D. Scarlatti: 18 Sonatas | Domenico Scarlatti, Maria Tipo

D. Scarlatti: 18 Sonatas | Domenico Scarlatti, Maria Tipo | Tipo plays Scarlatti

classical music:

D. Scarlatti: 18 S...

	D. Scarlatti: 18 Sonatas Domenico Scarlatti, Maria Tipo EMI Classics, 2003 average customer review:based on 6 reviews view larger image
	for more information click here

highly recommended

Superb Scarlatti

Well, the earlier review has covered almost everything.

I would only add Zacharias's 49 Scarlatti Sonatas (EMI) to the list mentioned, and nonetheless I prefer Tipo in the whole list. And other than elegance and gracefulness, her playing also possesses a remarkable sense of proportion which is essential in both the Baroque and Classical repertoire.

To those who like Tipo's playing, they may find Michelangeli's (or even Lipatti's) Scarlatti delightful as well-- albeit the latters had recorded only a few of them. They shouldn't forget to check Tipo's Clementi out as well: she was the first to record Clementi's complete Sonatas after all: Tipo is a great interpreter of the Italian keyboard literature.

for more information click here

Tipo plays Scarlatti

Her touch is superb. Her interpretation moves. She plays all of the decorations perfectly without getting lost in them (like Pogo). I like her Scarlatti far more than Horowitz.

Played with charm & elegance

Before I found this cd by Maria Tipo, my favorite performers of the Scarlatti keyboard sonatas were among the usual culprits: Horowitz & Pletnev on the piano, as well as Trevor Pinnock on the harpsichord. Having enjoyed Tipo's Bach for many years, I thought this disc of Scarlatti would be a worthwhile purchase. I have been very pleased to see how correct my inclination was. I think that Tipo plays these pieces with an abundance of elegance and charm(thus the performer, thus the perfomance!) The sound is clear & bright, and the EMI "encore" release is available at an attractive budget price. A listener would be hard pressed to find an excuse not to add this delightful cd to their collection.

for more information click here

A Slight Minority Report

I would love to give this CD my full recommendation, but I feel I must at least let others know that Tipo's playing here is just a bit overromantic in style. There is a lot of rubato and really rather extreme molding of dynamics. She is indeed a wonderful pianist and I've loved other recordings she has made, including her fine Goldberg Variations, but I found myself listening more to 'what is she going to do next' (meaning how is she going to haul around the musical pulse or dynamics) than listening to the music itself, at least some of the time.

Still, this is, as piano-playing, quite wonderful. If that sounds like a contradiction to what I'd just said, please understand that I just think her style of playing Scarlatti is not what some purists would expect or want.

One other thing: the sound is a bit reverberant. I don't find it off-putting but some might prefer a drier acoustic.

Scott Morrison

for more information click here

Gift for a Young Pianist

I checked several music websites and also read the reviews on Amazon before selecting this particular collection of Scarlatti's sonatas. Born in the same year as both Bach and Handel, Scarlatti was well-known during his time and is worth taking the time to get to know today. I chose this CD as a gift for my daughter. She began to appreciate Scarlatti's style after her piano teacher assigned her one of his sonatas.

reviews: page 1, 2

Tracks
Sonata In E (Allegro), K495 | Sonata In E (Allegro), K381 | Sonata In E (Presto), K20 | Sonata In E Minor (Allegro), K394 | Sonata In G (Andante Spiritoso), K454 | Sonata In G (Allegro Molto), K425 | Sonata In D (Allegro), K491 | Sonata In D Minor (Aria), K32 | Sonata In A (Allegro), K342 | Sonata In A Minor (Adagio), K109 | Sonata In A (Allegro), K39 | Sonata In G (Vivo), K125 | Sonata In G (Allegro), K470 | Sonata In G (Allegro), K124 | Sonata In G (Allegrissimo), K79 | Sonata In G (Allegro), K547 | Sonata In B Flat (Allegro), K551 | Sonata In B Flat Minor (Allegro), K128

products you might be interested in