Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757) lived the first half of his life in Naples, Italy and moved to the Iberian Peninsula in 1720, where he remained until his death. His first appointment was at the Royal court in Lisbon, Portugal. A decade later he moved to Madrid and took a position at the Royal Spanish court and it was here that the majority of his 550 harpsichord sonatas were written and where his artistic personality began to flourish. Using his imagination, he tested the limits and possibilities of the harpsichord resulting in compositions that surpassed his contemporaries in their originality and experimentation. His expansion of keyboard technique and virtuosity have more in common with keyboard music written a century after his death. Chronologically, he is classified as a Baroque composer, although his music was influential in the development of the Classical style.

Scarlatti's encounter with the Spanish culture had a profound effect on his compositions. The influence of folk music, the use of modes and other tonal inflections were more or less alien to European art music of the era. Many of his chord patterns and dissonances are suggestive of the guitar. The eminent harpsichordist and musicologist Ralph Kirkpatrick said, "As far as we know, Scarlatti never played the guitar, but surely no composer ever fell more deeply under its spell."

1. Sonata K435 in D Major allegro (Domenico Scarlatti)
2. Sonata K328 in G Major andante comodo (Domenico Scarlatti)
3. Sonata K32 in A Minor (orig D Minor) aria (Domenico Scarlatti)
4. Sonata K115 in D Minor (orig C Minor) allegro (Domenico Scarlatti)
5. Sonata K481 in A Minor (orig F Minor) andante cantabile (Domenico Scarlatti)
6. Sonata K159 in G Major (orig C Major) allegro (Domenico Scarlatti)
7. Sonata K234 in G Minor andante (Domenico Scarlatti)
8. Sonata K33 in D Major allegro (Domenico Scarlatti)
9. Sonata K27 in E Minor (orig B Minor) allegro (Domenico Scarlatti)
10. Sonata K466 in A Minor (orig F Minor) andante (Domenico Scarlatti)
11. Sonata K214 in D Major allegro vivo (Domenico Scarlatti)
12. Sonata K9 in D Minor (pastorale) allegro (Domenico Scarlatti)
13. Sonata K54 in A Minor allegro (Domenico Scarlatti)

Listen to: the entire album.

Release date: 5/3/2011
Daniel Estrem lives in Minnesota USA

Tagged as: Classical, Baroque, Classical Period, Instrumental, Composer: Domenico Scarlatti, Classical Guitar, Ukulele

1. Johann Mattheson - CD1 - The Twelve Suites of 1714 by Colin Booth: solo harpsichord music
2. The Siena Manuscript on steel string guitar by Paul Berget: renaissance lute, modernized.
3. Luis Milan - El Maestro by Edward Martin: vihuela, renaissance and baroque lute
4. Barbara Strozzi - Diporti di Euterpe by Paul Beier: solo lute of the Italian renaissance.
5. Allemande by Edward Martin: vihuela, renaissance and baroque lute
6. Canarios by James Edwards: baroque guitar music
7. Courante by Edward Martin and Thomas Walker: French lute duets that represent the pinnacle of the High Baroque
8. Majestie by Poeticall Musicke: Late Renaissance and Early Baroque music, historically performed
9. Johann Mattheson - CD2 - The Twelve Suites of 1714 by Colin Booth: solo harpsichord music
10. SL Weiss on 11 Strings by Paul Berget: renaissance lute, modernized.
11. Baroque Lute Duets by Edward Martin and Paul Berget: vihuela, renaissance and baroque lute
12. English Renaissance Music by La Primavera: English Renaissance music.
13. JS Bach - Transcriptions for Oboe by Gonzalo X Ruiz: baroque oboist extraordinaire
14. Alessandro Piccinini by Paul Beier: solo lute of the Italian renaissance.
15. Schumann Romances by Gonzalo X Ruiz: baroque oboist extraordinaire
16. Il Rossetto, Domenico Bianchini's Lute Book (1546) by Richard MacKenzie: Virtuoso English Lutenist and Guitarist
17. Le Tresor dOrphee by Antoine Francisque by James Edwards: baroque guitar music
18. Magnificent Obsession vol 7 - Beethoven Sonatas by Sebastian Forster: exquisitely performed Beethoven piano sonatas

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