SCARLATTI: COMPLETE KEYBOARD SONATAS – SCOTT ROSS (34 CDS) WARNER CLASSICS

Scott Ross’s award-winning complete Scarlatti keyboard sonatas, first released on Erato in 1988 stands as a landmark in recording history. 

In the 1980s, Ross became the first musician to record the complete keyboard sonatas – 555 in all – of Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757). Though born in Pittsburgh, he moved with his mother to France in his early teens and attended the conservatories of Nice and Paris. After a 12-year stint as an academic in Quebec, he returned to France permanently in 1985 and made his home there.

To celebrate the 300th anniversary of Scarlatti’s birth in 1985, French radio asked Ross to perform the composer’s complete sonatas, for broadcast in a series of weekly programmes. He recorded two sonatas a day over a period of 15 months in 1984/85. Many had never been recorded before, even though a limited selection had featured in the repertoire of major pianists – including Horowitz, Michelangeli, Gieseking, Haskil and Gilels – for decades.

Most of the recordings were made – on four different harpsichords (Italian and French), to ensure a variety of timbre – at the Paris studios of Radio France, although the entire project was launched with the sessions for the Essercizi Kk. 1-30 at the Château d’Assas, near Montpellier in the south of France. The château played an important role in Ross’s life: he was first invited to play on the its harpsichord while still a student in Nice, and later on he lived in a house in its grounds.

Also an organist and pianist, Scott Ross lived a bohemian life and was something of a maverick – looking more like a rock musician than a scholarly harpsichordist. There was, however, no doubt of his credentials as a scrupulous and highly dedicated musician. He was also a passionate and brilliant performer, celebrated not just in Scarlatti, but in the music of Bach, Rameau and Couperin. When the Scarlatti sonatas were first released, the New York Times said: “Ross possesses all the necessary virtuoso flair and stylish sensitivity to bring this exciting music bounding to life.”

Domenico Scarlatti’s sonatas are colourful, intense and captivating one-movement works, which explore a variety of expressive worlds and technical possibilities. Each lasts just a few minutes and many reflect the musical influence of the Iberian peninsula (both Spain and Portugal), where the Neapolitan-born Scarlatti spent much of his life, notably as the music master of Maria Barbara, a Portuguese princess who later became Queen of Spain. In Madrid, towards the end of his life, Scarlatti became friendly with the legendary castrato Farinelli, who returned to Italy with copies of the manuscripts of the sonatas.

In 1988 Scott Ross received the Grand Prix du Disque for his complete Scarlatti sonatas from France’s prestigious and authoritative Académie Charles Cros, among many other awards. In 1988 he was named Musical Personality of the Year by the Syndicat des critiques français.

He had already been suffering from ill health when he was recording the sonatas, and he died of Aids-related causes in June 1989. As the BBC Music Magazine said, the complete edition was “a heroic achievement”, while in 1989 one of Gramophone’s critics called it the ‘Record of the Eighties’, describing it as “a fitting, self-erected monument” to Scott Ross. The harpsichordist claimed that his personal favourite among the sonatas was No 208, which he described as: “the most beautiful, even if it is also the slowest, and the happiest – it’s the sunniest of all of them.”

The 34 CD are presented in deluxe packaging, with a 20-page printed booklet; this is complemented by 200 pages of online documentation, including a commentary on each of the sonatas (along with the musical notation of its opening bars).

