Domenico Scarlatti by Vladimir Horowitz: performance and

authenticity

André Leme Pédico, Universidade Estadual de Campinas

andrepedico@gmail.com

Abstract

The keyboard sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti are

remarkable for their unusual thematic combinations and

daring harmonic progressions. These works present a wide

range of choices to the performer: the dynamic marks and

articulation signs are rarely indicated. Despite the

triumph of the “Authenticity Movement”, which endorses the

research of former performance practices to get answers to

these questions, one of the leading Scarlatti performers in

the last century was the pianist Vladimir Horowitz. This

essay investigates how his critically acclaimed

performances, even being considered “non historical”, could

underline the structure and the musical content of these

works.

Keywords: Scarlatti, Sonatas, Authenticity, Horowitz, Piano

André Leme Pédico, pianist, graduated from Universidade

Estadual de Campinas with a Bachelor's degree, in 2005, and

received a Master of Music degree with commendation from

Birmingham City University, UK, in 2007. He has recently

initiated his Doctorate at Universidade Estadual de

Campinas, under the supervision of Dr. Maria José

Carrasqueira.

I. Domenico Scarlatti – The dissemination of his music

and problems for Scholarship

Domenico Scarlatti (Naples, 1685 – Madrid, 1757) is

undoubtedly one of the most challenging composers for

musical scholarship, due to the lack of information about

his life and the chronology of his compositions, and the

complete absence of his autographs.

Despite his dazzling originality as a composer and as a

keyboardist, the first substantial study about his music

was published only in 1953, by the harpsichordist Ralph

Kirkpatrick. This book was followed by other important

studies: “Domenico Scarlatti, Master of Music”, by Malcolm Boyd,

published in 1982, which added new information for

Kirkpatrick´s biography and analyzed his choral and

religious music; and, most recently, “The keyboard sonatas of

Domenico Scarlatti and the eighteenth century musical style”, by Dean

Stucliffe, published in 2002, a large study which

investigates the unusual nature of his sonatas. It is

undeniable that his keyboard production was responsible for

the maintenance of his name among musicians in the years

following his death. The story of editions is one of the

points that need more investigation1 (Stucliffe 2002,

viii). Boyd claims that the Czerny edition of 200 sonatas

(1839) was the most important to divulgate the composer´s

name in the nineteenth-century, but he also believes that

most of the pianists of that time regarded his music as

“pupil-folder” works (Boyd 1982, 219). In the twentieth-

century, his music was simultaneously adopted by many

pianists and harpsichordists, revealing a complex framework

of performance styles.

II. A brief view on Scarlatti´s style and musical structure

The definitions to the structure of the Scarlatti´s

sonatas, often found in general books, proved to be

incomplete and unable to grasp all his complex and

unusual musical style.

As Stucliffe points: “Scarlatti will do anything to

undermine a normal sense of patterning” (Stucliffe 2002,

146). His themes often sound not connected to each other,

the change of moods is constantly abrupt and shocking,

motifs appear and are soon abandoned. It is surprising

that this unstable condition is made of direct and simple

melodies, derived many times from popular music and

dances.

These aspects come from the composer´s engagement with

folk music and it is reflected in the performance of these

works. Boyd points that this music is “choreographed to

employ fingers, hands, wrists, arms, shoulders and even

the waist of the performer.” (Boyd 1982, 186).

This is probably one of the reasons that made Scarlatti

´s music to be 1The first complete publication of Scarlatti sonatas was edited

by Alessandro Longo and published in 1906 by Ricordi. Longo altered

many of the harmonic “oddities” of the manuscripts. The primary

sources of the Scarlatti sonatas are today known as “ Venice” and “

Parma” manuscripts, the name of their current location. In the 1980´s,

Kenneth Gilbert published the 555 sonatas listed by Kirkpatrick, based

on the Venice manuscripts, being faithful to the original text.

ignored and regarded by many as only extravagant virtuosic

improvisations. Nowadays, however, his effects and

apparently messy constructions are started to be

considered as rationally elaborated. Stucliffe points that

“musical imagery, dissonance, syntactical style or

keyboard sonority (…) can be shown to play a structural as

well a sensational role” (Stucliffe 2002, 321). Hence, it

is natural that these brilliant and effective keyboard

constructions attracted one of the greatest piano

virtuosos of the last century: Vladimir Horowitz. The

legendary pianist, still known by many people as the “Last

Romantic” (Dubal 1991, xix), is famous due to his very

personal rendition to the music of the Romanticism. At

the same time, he contributed immensely in the divulgation

of Domenico Scarlatti works, playing these sonatas for

about 60 years during his life.

