Sonata K380 D. Scarlatti

Today’s piece, the next in my #respite series, “Sonata K.380“, is one of 555(!) sonatas written for the keyboard by the Neapolitan composer, Domenico Scarlatti. I play it from Ralph Kirkpatrick’s 1953 edition published by G. Schirmer. Kirkpatrick, aside from being a fine harpsichordist, wrote the definitive book about Scarlatti and his work in a 496-page book, “Scarlatti”, the product of 12 years research, also published in 1953. When I was at Yale School of Music in the early 1970’s I had occasion to accompany an instrumentalist on harpsichord with Kirkpatrick being one of the auditors, and I do remember saying to Kirkpatrick, in best fan-boy mode, that not only was I his fan, but that I was, alas, not a harpsichordist, and begged his forbearance.

I play the piece on my Bechstein K8 in preference to my Steinert Artist Grand (which I also treasure), because I find the Bechstein just worked better for me on this particular piece, particularly when I wanted a very clear snap to what I hear as repeated drum riffs in the left hand (more on this below).

This Sonata is very different from K3, which featured a great deal of hand crossing on downward descending scales. Some have hinted that this may have been a savvy tailoring of these pieces for his patron,” Maria Barbara, Infanta of Portugal and later Queen of Spain, who became his pupil and lifelong patron after marrying the Spanish crown prince, Ferdinand VI, in 1729”. As a young woman shown in this portrait https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara..., the arm crossings would have been easy, while not as easy for her later in her life https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara....

To my ears, the piece evokes a small ensemble playing at Court. The opening figure could have been played on some sort of trumpet or similar instrument. Perhaps the repetition of the opening, loud, then soft (as an echo?) could have been an imitation of musicians placed on opposite sides of a large hall, with those further away being heard more softly. Also, I hear the snap of castanets in what I imagine is an imitation of drums being played in “duh-duh-duh du-DUH” under some sort of horns playing in perfect fifths, (but words don’t really convey it; you’ve got to listen to the music).

Technical and compositional details to the side, I offer this Scarlatti as the second of several that I plan to play and record, because it is not only fun to play, but fun to hear. I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as I have liked playing it.

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For those interested in the technology involved in the recording, the main video was captured with an Olympus OM-5 with the M Zuiko Digital 14-42mm 1:3.5-5.6 lens. Keyboard was captured with a Lenovo FHD Webcam. Audio was captured with a kit-built microphone from JLI Electronics – the Endora. You can read more about the technology inside it on the JLI Electronics website here: https://www.jlielectronics.com/diy-mi.... This dual capsule microphone was created by Jules Ruykebusch, and you can hear how it can sound and the many ways it can be used on this recording here:    • Using Endora: ORTF with Dual Output Microp...  . Video was routed via USB into my workstation; audio was routed through XLR to an old, but still functional RME Fireface 800. Both were then routed to OBS for real-time synchronization. Minimal audio post-processing was done in Adobe Audition and video trimming in Premiere Pro.
#respite #Scarlatti #Endora #Kirkpatrick #Jules Ruykebusch