– Disc 1 –
1 Sonata in D minor, K1
2 Sonata in G Major, K2
3 Sonata in A minor, K3
4 Sonata in G minor, K4
5 Sonata in D minor, K5
6 Sonata in F Major, K6
7 Sonata in A minor, K7
8 Sonata in G minor, K8
9 Sonata in D minor, K9
10 Sonata in D minor, K10
11 Sonata in C minor, K11
12 Sonata in G minor, K12
13 Sonata in G Major, K13
14 Sonata in G Major, K14
15 Sonata in E minor, K15
16 Sonata in B Flat Major, K16
17 Sonata in F Major, K17
18 Sonata in D minor, K18
19 Sonata in F minor, K19
– Disc 2 –
1 Sonata in E Major, K20
2 Sonata in D Major, K21
3 Sonata in C minor, K22
4 Sonata in D Major, K23
5 Sonata in a Major, K24
6 Sonata in F Sharp minor, K25
7 Sonata in a Major, K26
8 Sonata in B minor, K27
9 Sonata in E Major, K28
10 Sonata in D Major, K29
11 Sonata in G minor, K30
– Disc 3 –
1 Sonata in G minor, K31
2 Sonata in D minor, K32
3 Sonata in D Major, K33
4 Sonata in D minor, K34
5 Sonata in G minor, K35
6 Sonata in A minor, K36
7 Sonata in C minor, K37
8 Sonata in F Major, K38
9 Sonata in a Major, K39
10 Sonata in C minor, K40
11 Sonata in D minor, K41
12 Sonata in B Flat Major, K42
13 Sonata in G minor, K43
14 Sonata in F Major, K44
15 Sonata in D Major, K45
16 Sonata in E Major, K46
17 Sonata in B Flat Major, K47
18 Sonata in C minor, K48
– Disc 4 –
1 Sonata in C Major, K49
2 Sonata in F minor, K50
3 Sonata in E Flat Major, K51
4 Sonata in D minor, K52
5 Sonata in D Major, K53
6 Sonata in A minor, K54
7 Sonata in G Major, K55
8 Sonata in C minor, K56
9 Sonata in B Flat Major, K57
10 Sonata in C minor, K58
11 Sonata in F Major, K59
12 Sonata in G minor, K60
13 Sonata in A minor, K61
14 Sonata in a Major, K62
15 Sonata in G Major, K63
16 Sonata in D minor, K64
17 Sonata in a Major, K65
18 Sonata in B Flat Major, K66
– Disc 5 –
1 Sonata in F Sharp minor, K67
2 Sonata in E Flat Major, K68
3 Sonata in F minor, K69
4 Sonata in B Flat Major, K70
5 Sonata in G Major, K71
6 Sonata in C Major, K72
7 Sonata in C Major, K73
8 Sonata in a Major, K74
9 Sonata in G Major, K75
10 Sonata in G minor, K76
11 Sonata in D minor, K77
12 Sonata in G Major, K241
13 Sonata in C Major, K242
14 Sonata in C Major, K243
15 Sonata in F Major, K82
16 Sonata in a Major, K83
17 Sonata in C minor, K84
18 Sonata in F Major, K85
19 Sonata in C Major, K86
20 Sonata in B minor, K87
21 Sonata in D minor, K92
22 Sonata in G minor, K93
– Disc 6 –
1 Sonata in F Major, K94
2 Sonata in C Major, K95
3 Sonata in D Major, K96
4 Sonata in G minor, K97
5 Sonata in E minor, K98
6 Sonata in C minor, K99
7 Sonata in C Major, K100
8 Sonata in a Major, K101
9 Sonata in G minor, K102
10 Sonata in G Major, K103
11 Sonata in G Major, K104
12 Sonata in G Major, K105
13 Sonata in F Major, K106
14 Sonata in F Major, K107
15 Sonata in G minor, K108
16 Sonata in A minor, K109
17 Sonata in A minor, K110
18 Sonata in G minor, K111
19 Sonata in B Flat Major, K112
– Disc 7 –
1 Sonata in a Major, K113
2 Sonata in a Major, K114
3 Sonata in C minor, K115
4 Sonata in C minor, K116
5 Sonata in C Major, K117
6 Sonata in D Major, K118
7 Sonata in D minor, K119
8 Sonata in D minor, K120
9 Sonata in G minor, K121
