Although Domenico Scarlatti did not write a single piece of music for guitar, from his almost six hundred sonatas for harpsichord that have come down to us, more than two hundred have been transcribed for solo guitar over the last century, which probably converts the Neapolitan genius in the most transcribed author in the history of the guitar, in terms of number of pieces. Nowadays there are still many gems to discover inside the Scarlattian treasure, and this new collection intends to continue expanding the repertoire from Scarlatti adapted for guitar, searching among all the untranscribed sonatas. So, the most of the pieces from this book are unique transcriptions. The transcriptions are fully fingered, to ease the student’s work. Contains the sonatas: K26, K35, K45, K49, K97, K121, K141, K160, K189, K230, K234, K258, K281, K287, K294, K295, K298, K306, K311, K315, K351, K360, K418, K420, K425, K435.
An exact contemporary of Bach and Handel, Domenico Scarlatti was already a celebrated composer in Italy by the time he moved to Portugal. Later he traveled to Spain, where he worked as a harpsichord instructor for Princess Maria Barbara. The lessons he wrote for her are among the most imaginative and unpredictable pieces from the whole baroque period. His music translates very well to the guitar, an instrument where his style is completely at home. This set of 30 sonatas transcribed by acclaimed guitarist Fabio Zanon includes new transcriptions of all-time favorites and some rarer ones as well.
The Sonatas of Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757) are so common to the guitarist’s repertoire that one could easily assume that they were written originally for the instrument. In fact, despite the prodigious output of this composer, Scarlatti never composed for guitar. This is a bit surprising considering he spent much of his adult life on the Iberian Peninsula where the guitar (chitarra spagnola) was, at that time, enjoying considerable popularity. The following sonatas are transcriptions of a small portion of the 555 sonatas which Scarlatti composed for the keyboard. These works were most likely composed after 1720 when Scarlatti left his native Italy to take a post as chapelmaster at the court of King João V of Portugal. One of his duties in this appointment was to tutor the daughter of the King, Maria Barbara, who would eventually become Queen of Spain. Scarlatti would follow her to Seville and then to Madrid. Maria Barbara was known as an accomplished harpsichordist, and it is quite possible that these sonatas were the product of her close relationship with the composer. The first known catalogue of Scarlatti’s sonatas was compiled by Alessandro Longo (1864-1945). Though it remains an important historical document, this publication [D. Scarlatti, Opere Complete per Clavicembalo, (a cura di A. Longo) 10 vol. e 1 supplemento (Ricordi, Milano, 1906/10)] is largely considered antiquated by modern historians. Longo purposely regrouped the sonatas into suites and, in some cases, changed tempo indications and harmonies. A more commonly accepted catalogue of the Sonatas of Scarlatti was assembled by Ralph Kirkpatrick (1911-1984). His catalogue [Ralph Kirkpatrick, Domenico Scarlatti (Princeton University Press, Princeton, 1953)] attempted to order the sonatas chronologically and provided insight into how the works were grouped: often in pairs, sometimes in groups of 3 or 4 and some with multiple movements contained within. The following transcriptions were adapted from facsimile editions taken from the Biblioteca Nazionale in Venezia, and the Biblioteca Palatina in Parma and compiled by Kirkpatrick [Domenico Scarlatti, Complete Keyboard Works (edited by Ralph Kirkpatrick) 18 vol. (Johnson Reprint Corporation, New York and London, 1972)]. Each work is identified by both Kirkpatrick’s (K.) and Longo’s (L.) catalog numbers. Within these sonatas lay a wealth of creativity and variety. Although most of them fall into the category of binary form, there exists great diversity in tone, tempo, and internal construction. Beyond the generic title Sonata, Scarlatti makes little use of the term as a unifying factor for his collection. Some works are to be played slowly and lyrically and thus have indications as Larghetto and Adagio e Cantabile, while others are meant to be played rapidly, having tempo indications as Allegro, Vivo, and Allegrissimo. Additionally, Scarlatti models some of his sonatas after common dance forms of his day titling some as Minuetto or Gavotta. Examples of all the above appear in this collection. Moreover, Scarlatti’s mastery of the keyboard and, in some cases, his disregard of common voice-leading and harmonic practices, have produced works of unique diversity with striking harmonies, sudden and unusual modulations, and passages of uncommon texture and virtuosity.
This collection of arrangements for solo guitar is an ideal introduction to Scarlatti's music. The ten varied pieces were carefully chosen for their musical character and technical suitability at intermediate and advanced levels. Core repertoire for Grades 68 of ABRSM's Guitar syllabus. Includes idiomatic adaptations, with original ornamentation.
Domenico Scarlatti composed some 555 sonatas for the harpsichord. As their texture is light and the music is usually homophonic they transcribe very well for the guitar. In this book, Jamey Bellizzi presents 30 Scarlatti sonatas in standard classical guitar notation. Performance notes, facsimile reproductions of Scarlatti's original manuscripts, and a biographical sketch of the composer are an added bonus.
Volume II of this critically acclaimed three-part collection features introductory text and performance notes to 30 Scarlatti sonatas, from Sonata XXXI to Sonata LX. The works appear in chronological order and with Kirkpatrick numbers. This Urtext edition preserves the sonatas' original presentation, save for the addition of accidentals and the inversion of treble and bass clefs, in accordance with modern practices and ease of playing.
