“You shouldn't expect any profound lessons from this song, whether you're a lover or a professional. Rather, you should look forward to art to familiarize yourself with the majesty of Cemballo. It is not for profit or ambition that I have come to publish this, but simply out of obedience. I'd like to think that you'll like this song. If that happens, I will be able to amuse you with a more changeable and gentle form that is easier than other orders. So hopefully I'd rather be human than critical. By doing so, your pleasure will be doubled. As for the position of the hand, please note that D refers to the right hand and M refers to the left hand.” - Doménico Scarlatti.
Doménico Scarlatti (26 October 1685 - 23 July 1757)
Life
The son of Alessandro Scarlatti, he was born in Naples . He is believed to have first learned music from his musician father. In 1701 he was appointed organist in the court chapel at Naples , and two years later in Rome he studied counterpoint and other theories. After that he appeared as an opera writer like his father, but in 1708 he went to Florence and Venice to study. At this time, he met German Handel in Venice and played the organ and harpsichord , and from then on he became friends. In 1709, he served Maria Kazimira, Empress Dowager of Poland , who was living in Rome , and composed several operas for her little theater. . 1719He visited London and performed the opera <Narcissus> the following year, but in 1721 he went to Lisbon as a Portuguese court musician . There he also served as teacher of the harpsichord for Princess Maria Barbara . He returned to Italy at one time, but when Maria Barbara married a Spanish prince in 1729, he followed her to Madrid . And he eventually settled in Madrid , where he ended his life. Scarlatti also composed operas and church music, but his most famous works are, above all, about 555 harpsichord pieces . These were mainly composed for Maria Barbara and were called Etudes, but today they are also called sonatas . These sonatas are composed of one movement in two-part form, but they are remarkable in that they show the original form of the later classical sonatas, such as the harmonic structure and signs of multiple themes . Later piano techniques, such as tones, 6ths, and the crossing of both hands, are actively pioneered
Scarlatt's Sonatas
Born in the same year as Domenico Scarlatti's Preface Bach and Handel, Domenico Scarlatti moved to Spain in 1728 following Maria Barbarra, a Portuguese princess who married Ferdinand VI (who became king in 1746), and ended her life here. He composed only the Chemballo except for the soprano and the Salva Regina for the strings, which are considered the last works. Under the leadership of the castratoin Farinelli, Scarlatti's work continued steadily until 1752-57 when he composed the last Chemballo sonata for the Queen. He composed only a very small piece of music, but it contains a lot of content, innovative forms, and passionate affection for Spain. Consisting of a single movement of Scarlatti's 555 sonatas for Chemballo, the 555 sonatas for Chemballo are songs about the various emotions and lives of various human figures in Spain's cities, courts, and rural areas. Unfortunately, however, none of the composer's handwriting is left. The number of works published during the composer's lifetime is very small. Scarlatti's self-written record of delivering his thoughts is also scarce. At least, the preface to his first practice collection of songs for Chemballo, published in London in 1738, shows how these works were composed. After the publication of the 30-piece practice collection, it became known by Clementi and Cherni in the 19th century, and it was not until 1906 that the first full collection (L number) containing 544 songs was completed by Alessandro Longo. However, it was rearranged by Ralph Kirkpatrick (K number) in 1953 in order of waiting, and reinforced by Kenneth Gilbert in the 1970s, because it was a number that did not take into account the timing of the composition. Scarlatti's sonatas have important significance as pioneers of Chopin or Liszt's concert practice in the process of changing the musical style of keyboard instruments. As an extension of the Baroque styles that existed at the time, these sonatas found a new depth in their birtuoso-specific techniques for spectacular effects. For example, Scarlatti's unique methods of playing include frequent double-handed cars, fast 3 and 6 degrees, a bold octave leap, repeatedly pressing the same note by changing finger numbers, dissonance through opposite melody changes, and fast arpeggio playing the entire keyboard. Unlike his contemporary composer Bach and his seniors who adhered to the counterpoint style, Scarlatti's general use of highly decorated single-line styles is also a feature of his music. Many of his sonatas, especially K387, composed in the 1750s, show spectacular leaps and frequent double-handed intersections for the great birtuoso effect. It can be said that this appearance has been hardened as a typical feature of Scarlatti music. Many of these sonatas can be divided into works that contain largely soft breaths and unyielding rhythms. Each piece has excellent rhythms and melodies, giving you a sense of beauty and elegance, Spanish passion, and even more forward-looking musical language for keyboard instruments, no matter when and what instrument you play (as you composed for a first-stage Chemballo with an eight-foot stop). In that respect, they are works of high historical value. Scarlatti, in particular, was absorbed in unique Iberian folk songs such as Flamengo in Andalusia, Spain, and some works have a strong feeling of playing Flamengo on a guitar, giving the impression that it is not just music for Chembalo. After Scarlatti, I had to wait a really long time for Alvenis, Granados, and labels to meet a composer who captured the Spanish atmosphere in a luxurious musical language. Furthermore, the use of Acciacatura (fast forwarding) was a pioneering technique ahead of piano masters in the Vienna Classical period, and the use of dissonance seems to herald Brahms or Schumann later. Scarlatti was a more Spanish stranger than the Spanish, who contained everything about Spain in content and form. Composed for the master's Scarlatti performance Chemballo or Forte Piano, Scarlatti's sonatas have gained popular attention, being recognized by composers such as Chopin, Brahms, and Bartok. However, not only have the works not been discovered for a long time, but they have not been played for a long time due to the limitations of the instrument. In the early 20th century, Bandarandowska played modern harpsichord and put Scarlatti's work on the stage, but due to the small volume of the instrument and the nature of the modern harpsichord, which could not be restored as it was, the venue was limited. However, with the advent of pianist Vladimir Horowitz, the Scarlati sonatas have new possibilities to be represented on the piano. He transferred the techniques and characteristics of harpsichord to the piano, making it possible to produce a much more romantic and beautiful effect than any other work. Since then, the Scarlatti sonata, which is enjoyed by piano Virtuososo, including Artur Veneti Michelangelo and Emil Gilells, has become a trend.