10 Sonata in D Major, K122
11 Sonata in E Flat Major, K123
12 Sonata in G Major, K124
13 Sonata in G Major, K125
– Disc 8 –
1 Sonata in C minor, K126
2 Sonata in a Flat Major, K127
3 Sonata in B Flat minor, K128
4 Sonata in C minor, K129
5 Sonata in a Flat Major, K130
6 Sonata in B Flat minor, K131
7 Sonata in C Major, K132
8 Sonata in C Major, K133
9 Sonata in E Major, K134
10 Sonata in E Major, K135
11 Sonata in E Major, K136
12 Sonata in D Major, K137
13 Sonata in D minor, K138
14 Sonata in C minor, K139
– Disc 9 –
1 Sonata in D Major, K140
2 Sonata in D minor, K141
3 Sonata in F Sharp minor, K142
4 Sonata in C Major, K143
5 Sonata in G Major, K144
6 Sonata in D Major, K145
7 Sonata in G Major, K146
8 Sonata in E minor, K147
9 Sonata in A minor, K148
10 Sonata in A minor, K149
11 Sonata in F Major, K150
12 Sonata in F Major, K151
13 Sonata in G Major, K152
14 Sonata in G Major, K153
15 Sonata in B Flat Major, K154
16 Sonata in B Flat Major, K155
– Disc 10 –
1 Sonata in C Major, K156
2 Sonata in C Major, K157
3 Sonata in C minor, K158
4 Sonata in C Major, K159
5 Sonata in D Major, K160
6 Sonata in D Major, K161
7 Sonata in E Major, K162
8 Sonata in E Major, K163
9 Sonata in D Major, K164
10 Sonata in C Major, K165
11 Sonata in C Major, K166
12 Sonata in F Major, K167
13 Sonata in F Major, K168
14 Sonata in G Major, K171
15 Sonata in D Major, K170
16 Sonata in G Major, K171
17 Sonata in B Flat Major, K172
– Disc 11 –
1 Sonata in B minor, K173
2 Sonata in C minor, K174
3 Sonata in A minor, K175
4 Sonata in D minor, K176
5 Sonata in D Major, K177
6 Sonata in D Major, K178
7 Sonata in G minor, K179
8 Sonata in G Major, K180
9 Sonata in a Major, K181
10 Sonata in a Major, K182
11 Sonata in F minor, K183
12 Sonata in F minor, K184
13 Sonata in F minor, K185
14 Sonata in F minor, K186
15 Sonata in F minor, K187
16 Sonata in A minor, K188
– Disc 12 –
1 Sonata in B Flat Major, K189
2 Sonata in B Flat Major, K190
3 Sonata in D minor, K191
4 Sonata in E Flat Major, K192
5 Sonata in E Flat Major, K193
6 Sonata in F Major, K194
7 Sonata in F Major, K195
8 Sonata in G minor, K196
9 Sonata in B minor, K197
10 Sonata in E minor, K198
11 Sonata in C Major, K199
12 Sonata in C Major, K200
13 Sonata in G Major, K201
14 Sonata in B Flat Major, K202
15 Sonata in E minor, K203
– Disc 13 –
1 Sonata Suite in F minor, K204A
2 Sonata Suite in F minor, K204B
3 Sonata in F Major, K205
4 Sonata in E Major, K206
5 Sonata in E Major, K207
6 Sonata in a Major, K208
7 Sonata in a Major, K209
8 Sonata in G Major, K210
9 Sonata in a Major, K211
10 Sonata in a Major, K212
11 Sonata in D minor, K213
12 Sonata in D Major, K214
13 Sonata in E Major, K215
14 Sonata in E Major, K216
– Disc 14 –
1 Sonata in A minor, K217
2 Sonata in A minor, K218
3 Sonata in a Major, K219
4 Sonata in a Major, K220
5 Sonata in a Major, K221
6 Sonata in a Major, K222
7 Sonata in D Major, K223
8 Sonata in D Major, K224
9 Sonata in C Major, K225
10 Sonata in C minor, K226
11 Sonata in B minor, K227
12 Sonata in B Flat Major, K228
13 Sonata in B Flat Major, K229
– Disc 15 –
