Domenico & Alessandro Scarlatti (J. Y. Won, Pianist)

Pianist Jae Yeon Won explores Italian father and son, Alessandro Scarlatti (1660-1725) and Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757), major contributors to the Baroque keyboard tradition. Alessandro enjoys his repute in the opera medium, while Domenico, through 550 sonatas, proved himself a brilliant innovator of expressive, colorful works that blend vital, Spanish and Italian impulses.
A. Scarlatti: Toccata VI in D minor typifies his designation for a touch-piece, often in several sections, marked by contrasted tempo indications. Virtuosic, they feature frequent arpeggio and acciaccatura accents to create strong dissonances. Originally for harpsichord or clavichord, the modern piano gives them fluid luster. The 2nd mvmt calls for a light, French vocal style.
D. Scarlatti: Sonata in G Kk 427 (“Kk” = Kirkpatrick chronological listing.) features a flurry of 16th notes and potent cadences. Sonata in E, Kk 380, one of his most popular, has a prancing, martial gait, ending with delicate trills. Set in binary form, its second half continues the rhythm in a quieter, reflective mood. Sonata in G minor, Kk. 8 is an expansive, meditative work, built on short, drooping phrases that gain lyric power.
A. Scarlatti: Toccata in D Major, in two sections, projects a ceremonial jubilation, ornamental and brilliant in the high registers. The 2nd mvmt Allegro is like a Gigue: energetic, contrapuntal dance in perpetual motion.
D. Scarlatti: Sonata in D minor, Kk 141 brilliantly imitates Spanish guitar figures in relentless, bravura style. The demands for repeated notes require an adept virtuoso. Sonata in D Minor, Kk 22, marked “Aria”, projects lyrical intimacy and suggests a Spanish sarabande. Sonata in A Kk 208 proceeds in stately, processional tones. The parlando (“spoken”) melody enjoys a series of nuances in tone and gesture. Sonata in F# Minor Kk 25 proceeds in colored, chromatic phrases, often sounded in bell tones. Won uses his pedal to bring out the rich layers of tone, especially in smooth legato. Sonata in A Minor Kk 175 aggressively darts forward, then assumes a dance style in syncopated accents. We hear imitations of guitar style, especially the sound of strumming in keyboard terms, bouncing in flamenco rhythms.
A. Scarlatti: Toccata in A Minor in 5 mvmts resembles a suite or partita. The Grave sets a deliberate, melancholy tone in echo effects. The Balletto exerts energy, with brisk attacks and staccato motion. The brief Allegro playfully exploits counterpoints. Presto in C treats the right hand to bravura figuration, Italianate in repeated notes in dancing motion. Tempo di Menuetto concludes the suite in courtly style, with quick, sliding, gestures
D. Scarlatti: Sonata in C Kk 255 is an extended, colorful Allegro, shifting registers and textures in a prancing rhythm. The music is haunting, with the hands in dialogue. Sonata in F Kk 17 plays like a staccato étude and exploits ornamental runs. Sharp accents mark the points of entry. Scarlatti diminishes the dynamics, then suddenly catapults forward in swirling turns, like a matador’s cape. Sonata in C Minor Kk 56, marked con spirito, is another speedy étude for color effects. Its syncopated energies bursting with hints of Spanish guitar rhythm. Sonata in C Minor Kk 40, relatively brief, offers a minuet in a dainty, prancingly lilted rhythm, almost a music-box sonority.
A. Scarlatti: Toccata IV in A Minor proceeds in two sections. The first sounds like a romantic fantasia, Allegro, like those J.S. Bach’s sons. It gains acceleration and chromatic color, reminiscent of Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, S 565. The fugue is texturally dense, in fast, perpetual motion.
D. Scarlatti: Sonata in D Minor Kk 9 is another of his more familiar works, marked Allegro but played moderato like a lovely, ornamental sarabande. Sonata in E-flat Kk 253, Allegro, tests hand coordination in alternate, staccato figures. An exhilarating Spanish gallop ensues, repetitive and accented. Sonata in F minor Kk 466 ends the cycle in haunted tones, darkly romantic. It traverses various shades of color within its repetitive, echoed periods, always moving in persuasive, arioso lines, predicting much in Chopin.