the virtuosos' performance of Scarlatti
Scarlati's sonatas, composed for Chembalo or Porte Piano, gained popular attention, being recognized by composers such as Chopin, Brahms, and Bartok. However, not only have the works not been discovered for a long time, but they have not been played for a long time due to the limitations of the instrument. In the early 20th century, Bandarandowska played modern harpsichord and put Scarlatti's work on the stage, but due to the small volume of the instrument and the nature of the modern harpsichord, which could not be restored as it was, the venue was limited. However, with the advent of pianist Vladimir Horowitz, the Scarlati sonatas have new possibilities to be represented on the piano. He transferred the techniques and characteristics of harpsichord to the piano, making it possible to produce a much more romantic and beautiful effect than any other work. Since then, the Scarlatti sonata, which is enjoyed by piano Virtuososo, including Artur Veneti Michelangelo and Emil Gilells, has become a trend. Since the 1980s, the restoration of musical instruments has been carried out properly, and the recording technology of ancient instruments has been established, and Scarlatti, played by Chemballo, has appeared one after another. Above all, Scott Ross's recordings of all 555 songs on 34 CDs have become an important achievement of historic value, and many Chembalos, including Ralph Kirkpatrick, Trevor Pinocke, Andreas Steyer, Pierre Anthai, Colin Tilney, and others, presented the charming Scarlati played in harpsichord. With the efforts of many instrumentalists of the period, Scarlatti, which played with a chemballo, had various interpretations considering the style of performance at the time.
Characteristics of the Scarlatti sonata
Scarlatti composed more than 550 keyboard sonatas. Today, numerous of his sonatas come out as piano solo songs, which are enjoyable for pianists and today's audiences, but it should not be forgotten that they were originally composed for harpsichord. In fact, the colorful sounds, bold precursors, and composition choices in his work are also supported by harpsichord players' explanations that they fit well in different ranges of harpsichord. Most Scarlatti editions know that each sonata is independent, but some academics have said that they were intended to be played in pairs, as was the practice of other Italian composers of the time. For example, if one is in major, the other is forged, or both are paired in the same first tone. Usually, all Scarlatti sonatas are one movement sonatas in two parts. Each part can be repeated at the request of the performer, and the sonata is generally a single theme. However, sometimes there are two or three themes, and these elements became the genesis of the sonata-allegro form that appeared later. The characteristics of the Scarlatti sonata theme are short, concise, and remarkable originality. In addition, the subject is never distorted by any combination of Martian colors during the development process, and maintains the clarity of the subject with its unique elegance. His favorite techniques in sonatas include crossing of hands, a leap over octaves, a series of three degrees that produce spectacular sounds, arpeggio-based bass, echo techniques, and decorative sounds to emphasize the main sound.
It is presumed that Scarlatti was designed as a way to overcome the shortcomings of harpsichord. Most of Scarlatti's sonatas show the Spanish influence he has had for many years, such as his frequent use of Guitar strumming and arpeggio-distributed harmonies, enjoying the use of fast-tempo dance tunes or repeating notes. This is thought to be an effect technique reminiscent of Spanish guitar music, flamengo songs and dances, or Spanish folk dances such as Zapateado and Polo. In addition, it added the effect of the song by using a short acacia catura or discord very appropriately, and re-echoed the theme across all ranges of keyboard instruments, creating a contrasting splendor as if it were a fugetta. In addition, however, he sometimes expresses his unique elegance with a flexible, cozy melody and harmony with a contrasting personality. These characteristics appear across numerous other sonatas, notably in L.104 (K.159), L.465 (K.96), L.39 (K.249), and L.305 (K.251). For your information, Skarlati Sonata's work number is K, which is Kirkpatrick's number.There is a series of numbers and longo numbers, and Longo has also grouped numerous sonatas into groups such as Cantabile style and Dance style, according to his own style of composition. In the K.54 and K.118 sonatas, the two-handed crossing technique, which can be called the composer's trade-mark, is particularly well illustrated, giving pleasure to the performer and the audience. In K.365 Spanish dance songs such as 'jota' or 'folia' seem to be expressed by the castanets rhythm. He also tried to direct the tones of various instruments to keyboard instruments, K.487 is reminiscent of bells and guitars as examples. K.491 also creates a lively rhythm as if trumpets and drums are playing marches. The continuous scale and use of repetitive sounds play a role in revitalizing the work. Depending on the Baroque period, his works also have fugato and tokata characteristics, but it is also noteworthy that the distribution of even techniques of both hands and musical importance were given as well as the continuo and pictured bass of the bass part popular in keyboard instruments at the time. This is K.503, K.It appears well in 54. In addition, the rapid changes in tempo, the rapid end of consecutive 16th-minute notes such as continuous octave beatings, sudden changes in dynamics, and unique rhythmic motifs give you a taste of their work from the Baroque period before Haydn or Beethoven's work.