1 Sonata in C minor, K230
2 Sonata in C Major, K231
3 Sonata in E minor, K232
4 Sonata in E minor, K233
5 Sonata in G minor, K234
6 Sonata in G Major, K235
7 Sonata in D Major, K236
8 Sonata in D Major, K237
9 Sonata in F minor, K238
10 Sonata in F minor, K239
11 Sonata in G Major, K240
12 Sonata in G Major, K241
13 Sonata in C Major, K242
14 Sonata in C Major, K243
– Disc 16 –
1 Sonata in B Major, K244
2 Sonata in B Major, K245
3 Sonata in C Sharp minor, K246
4 Sonata in C Sharp minor, K247
5 Sonata in B Flat Major, K248
6 Sonata in B Flat Major, K249
7 Sonata in C Major, K250
8 Sonata in C Major, K251
9 Sonata in E Flat Major, K252
10 Sonata in E Flat Major, K253
11 Sonata in C minor, K254
12 Sonata in C Major, K255
13 Sonata in F Major, K256
14 Sonata in F Major, K257
– Disc 17 –
1 Sonata in D Major, K258
2 Sonata in G Major, K259
3 Sonata in B Major, K261
4 Sonata in B Major, K261
5 Sonata in B Major, K262
6 Sonata in E minor, K263
7 Sonata in E Major, K264
8 Sonata in A minor, K265
9 Sonata in B Flat Major, K266
10 Sonata in B Flat Major, K267
– Disc 18 –
1 Sonata in a Major, K268
2 Sonata in a Major, K269
3 Sonata in C Major, K270
4 Sonata in C Major, K271
5 Sonata in B Flat Major, K272
6 Sonata in B Flat Major, K273
7 Sonata in F Major, K274
8 Sonata in F Major, K275
9 Sonata in F Major, K276
10 Sonata in D Major, K277
11 Sonata in D Major, K278
12 Sonata in a Major, K279
13 Sonata in a Major, K280
14 Sonata in D Major, K281
15 Sonata in D Major, K282
16 Sonata in G Major, K283
17 Sonata in G Major, K284
18 Sonata in a Major, K285
19 Sonata in a Major, K286
– Disc 19 –
1 Sonata in G Major, K289
2 Sonata in G Major, K290
3 Sonata in E minor, K291
4 Sonata in E minor, K292
5 Sonata in B minor, K293
6 Sonata in D minor, K294
7 Sonata in D minor, K295
8 Sonata in F Major, K296
9 Sonata in F Major, K297
10 Sonata in D Major, K298
11 Sonata in D Major, K299
12 Sonata in a Major, K300
13 Sonata in a Major, K301
– Disc 20 –
1 Sonata in C minor, K302
2 Sonata in C minor, K303
3 Sonata in G Major, K304
4 Sonata in G Major, K305
5 Sonata in E Flat Major, K306
6 Sonata in E Flat Major, K307
7 Sonata in C Major, K308
8 Sonata in C Major, K309
9 Sonata in B Flat Major, K310
10 Sonata in B Flat Major, K311
11 Sonata in D Major, K312
12 Sonata in D Major, K313
13 Sonata in G Major, K314
14 Sonata in G minor, K315
15 Sonata in F Major, K316
16 Sonata in F Major, K317
– Disc 21 –
1 Sonata in F Sharp Major, K318
2 Sonata in F Sharp Major, K319
3 Sonata in a Major, K320
4 Sonata in a Major, K321
5 Sonata in a Major, K322
6 Sonata in a Major, K323
7 Sonata in G Major, K324
8 Sonata in G Major, K325
9 Sonata in C Major, K326
10 Sonata in C Major, K327
11 Sonata in C Major, K329
12 Sonata in C Major, K330
13 Sonata in B Flat Major, K331
14 Sonata in B Flat Major, K332
15 Sonata in D Major, K333
16 Sonata in B Flat Major, K334
17 Sonata in D Major, K335
18 Sonata in D Major, K336
19 Sonata in G Major, K337
20 Sonata in G Major, K338
– Disc 22 –
1 Sonata in C Major, K339
2 Sonata in C Major, K340
3 Sonata in A minor, K341
4 Sonata in a Major, K342
5 Sonata in a Major, K343
