DOMENICO SCARLATTIThe Complete Sonatas

other titles in this seriesVolumes I • II • IV • V • VI • VII

For availability and complete track details please visitwww.wyastone.co.uk/nrl/scarlatti.html NI 1727

RICHARD LESTERHarpsichord

Essercizi per Gravicembalo(K1-30)

Venice I & II (1752) (K49, K98, K99, K129, K148-201)

DOMENICOSCARLATTI

VOLUME I

RICHARD LESTERHarpsichord

& organ

Venice III – V (1753) (K206 – 295)

DOMENICOSCARLATTI

VOLUME II

RICHARD LESTERHarpsichord & FORTEPIANO

Venice IX – XI (1754-6)(K388 – 451, K454 – 483)

DOMENICOSCARLATTI

VOLUME IV

DOMENICOSCARLATTI

Venice XII – XIII (1756-7)(K484 – 543)

Continuo Sonatas(K78, K81, K88 – 91)

VOLUME V

Richard LesterHarpsichord & Fortepiano RICHARD LESTER

Harpsichord

Venice XIV (1742)(K3, 10-12, 17, 31, 36-38,

43-77, 79, 80, 82-87, 92, 93)

Venice XV (1749)(K96, K98-138)

DOMENICOSCARLATTI

VOLUME VI

DOMENICOSCARLATTI

RICHARD LESTERHarpsichord

Appendices & Diversities57 Sonatas

VOLUME VII

6 CD set

RICHARD LESTERHarpsichord

& Organ

Venice VI – VIII (1753-4)(K296 – 355, K358 – 387)

DOMENICOSCARLATTI

VOLUME III

DOMENICO SCARLATTIThe Complete Sonatas

Volume III NI 1727Venice VI – VIII (1753-4) (K296 – 355, K358 – 387)

RICHARD LESTER • Harpsichord & Organ

‘Domenico Scarlatti was without doubt, the mostoriginal keyboard composer of his time’, wrote RalphKirkpatrick, Scarlatti’s biographer.1

He was born in Naples on October 26th 1685, thesame year as Bach and Handel. It was not until around1720 however, that his compositional skills developedfully following an appointment in Portugal as chapelmusic master to King João V, - and harpsichordteacher to his younger brother Don Antonio - and hisnine-year-old daughter, Princess Maria Barbara.

Following her marriage in 1729 to Fernando, FelipeV’s son (heir to the Spanish throne) Domenico was toremain as her music master for the rest of his life.

The Court in 1729 moved first to Seville, residing inthe Alcazar, ancient palace of Moorish kings.This areaof Andalusia in Southern Spain is considered the homeof Flamenco, and frequent visits by the court to majortowns afforded ample opportunity for a discerningear, as Burney states to, ‘imitate the tunes sung by

carriers, muleteers and common people’.2

This then, is where Scarlatti first heard the hypnoticsounds of Andalucian gypsy music that were tobecome an endless source of inspiration for manysonatas, all as far as we know, written for his royalpupil.

The court remained in Seville for four years beforemoving northward to Madrid. The annual itinerarywrites Ralph Kirkpatrick, ‘…was then dividedbetween the royal residences. Easter, Buen Retironear Madrid; Spring and early summer in Aranjuez,the ancient seat of Carlos V and Felipe II in the Tagusvalley between Madrid and Toledo; La Granja, high upin the Guadarrama mountains toward Segovia;Autumn at the Escorial on a lonely hillsideoverlooking the great plain toward Madrid, – andJanuary to mid-March at the old hunting lodge of thePardo.’

When Felipe died in 1746, Fernando VI and QueenMaria Barbara made their state entry into Madrid. It

page 2 Domenico Scarlatti volume IIi Page 11

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near the jack rail. The length of the instrument (8ft3ins) allows for a rich and resonant bass and thetapering of the soundboard in certain areas producesa sonorous treble.The case is of pine with tulipwoodveneer, spruce soundboard with walnut bridges andthe keys, like Queen Maria Barbara’s instruments areof ebony and mother of pearl.

