin to that detonated by Glenn Gould’s 1955 piano recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations (Sony) occurred with Vladimir Horowitz’s 1964 recording Horowitz Plays Scarlatti (Sony), which effectively put Scarlatti on the map in the Twentieth Century. For the Scarlatti novice, this Horowitz is the place to start. In spite of the pianist’s reputation for being a high Romantic, Horowitz had a great affinity for Bach, Scarlatti, Clementi (another favored Horowitz composer), Haydn, and Mozart. The playing, for sure, is Vladimir Horowitz, and aside from a booming left hand, he is more faithful to Scarlatti than Landowska.
Other notable piano performances of Scarlatti Sonatas include Andras Schiff’s tastefully middle-of-the-road Decca recording, Mikhail Pletnev delightful two-disc Virgin set, Ivo Pogorelich’s densely enigmatic – and enjoyable Deutsche Grammophon recording, and Yevgeny Sudbin’s recent BIS set. All offer a universe of Scarlatti interpretation, some beyond reproach, some controversial, but all excellent because the original composition is excellent. So now we welcome the Naxos series into the fold, using different pianists for each set and offering the recordings a cost where owning the entire set is affordable.
Next: Scarlatti: Complete Keyboard Sonatas, Vol. 1, Eteri Andjaparidze, piano
![Scarlatti: The Keyboard Sonatas [Box Set]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51GAX2STH7L._SL120_.jpg)
Article comments
1 - VICTOR STEVENS
THERE ARE TWO OTHER PIANISTS OF THE HOROWITZ GENERATION WHO WERE NOTABLE SCARLATTI INTERPRETERS AND WHO OFTEN INCLUDED A SELECTION OF THE SONATAS IN THEIR PROGRAMMES : MICHELANGELI AND EMIL GILELS. DINU LIPATTI, TOO, WAS A FINE SCARLATTI INTERPRETER. ALSO TO BE MENTIONED, AMONG CONTEMPORARY PIANISTS, IS MURRAY PERAHIA.
2 - C. Michael Bailey
Victor: You are so very correct. Michelangeli's Scarlatti is very well respected are Gilels and Lipatti's. As for Murray Perahia, I very well froth over his "Handel/Scarlatti: 3 Suites/Chaconne/7 Sonatas" (Sony, 1997); it is one of my five favorite piano recordings.
I suspect that I erred in including only those pianists in my collection who devoted entire discs to Scarlatti.
3 - Mark Berry
Volume 7 of the Naxos series was very well reviewed; I think most would regard it as the best of the set yet. There's a good review on ClassicsToday.com of it.