III. Vladimir Horowitz and the Scarlatti Music on

modern pianos

Vladimir Horowitz was born in Kiev in 1903, and had a

spectacular career which began in Russia, around 1924. The

way he approached the music score was characterized by

freedom and emotional intensity. He was a true

representative of the romantic school of piano playing. As

Harold Schoenberg reports:

today it is hard to tell the difference between a Juilliard or a Moscow Conservatory graduate. But in Horowitz ‘s early days, all the pianists before the public were trained by musicians who had been born in the nineteenth-century, and all represented distinct national schools, as well as nineteenth-century performance practice (Schoenberg 1992, 68).

Horowitz’s career, however, was long enough, and his

libertarian approach was contested by the modern

performance practice, which requires extreme fidelity to

the score, to preserve the integrity of the musical works.

According to David Dubal, during the last years of his

life, Horowitz was lonely and alone, musically speaking,

and his playing became “out of fashion”( Dubal 1991,

xix). Hence, this approach of the Scarlatti sonatas by

one of the most provocative “romantic virtuosos” of all

times rises a series of questions worthy investigating.

Playing harpsichord music on the piano is non-historical

by nature; most of the books written about playing

eighteenth-century music in the spirit of authenticity,

such as those by Neuman, Donington and Kenyon, are not

concerned with this possibility. I could not find any

specific study about playing Scarlatti´s music on modern

pianos. The composer most investigated in this sense is

Johann Sebastian Bach. In spite of having such a

different production from Scarlatti, what has been written

about the performance of his music by pianists can reveal

some similar aspects when trying to “transcribe” the

Scarlatti sonatas to a medium which is not the original

used by the composer. I use the term “ transcription”

based on Peter Walls´ opinion. According to him, playing

harpsichord music on the modern piano is a kind of

“implicit transcription:

the performer is adopting a transcendental view of work – one that implies that its essence (which is somehow independent in the instructions presented in the score) will be well served by this approach”. (Of playing in modern equivalent instruments) (Walls 2003, 124).

This view is particularly similar to Horowitz´s opinion:

on the piano, I still try to play the music in the framework of Scarlatti´s period, yet I never want to imitate the harpsichord; I only want to show the publichow the music sounds on the piano (Dubal 1991, 304).

The Piano Magazine (July / August 2000) presents some

interviews with very known pianists such as Schiff,

Brendel, Perahia and Hewitt about performing Bach on the

modern piano. Many of the answers emphasize some

remarkable qualities of the instrument: dynamic range,

ability of producing cantabile lines, clarity and the use

of pedal as important means of expression. As it will be

shown in the following case-studies, based on Horowitz´s

performances, we can definitely link these pianistic

features to the execution of Scarlatti Sonatas.

V. Domenico Scarlatti by Horowitz: The Case Studies

In spite of being regarded many times as an

spontaneous performer who didn´t have a strong conception

about the works he played, Horowitz presents, in his very

few published interviews, strong ideas about music and

interpretation. He stresses the need for searching

pianistic colors and singing lines. He emphasizes

strongly the needing for knowledge for an expressive

artistic approach (Mach 1981, 116).

According to Barbara Nissman, Horowitz studied all the

Scarlatti Sonatas: “he returned to the original

manuscripts, researched the period, and even consulted

with the expert Ralph Kirkpatrick”.(Dubal 1993, 239).