The sonata K328 on this recording is clearly intendedfor organ with markings for flautado and organo.Registration includes diapasons and flutes at 8ft pitchand 4ft for repeats, - the high register perhapsreminiscent of bird song. In this respect I make noapologies for using the nightingale stop which is foundon some Spanish organs.This is recorded on the organof All Saints Church, Friern Barnet which is adelightful instrument built in 1984 with two manualsand 25 stops by Church and Co. with a specificationsimilar to the instrument in the Chapel of the RoyalPalace in Madrid.

Richard Lester

Through this single recorded marathon RichardLester has now established an international reputationas a virtuoso harpsichordist. His piano teachers haveincluded Bernard Roberts - and on the harpsichord,

George Malcolm - who sponsored his London debutrecital. His many solo engagements have includedbroadcasts for BBC radio and television, recitals at theRoyal Festival Hall Purcell Room, Wigmore Hall,Bath International Festival, Bruges Festival, manyconcerts abroad - and master classes at DartingtonSummer School.

It was at Dartington that he met the greatSpanish/American harpsichordist, Fernando Valenti,who ignited Lester’s enthusiasm and passion forScarlatti’s sonatas. He subsequently recorded analbum of Scarlatti sonatas which was hailed by all themajor recording magazines as ‘brilliant’. He haswritten extensively for music magazines andcontributed two chapters on Scarlatti to a leadingHungarian book on early music, Regi Zene.

His reputation as an organist is clearly celebrated andincludes numerous recitals at King’s College,Cambridge, St Paul’s Cathedral, Coventry Cathedraland many other cathedrals and churches in thiscountry and abroad. During a busy musical lifeRichard Lester has also held positions as Head ofmusic at the Mall school in Twickenham, Oakley HallSchool in Cirencester - and as Master of theChoristers at Cirencester Parish church.

is thought that between 1738 and 1756, Scarlattiwrote the majority of his keyboard sonatas. Little isknown of him during his time in Spain, although weknow that he married twice and had nine children. Hewas knighted in 1738 and remained in loyal serviceuntil his death on July 23, 1757.

Between 1752 and 1757, thirteen volumes containingthirty sonatas in each were copied out for the Queen.Only volume X contains four extra. To this series ofvolumes, two others were added numbered XIV andXV and dated 1742 and 1749. These fifteen volumeswere bound in red morocco and engraved in gold onthe front, together with the arms of Spain andPortugal. The Queen bequeathed these to Farinelli,the famous castrato who carried much favour at theSpanish court. Some years after his death in 1782,they were housed in the Biblioteca Marciana, inVenice. These are now referred to as the Venicemanuscripts and constitute the principal source forthese recordings.

In addition, a further fifteen duplicate volumes werecopied out mostly by the same copyist, possibly Padre

Antonio Soler, who studied with Scarlatti. Thesevolumes are now housed in the Biblioteca Palatina, inParma.

Further sonatas have also been discovered andauthenticated (included in volume 7 of this series) byW. Dean Sutcliffe, author of The Keyboard Works ofDomenico Scarlatti. I am indeed indebted to him forfurnishing copies of manuscripts, which have enabledme to compile what is to date, the only completerecording of Scarlatti’s keyboard sonatas. Sonatas inScarlatti’s hand have completely disappeared and infact examples of his writing are scarce.

Although the Ralph Kirkpatrick numbers are used inthis recorded edition the chronology follows QueenMaria Barbara’s manuscripts which are now housed inthe Biblioteca Marciana in Venice.

1 Domenico Scarlatti by Ralph Kirkpatrick. (PrincetonUniversity Press)2 Burney. The present state of music in Germany.Vol.1

page 10 Domenico Scarlatti volume iii Page 3

The Instruments

In choosing instruments on which to perform thecomplete cycle of sonatas, I was guided by theQueen’s inventory in which quite a detailed accountof the instruments in her possession is presented. Sheowned twelve keyboard instruments distributedbetween the royal palaces of Buen Retiro, Aranjuezand the Escorial. Seven were various types ofharpsichords and five were pianofortes made inFlorence.These were probably made by Cristofori orhis pupil Ferrini. It is interesting to note that two ofthese instruments had been converted intoharpsichords. Either the instruments had beenunsatisfactory as pianos, or were of more use asharpsichords; still the favourite keyboard instrument.

