Conclusions
It has taken me
five months to listen systematically to this set once with a
few “retakes” here and there. Like Scott Ross when he was recording
them, I felt bereft when I had finished. Unlike Ross I was able
to go straight back and begin again and that is precisely what
I did. I have also since been listening to Volume 17 of Richard
Lester’s complete set. That disc contains 23 sonatas, including
all 13 which are not in Kirkpatrick’s catalogue and were not
recorded by Ross. It is therefore a valuable supplement but
there was nothing in terms of Lester’s approach or the recorded
sound that seemed preferable to Ross. Indeed, I found the 1980s
Erato sound considerably more natural. Lester is clearly a fine
harpsichordist but Ross was completely inside this music and
has a huge price advantage for those wanting the complete set.
I hope I have made
my enthusiasm for Ross’s playing clear in the foregoing. There
is a consistency about his approach which is admirable, allied
to formidable technique. Ross was both scholarly and practical
– for example his decisions about ornamentation and repeats
became predictable and the latter usually accorded with my desires
to hear again or move on. He was an absolute master at the transitions
between halves – invariably these were seamlessly given although
that means you will often have to be smart to spot them without
seeing the printed music. The sound too rarely draws attention
to itself so there is nothing to come between the listener and
Scarlatti’s endless inventiveness.
Although, the documentation
is excellent overall, there are a few minor errors here and
there, mostly relating to key signatures. Perhaps when there
are more than 500 works to document, it would be surprising
if there were none.
Apart from major
libraries, which I hope will regard this as a mandatory acquisition,
Scarlatti enthusiasts should certainly purchase this set immediately
or put it on the wish list. Ideally, it should remain in the
catalogue on a long-term basis but that is by no means certain.
Since it is unlikely to become cheaper (other than in a sale),
it would be wise not to delay too long before making the investment.
For those unable to countenance 34 CD sets, there would also
be place for a larger collection drawn from it than the single
disc Elatus issue. Such a three disc set existed a few years
ago - based on selections made by Ross - but it may be expecting
too much from Warner for that to be reissued that at bargain
price soon.
Without doubt, this
set is a pinnacle in the history of recorded music. Profound
thanks are due to Warner Classics for making it so accessible
and affordable.
Patrick C Waller
Internal Links
Introduction
Discs 1-11
Discs 12-22
Discs 23-34
External links
Sale of complete set:
AmazonUK
AmazonUS
Sale of single disc sampler:
AmazonUK
£8.99
Sale of Kirkpatrick’s book:
AmazonUK
AmazonUSA
John Sankey’s MIDI files:
http://www.midiworld.com/scarlatti.htm
Sonatas listed by Kk, L and P numbers:
http://www.classical.net/music/composer/works/scarlattid
Richard Lester's complete set:
http://www.the-scarlatti-experience.fsnet.co.uk/indexb.htm
Scott Ross (harpsichord)