6 Sonata in a Major, K344
7 Sonata in D Major, K345
8 Sonata in D Major, K346
9 Sonata in G minor, K347
10 Sonata in G Major, K348
11 Sonata in F Major, K349
12 Sonata in F Major, K350
13 Sonata in B Flat Major, K351
14 Sonata in D Major, K352
15 Sonata in D Major, K353
16 Sonata in F Major, K354
17 Sonata in F Major, K355
– Disc 23 –
1 Sonata in C Major, K356
2 Sonata in C Major, K357
3 Sonata in D Major, K358
4 Sonata in D Major, K359
5 Sonata in B Flat Major, K360
6 Sonata in B Flat Major, K361
7 Sonata in C Major, K362
8 Sonata in C Major, K363
9 Sonata in F minor, K364
10 Sonata in F minor, K365
11 Sonata in F Major, K366
12 Sonata in F Major, K367
13 Sonata in a Major, K368
14 Sonata in a Major, K369
15 Sonata in E Flat Major, K370
16 Sonata in E Flat Major, K371
– Disc 24 –
1 Sonata in G Major, K372
2 Sonata in G minor, K373
3 Sonata in G Major, K374
4 Sonata in G Major, K375
5 Sonata in B minor, K376
6 Sonata in B minor, K377
7 Sonata in F Major, K378
8 Sonata in F Major, K379
9 Sonata in E Major, K380
10 Sonata in E Major, K381
11 Sonata in A minor, K382
12 Sonata in A minor, K383
13 Sonata in C Major, K384
14 Sonata in C Major, K385
15 Sonata in F minor, K386
16 Sonata in F minor, K387
17 Sonata in D Major, K388
18 Sonata in D Major, K389
19 Sonata in G Major, K390
20 Sonata in G Major, K391
– Disc 25 –
1 Sonata in B Flat Major, K392
2 Sonata in B Flat Major, K393
3 Sonata in E minor, K394
4 Sonata in E Major, K395
5 Sonata in D minor, K396
6 Sonata in D Major, K397
7 Sonata in C Major, K398
8 Sonata in C Major, K399
9 Sonata in D Major, K400
10 Sonata in D Major, K401
11 Sonata in E minor, K402
12 Sonata in E Major, K403
13 Sonata in a Major, K404
14 Sonata in a Major, K405
15 Sonata in C Major, K406
16 Sonata in C Major, K407
17 Sonata in B minor, K408
18 Sonata in B minor, K409
– Disc 26 –
1 Sonata in B Flat Major, K410
2 Sonata in B Flat Major, K411
3 Sonata in G Major, K412
4 Sonata in G Major, K413
5 Sonata in D Major, K414
6 Sonata in D Major, K415
7 Sonata in D Major, K416
8 Sonata in D minor, K417
9 Sonata in F Major, K418
10 Sonata in F Major, K419
11 Sonata in C Major, K420
12 Sonata in C Major, K421
13 Sonata in C Major, K422
14 Sonata in C Major, K423
15 Sonata in G Major, K424
16 Sonata in G Major, K425
17 Sonata in G minor, K426
18 Sonata in G Major, K427
– Disc 27 –
1 Sonata in a Major, K428
2 Sonata in a Major, K429
3 Sonata in D Major, K430
4 Sonata in G Major, K431
5 Sonata in G Major, K432
6 Sonata in G Major, K433
7 Sonata in D minor, K434
8 Sonata in D Major, K435
9 Sonata in D Major, K436
10 Sonata in F Major, K437
11 Sonata in F Major, K438
12 Sonata in B Flat Major, K439
13 Sonata in B Flat Major, K440
14 Sonata in B Flat Major, K441
15 Sonata in B Flat Major, K442
16 Sonata in D Major, K443
17 Sonata in D minor, K444
18 Sonata in F Major, K445
19 Sonata in F Major, K446
20 Sonata in F Sharp minor, K447
21 Sonata in F Sharp minor, K448
– Disc 28 –
1 Sonata in G Major, K449
2 Sonata in G minor, K450
3 Sonata in A minor, K451
4 Sonata in a Major, K452
5 Sonata in a Major, K453
6 Sonata in G Major, K454