The largest harpsichord in the collection is describedas possessing five registers and four sets of strings, oneof which was probably a sixteen-foot stop. A furthertwo harpsichords with three sets of strings, - and aFlemish instrument with a similar disposition is alsoreferred to. Another harpsichord is listed with twosets of strings and sixty-one keys in ebony and motherof pearl. In addition, two harpsichords of similarspecification are also mentioned; all three were quitepossibly Spanish in origin.

The keyboard compass of all these instrumentspresents some interesting puzzles.The most elaborateharpsichord with four sets of strings had a limitedkeyboard compass of fifty-six keys and the twoinstruments with three sets of strings possessedrespectively fifty-six and fifty-eight keys. The pianos

also had short compasses of fifty-nine, fifty-four andfifty-six keys respectively. Many of Scarlatti’s sonatasdemand a full five-octave range which would haveexcluded their performance on many instruments inthe collection. It is also interesting that sonatas,suggestive of the piano’s expressiveness, actually falloutside of the instruments’ compass. Of all theinstruments in Queen Maria Barbara’s collection, thethree Spanish harpsichords referred to in herinventory were probably the most frequently used.

The Portuguese family of Antunes were prominentharpsichord and piano makers in the 18th century andshared a workshop in Lisbon, and it is quite probablethat Scarlatti was familiar with their excellent work.Joachim José (1731-1811) was probably the mostnotable and at least four instruments exist. It is a finecopy of the 1785 instrument by Michael Cole ofCheltenham that we hear on Disc 3 - 6.The original ishoused in the Finchcocks Collection of MusicalInstruments in Kent. On the original there are twoeight-foot registers strung in brass with a harp stop oneach. There are two pedals, one engaging one eight-foot, the other operating the harp. Generallyspeaking on instruments of this type, one eight footregister was fixed, but it is possible that at some stageboth ‘eights’ were independent allowing greater tonalvariety. It is not clear, however, if this arrangement isoriginal and on the copy the two pedals operate theeight-foots independently. This device allows theperformer to make subtle crescendos anddiminuendos by gradually adding or subtracting aregister. There is a separate stop for the harp located

Harpsichord by Michael Cole after José Joachim Antunes, (Lisbon, 1785).Original in the Finchcocks Collection, Kent, England.Tuned to A 415 Kirnberger III.

Recorded at Wistaria Lodge, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England.Autumn 2003, by Raymond Fenton, Atkyns Sound.

Dedicated to the memory of Irene Florence McFarlane and Maureen Gloria Clark nee Woolford.With love.

page 4 Domenico Scarlatti volume iii Page 9

VENICE VI (1753) - DISC 11 K296 F major Andante 6.312 K297 F major Allegro 5.143 K298 D major Allegro 6.304 K299 D major Allegro 4.035 K300 A major Andante 3.226 K301 A major Allegro 5.237 K302 C minor Andante 4.318 K303 C minor Allegro 4.099 K304 G major Andante-Cantabile 3.3610 K305 G major Allegro 3.3611 K306 E flat major Allegro 5.0212 K307 E flat major Allegro 3.1313 K308 C major Cantabile 3.0514 K309 C major Allegro 3.5615 K310 B flat major Andante 6.4116 K311 B flat major Allegro 3.59

Total playing time 72.51

VENICE VI (1753) - DISC 21 K312 D major Allegro 2.042 K313 D major Allegro 3.413 K314 G major Allegro 3.264 K315 G minor Allegro 3.315 K316 F major Allegro 5.076 K317 F major Allegro 6.257 K318 F sharp major Andante 2.418 K319 F sharp major Allegro 3.329 K320 A major Allegro 4.5210 K321 A major Allegro 3.2011 K322 A major Allegro 3.5612 K323 A major Allegro 2.2713 K324 G major Andante 6.0014 K325 G major Allegro 2.50

Total playing time 53.52

These thirty sonatas again dated 1754 enter whatKirkpatrick describes as ‘the final glorious period’.Here for the first time, Scarlatti requires aninstrument with the full five-octave keyboard rangeof sixty-one notes from F1 to f3 (K387), and onecalling for a high g3 (K380). My own instrument hasa G1 to g3 compass and to perform K387 is a simplematter of tuning the lowest string down a tone - andquite easily what Scarlatti had in mind.