The impact of Horowitz´s performances of Scarlatti´s

music on other pianists is easy to grasp when reading the

book “Remembering Horowitz: 125 pianists recall a legend”, organized by

David Dubal. For instance, Charles Rosen (p. 249) says

that his vision of Scarlatti was never surpassed. Daniel

Ericort (p. 303) points the same “His Scarlatti remains

unsurpassed.” For Yuri Borkoff (p. 76) “ Nor an one ever

forget his Scarlatti playing. Never had been this composer

more fortunate in an interpreter.” From this point, I present the most significant

aspects of Horowitz´s approach to Scarlatti´s music with

examples. The discussion will be of the following sonatas:

K. 39, K. 46, K. 87, K. 197. They are all based on online

editions which adhere to text of the Kenneth Gilbert

Edition. Only the beginning or the first half of each

sonata will be presented, due to the length limits of this

essay; it is enough because the other half usually

presents the same aspects.

VI. Case Study I – Sonata K. 39

The present analysis is based on the recording

Horowitz made in 1964. The Sonata in A. Major K. 39 is a

short and brilliant work. The thematic construction is

subordinated by the joy of playing; the elements of unity,

according to Stucliffe ( Stucliffe 2002, 8), are only

the repeated-note figure of the opening.

The clarity of touch of the modern piano is

really suitable to an effective execution of this work, as

demonstrated in Horowitz´s performance. The double-escape

mechanism also contributes to an accurate execution of the

fast repeated notes. A remarkable aspect of his playing is

the steadiness of tempo, which sustains the tension of

musical structure: the incessant motifs sound linked,

expressively contrasting to the apparently irregular

writing. According to Kirkpatrick,

a steady inexorable beat can achieve an enormous expressive power, partly by its very resistance to the forces that oppose it, but partly through the tensions created by the contrast between the regular pulse and the irregular musical phrase. (Kirkpatrick 1953, 299).

Example 1 – Scarlatti – Sonata K. 39, bars 1- 12. Sunhawk

Corporation

This kind of construction probably accounts for

Scarlatti´s fame as a creator of unusual and weakly built

structures. But. In this case, what really matters is the

performance feeling, the visceral energy which finds

appropriate suitability in Horowitz´s virtuosity.

VII. – Case Study II – Sonata K. 46

These comments are based on Horowitz´s recording of

1946. This work presents the same virtuosic features as

the sonata discussed before, but now there is more

thematic variety and contrasts of mood, due to the

alternation of the major and minor modes. The most notable

characteristic of his playing is the unit created by the

emphasis on the lower notes; the basses strongly marked,

(as found in bars 8, 18, 25 and 32), make all the elements

together, creating expectancy and sense of continuity.

Other important aspects of this performance are the

contrasts of chiaroscuro when approaching the major and minor

modes.

Again, the regularity of the rhythm contributes to a

natural continuity of the contrasting elements. From bar

54, the basses give the direction of the piece; the leaps

in the left hand are very hard to play, but his easiness

of execution plays an important role in building the

structure of the movement. About the strangeness of the

abruptly interrupted left-hand scales at bars 68 and 71,

Stucliffe points that:

seems to proclaim the independence of the keyboard from normal voice-leading conduct; the thrill of the sudden plunge down over two octaves is more important (Stucliffe 2002, 295).

This sense of dance, which requires an almost

choreographed performance, as already mentioned, suits

perfectly with Horowitz´s fabulous technical skills; his

virtuosity works in function of the music, bringing the

exuberant atmosphere of the piece.

Example 2 – Scarlatti - Sonata K. 46, first half, Les

Editions Outremontaises

IX. Case Study IV –Sonata K.87

The Sonata in B minor, K.87, is one of the best known

and performed of all Scarlatti Sonatas. Horowitz had this

piece in his repertoire during all his career. His first

recording was made in 1932, and it inspired the following

comments from the pianist and harpsichordist Peter Cooper:

the line of the music was preserved, which made itacceptable stylistically from an eighteenth-century pointof view, and he produced the most ravishing sounds fromthe piano which made the listener forget all about theharpsichord. It was a hybrid performance, an anachronism,as is all harpsichord music on the piano. But the playingwas so deeply felt that the work emerged in its sombresplendour (Cooper 1975, 30).

