I'm learning the Scarlatti Sonata 449. I've only been practicing it for two days but am surprised at how easily I'm learning it. I recorded this "rough draft" today. At this rate, I should have it in a week.

All critical comments are valuable and very much appreciated. Don't mind the note errors (working on it for two days)

The performance starts at a very slow tempo and gradually picks up throughout.
Thanks,

Pete

This sounds good, Pete. Like it's ready to go. And after hearing Robert's work on it, the piece is growing on me. I just love the first few lines - especially that cross-over part, at least I think it is, where the hands are repeating something but one of them is jumping up or the other one is jumping down...can't explain it - too much Greek wine. Anyway, this is nice.

Yes, sounds promising. Especially after 2 days I guess this is one of the easier sonatas (if anything can ever be called 'easy' with Scarlatti). There seems to be a lot of pedal, or is it the reverb that makes it sound swimmy ? What I do not like is your speeding up in some places. One should not get carried way in Baroque music. Apart from that, almost ready for take-off !

Yes, I did put a lot of reverb. Also the low bit rate makes it sound all warbled. I need to find my metronome! .

Anyway, thanks for the input.

I found this website that has very good midi renditions of all 500+ sonatas. I can't believe Scarlatti wrote all that without losing his mind.

http://www.claudiocolombo.net/scarlatti.htm

Does anyone know of other keyboard music he composed? Some multi-movement pieces?

PF

Very interesting your idea to increase the velocity and the dynamics in that way.
I too find natural to accelerate after the first line, but you do it with more conviction and the effect is very good.
The instrumental suite can be bettered, as for all of us here..... but IMHO you have a very valid
conception of this piece.

Attention! There are about 100 Sonata fascinating as this......



> I can't believe Scarlatti wrote all that without losing his mind.

In fact, the biographer Roberto Pagano write about his obsession (but in that court,
with the king that cries to imitate the vocalist Farinelli). I like to search of this obsessive
mood in some his slow Sonatas, often amazing, IMHO.


> Does anyone know of other keyboard music he composed?

555 Sonatas (I recorded the K555 in the last weeks: wonderful Sonata).
The "Essercizi" being only the London edition of some Sonatas. Many scores were saved
by Farinelli.


> Some multi-movement pieces?

No,sir.

S.

Not literally but in a broader sense, yes. About 400 sonatas are arranged in pairs in the original sources. A small number even in triptychs. Though "old school" pianists are often unaware of that, those sonatas should be played in their original (and intentional) pairwise arrangement. Secondly, some sonatas are in more tempi, yet maintaining a binary form as a rule. An example of the latter kind of sonata is available on PS, played by Roberto Carnevale (K.513)

OK, now I'm just being silly.

Serious recording soon to follow.

Pete

Oh, I like that one. When Robert first put this up, it was stuck in my head all day. Now it's back.

And is everybody around here drinking a lot of coffee today? Wow, Pete! I wish my fingers could move that fast. Your 'real' version is bound to be really great.

Yes, I had a whole pot of Boca Java. I'll never sleep again!

That was just total freewheeling. Slow playing can only get you so far. Somehow, I let my technique go, I'm trying like hell to get it back.

OK, obsession setting in...

I think this is getting better. (Complete w/surprise ending, hope you get a chuckle) Don't blame me, it's the Boca Java playing.

What do you all think about this tempo?

Pete