Dance sonatas are again in abundance, K359, 361,363, 365, 366, 367, 369, 371, 372, 375, 376, 379,380, 381, 383, 385 and 387. Several of these sonatasare an interesting departure from the influencesreferred to in earlier notes. K380 in E major forexample has been referred to by some writers as atype of processional dance, hence its nickname‘’Cortege’’. My own thoughts are that it could wellbe a reference to the ‘Bailles de Cofradia’ which wereoften performed at religious festivals whilsttransporting Holy relics.The sonata has unmistakablefanfares accompanied by a percussive drum-like basswhich accompany most processions in Spain.

Unfortunately there is very little written on thesubject, so my views are purely subjective.

A few observations on other dance sonatas now mayhelp to identify characteristics for the listener: K361(a seguidilla rhythm consisting of a semiquaver tripletfollowed by two quavers.); K365 (very Spanish withrepeated allusion to the flattened supertonic andmelodic descending bass line of tone, tone and semi-tone, that occurs frequently in folk music); K369 (adance full of contrasting ideas and moods, showinggreat invention considering the comparativerestrictions of binary form); K372 and 375 remindme of a Catalonian dance called the sardana.This is arelatively modern round dance which has become thenational dance of the Catalans. It derives from themedieval ball rodo (round dance) which developedthrough the centuries and is quite likely to haveinfiltrated the courts in the eighteenth century. It iswell documented that travelling dancers andmusicians frequently displayed their art at the Spanishcourts.

page 8 Domenico Scarlatti volume iii Page 5

VENICE VIII (1754) - DISC 51 K358 D major Allegro 4.372 K359 D major Allegrissimo 3.133 K360 B flat major Alla breve-Allegro 4.514 K361 B flat major Allegrissimo 3.105 K362 C minor Alla breve-Allegro 3.126 K363 C minor Presto 2.587 K364 F minor Alla breve-Allegro 4.118 K365 F minor Allegro 4.289 K366 F major Allegro 4.3210 K367 F major Presto 3.0911 K368 A major Alla breve-Allegro 6.3112 K369 A major Allegro 5.0713 K370 E flat major Alla breve-Allegro 4.2014 K371 E flat major Allegro 3.5415 K372 G major Allegro 2.52

Total playing time 61.05

VENICE VIII (1754) - DISC 61 K373 G minor Alla breve-Presto fugato 3.072 K374 G major Alla breve-Andante 3.013 K375 G major Allegro 3.084 K376 B minor Allegro 3.575 K377 B minor Allegrissimo 3.156 K378 F major Alla breve-Allegro 4.177 K379 F major Minuet 3.338 K380 E major Andante commodo 6.309 K381 E major Allegro 4.0910 K382 A minor Alla breve-Allegro 2.3311 K383 A minor Allegro 3.4612 K384 C major

Alla breve-Cantabile-Andante 2.1713 K385 C major Allegro 4.0614 K386 F minor Alla breve-Presto 3.2315 K387 F minor Veloce è fugato 2.28

Total playing time 53.30

Harpsichord by Michael Cole after José Joachim Antunes, (Lisbon, 1785).Original in the Finchcocks Collection, Kent, England.

Harpsichord tuned to A 415 Werckmeister III.Recorded at Wistaria Lodge, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England.

Summer 2003, by Raymond Fenton, Atkyns Sound.Dedicated to the memory of George Malcolm, an inspirational teacher.

Venice VI opens this set with a gentle Andante, theharmonies of which soon expand into mouth-watering modulations of which the more matureScarlatti was a master.The succeeding volumes of theQueen’s manuscripts are says Ralph Kirkpatrick, ‘forthe most part, thinner and more restrained’. This isevident in the scant structure of K298 whoserepeated notes possibly imitate the bandurria, aSpanish type mandolin that was very common in theeighteenth century; - and to this day is very much inevidence as an accompanying instrument for thedance, especially the jota.

K299 is virtuoso stuff and certainly not ‘restrained’,with incredible leaps in thirds in both hands, whereone can feel the dancers’ sense of breath and poise.K303 is yet another dance in which the trills in bothhands sound very like the clatter of castanets. Aseguidillas rhythm appears at the conclusion of eachhalf and a canarios rhythm opens K.305 with 6/8alternating with 3/4.