7 Sonata in G Major, K455
8 Sonata in a Major, K453
9 Sonata in a Major, K457
10 Sonata in D Major, K458
11 Sonata in D minor, K459
12 Sonata in C Major, K460
13 Sonata in C Major, K461
14 Sonata in F minor, K462
15 Sonata in F minor, K463
16 Sonata in C Major, K464
17 Sonata in C Major, K465
18 Sonata in F minor, K466
19 Sonata in F minor, K467
– Disc 29 –
1 Sonata in F Major, K468
2 Sonata in F Major, K469
3 Sonata in G Major, K470
4 Sonata in G Major, K471
5 Sonata in B Flat Major, K472
6 Sonata in B Flat Major, K473
7 Sonata in E Flat Major, K474
8 Sonata in E Flat Major, K475
9 Sonata in G minor, K476
10 Sonata in G Major, K477
11 Sonata in D Major, K478
12 Sonata in D Major, K479
13 Sonata in D Major, K480
14 Sonata in F minor, K481
15 Sonata in F Major, K482
16 Sonata in F Major, K483
17 Sonata in D Major, K484
– Disc 30 –
1 Sonata in C Major, K485
2 Sonata in C Major, K486
3 Sonata in C Major, K487
4 Sonata in B Flat Major, K488
5 Sonata in B Flat Major, K489
6 Sonata in D Major, K490
7 Sonata in D Major, K491
8 Sonata in D Major, K492
9 Sonata in G Major, K493
10 Sonata in G Major, K494
11 Sonata in E Major, K495
12 Sonata in E Major, K496
13 Sonata in B minor, K497
14 Sonata in B minor, K498
15 Sonata in a Major, K499
16 Sonata in a Major, K500
– Disc 31 –
1 Sonata in C Major, K501
2 Sonata in C Major, K502
3 Sonata in B Flat Major, K503
4 Sonata in B Flat Major, K504
5 Sonata in F Major, K505
6 Sonata in F Major, K506
7 Sonata in E Flat Major, K507
8 Sonata in E Flat Major, K508
9 Sonata in D minor, K509
10 Sonata in D Major, K510
11 Sonata in D Major, K511
12 Sonata in D Major, K512
13 Sonata in C Major, K513
14 Sonata in C Major, K514
15 Sonata in C Major, K515
16 Sonata in D minor, K516
17 Sonata in D minor, K517
18 Sonata in F minor, K518
19 Sonata in F Major, K519
– Disc 32 –
1 Sonata in G Major, K520
2 Sonata in G Major, K521
3 Sonata in G Major, K522
4 Sonata in G Major, K523
5 Sonata in F Major, K524
6 Sonata in F Major, K525
7 Sonata in C minor, K526
8 Sonata in C Major, K527
9 Sonata in B Flat Major, K528
10 Sonata in B Flat Major, K529
11 Sonata in E Major, K530
12 Sonata in E Major, K531
13 Sonata in A minor, K532
14 Sonata in a Major, K533
15 Sonata in D Major, K534
16 Sonata in D Major, K535
17 Sonata in a Major, K536
18 Sonata in a Major, K537
19 Sonata in G Major, K538
20 Sonata in G Major, K539
– Disc 33 –
1 Sonata in F Major, K540
2 Sonata in F Major, K541
3 Sonata in F Major, K542
4 Sonata in F Major, K543
5 Sonata in B Flat Major, K544
6 Sonata in B Flat Major, K545
7 Sonata in G minor, K546
8 Sonata in G Major, K547
9 Sonata in C Major, K548
10 Sonata in C Major, K549
11 Sonata in B Flat Major, K550
12 Sonata in B Flat Major, K551
13 Sonata in D minor, K552
14 Sonata in D minor, K553
15 Sonata in F Major, K554
16 Sonata in F minor, K555
– Disc 34 –
1 Grave
2 Allegro
3 Grave
4 Allegro
5 Grave
6 Andante Moderato
7 Allegro
8 Minuet
9 Allegro
10 Grave
11 Allegro
12 Grave
13 Allegro
14 3rd Movement
15 Allegro
16 Grave
17 Allegro
18 Grave
19 Allegro
20 Andante – Allegro
21 Allegro
22 Sonata in G Major, K328