We cannot grasp what Cooper would say when listening

to the live recording at the Metropolitan Opera House,

1981, which is analyzed here. The better sound quality

reveals what impressed so many other musicians about

Horowitz´s sonority: he is able to project the soprano

voice with luminosity, even in extremely soft dynamics,

without affecting the inner voices; everything is clear

and articulated; his ability to produce different levels

of piano and pianissimo plays a main role to get this

effect. Another important device to create this effect of

magic is his pedaling: there are no dry bars, the

harmonies are delicately amalgamated but at the same time

clear. I should mention that it is not a matter of

criticizing the authenticity or not of his approach.

Historical or not, the effectiveness of this pianistic

execution is undeniable.

Example 03 – Scarlatti - Sonata K. 87, first half, Les

Editions Outremontaises

X. – Case Study V – Sonata K 197

This performance, recorded in 1967, is worthy

investigating because it reveals many aspects of Horowitz

´s way of phrasing. The sonata presents an expressive

melody clearly structured. Horowitz prepares and reaches

intensely both climaxes, in bars 06 and 11, adopting a

subtle ritardando as an expressive gesture. His way of

shaping big intervals vocally is very evident, especially

in the sequence started in bar 8: each half of the bar

progresses one tone higher, leading to a second climax.

Horowitz plays the leap of one ninth, which appears in the

beginning of each progression, slightly delayed. About

this Kirkpatrick says:

what brings a melodic line to life is the imaginary duplication or suggestion of what the voice has to do, ideally speaking, to negotiate that line, and of the sensations of negotiating it. (Kirkpatrick 1953, 307)

Other aspects of Horowitz phrasing and coloring are

again evident, the basses leading and building the

crescendos (like in bars 5 and 6), constant pedaling

creating a harmonically rich sonority, and variety of

colors when exploring repetitions, like eco effects, (like

in the second repetition in bar 14 of the already

presented melody in bar 11.)

Example 04 – Scarlatti – Sonata K. 197 – first half

Conclusion

As demonstrated before, Horowitz´s playing could never

be considered historically accurate. The instrumental

medium, a modern Steinway, is completely strange to the

composer. However, many of his ideas resemble some scholar

´s indications, specially Ralph Kirkpatrick. I cannot

assure that it is due to Horowitz´s contact with

Kirkpatrick. But what emerges here, as a conclusion, is

that authentic or not, what matters in Horowitz´s careful

approach is his deep understanding of these works, using

the resources of the modern instrument to reveal and to

express many of the extraordinary aspects of these

sonatas. He presents a rich and provocative view to the

listeners, which can give interesting insights to any

performer. The following thoughts, by Paul Badura-Skoda,

can be specially related to the successful approach of

Horowitz in this controversial repertoire:

more important for the performance of any music than a particular “sonority” are musicality, the understandingand shaping of musical structure, the choice of something approaching the correct tempo, the convincingand stylish execution of articulation and ornamentation, the perception of the affection, emotional content, musical symbolism, and so on. (Badura- Skoda 1993, 173)

Horowitz shows in his view of Scarlatti that it is

possible to present coherent and effective performances of

harpsichord music on the piano, transcending the belief

of one single possibility of playing. In this way, we can

say that the concept of Authenticity might be somehow

expanded from the execution on period instruments to

modern mediums, giving hints about this music to the

pianists. Musicians should be attentive to different

approaches because listening to this variety of styles can

be stimulating and helpful to the formation of the

performer’s critical and interpretative background.

According to Horowitz, “there could never be a final

interpretation” (Mach 1981, 125 ) and an open-minded

musician will always be ready to evolve impressively, in

this fascinating task of bringing the musical scores to

life.

Bibliography

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Internet Sources

Scarlatti, Domenico. (n/d). Sonata K39. Sunhawk Corporation

http://www.onlinesheetmusic.com/sonata-in-a-major-k39-p53-

l391-p257474.aspx?affiliateid=5 [accessed 10/11/2012].

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http://www.schristiancollins.com/music/sheet_music/

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Audio Recordings

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Sony.

Vladimir Horowitz. 1999. Horowitz at the Met. CD. RCA.

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CD. Naxos Historicall