Scarlatti’s frequent visits to the flattened supertonicact as a colour, enhancing the ‘Spanish flavour’ in

many pieces (K315). Another favourite crib from thefolk genre is to begin the second half of a sonata onthe flattened sub-mediant (K321).

K314, 317 and 318 are rare examples of pieces in analmost improvisatory style. The modulations climaxin the most miraculous way in each, giving theimpression of complete spontaneity.

K318 and 319 are two of the few sonatas that seem tobe conceived in pairs. Most of the sonatas after VeniceXIV are copied out in pairs and Kirkpatrick says thatthe relationship of a pair is either one of contrast orcompliment. The pairing theory, though interesting,is now rejected by most musicologists.

K315 is one of those examples of a written change inmetre from 3/8 to 3/4, obviously imitating therhythmic displacements that occur in some dances.

Sonatas in this volume that refer to the dance are,K297, 299, 303, 305, 307, 311, 313, 315, 317, 319,321, 323 and 325.

page 6 Domenico Scarlatti volume 1iI Page 7

With the sonatas of this volume dated 1754, weapproach the final period. The organ makes itsappearance again in this volume with a single sonataK328 with markings for changes of manual that referto the Diapasons and Flutes of the instrument. In thisrecording I make use of the ‘nightingale’ stop which isfound on some Spanish organs.There is no particularreason for this, except that I liked it.

Always evident in these volumes are the dance sonatasand here, K327,330, 334, 336, 338, 340, 341, 344,346, 349, 350, 353 and 354 all share either thedynamism or the gentle buoyancy of the dance.

The pairing of sonatas was discussed in the previousvolume and mention here should be made of twosonatas, K347 and 348, which are specifically marked‘’Al Cader dell’ ultimo termino di questa sonata

attacca subbito las seguente, Come avisa la Mano’’,indicating that they are to be played together,apparently with the last bar of the first sonataoverlapping the first bar of the second. Furtherclarification is the drawing of a hand, pointing fromthe last bar of K347, to the first bar of 348. I do notbelieve as Kirkpatrick did however, that this isconclusive proof of the intention to perform sonatasof the same tonality in pairs.

A particular favourite of mine is K333 which begins asa sort of village band procession, ending in a mostunexpected frenzy of excitement - a real excursioninto new territory. K351 also departs slightly fromthe ‘norm’ alternating Andante and Allegrissimopassages.

VENICE VII (1754) - DISC 31 K326 C major Allegro 3.132 K327 C major Allegro 3.263 K328 G major Andante commodo 6.264 K329 C major Allegro 5.245 K330 C major Allegro 2.196 K331 B flat major Andante 3.407 K332 B flat major Allegro 4.398 K333 D major Allegro-Allegrissimo 2.439 K334 B flat major Allegro 3.1510 K335 D major Allegro 4.1011 K336 D major Allegro 2.5812 K337 G major Allegro 4.1613 K338 G major Allegro 4.1014 K339 C major Allegro 4.1515 K340 C major Allegro 4.24

Total playing time 59.18

VENICE VII (1754) - DISC 41 K341 A minor Allegro 2.152 K342 A major Allegro 2.573 K343 A major Allegro-Andante 6.094 K344 A major Allegro 3.515 K345 D major Allegro 4.416 K346 D major Allegro 3.097 K347 G minor Moderato è cantabile 5.308 K348 G major Prestissimo 2.369 K349 F major Allegro 3.5910 K350 F major Allegro 2.5311 K351 B flat major Andante-Allegrissimo 3.4712 K352 D major Allegro 4.2413 K353 D major Allegro 2.4414 K354 F major Andante 8.0715 K355 F major Allegro 3.54

Total playing time 60.53

Harpsichord by Michael Cole after José Joachim Antunes, (Lisbon, 1785).Original in the Finchcocks Collection, Kent, England.

Harpsichord tuned to A 415 Werckmeister III.Organ tuned to A 440 Werckmeister III.

Grateful thanks to John and Eric Shepherd for ensuring that the organ was in tune.Recorded at Wistaria Lodge, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, England.

Spring 2003, by Raymond Fenton, Atkyns Sound.Dedicated to my piano teacher Bernard Roberts.A guiding light in my early years.