Domenico Scarlatti is almost exclusively associated with sonatas
for keyboard. The catalogue which was put together by Ralph
Kirkpatrick lists 555 of them. A number of uncatalogued sonatas
can be added to these. There is general agreement that some
of the sonatas were in fact intended for a melody instrument,
with the lower parts reflecting the basso continuo practice
of the time. These sonatas are mostly played on the violin;
a performance on the viola d'amore is uncommon.
The choice of this particular instrument is based on historical
and musical arguments. In their liner-notes Valerio Losito and
Andrea Coen refer to the presence of two viola d'amore players
at the Spanish court at the time Scarlatti worked there. One
of them was a professional: Joseph de Herrando (1721-1763),
the most prominent violinist in Spain in the 18th century. He
composed a series of six sonatinas for the 5-string violin,
a higher variant of the viola d'amore. These were dedicated
to Farinelli, the famous castrato who after his singing career
had settled in Madrid and liked to spend his time playing the
viola d'amore. These sonatinas have been recorded by Marianne
Rônez; Cavalli Records, 2004. Her liner-notes give much
information about the various kinds of viola d'amore known in
the 18th century.
The artists believe that the Sonatas K89 and K90 could have
been written for the viola d'amore, "because they contain idiomatic
passages and make it possible to use the instrument's characteristic
fingering". They admit that these sonatas can also be played
on other instruments, and that is also the case with the Sonatas
K77 and K91. The only sonata which they think was exclusively
written for the viola d'amore is K88. The texture of the sonata
makes it less suitable for the violin or for the harpsichord
as a solo instrument. Their arguments seem convincing, at least
to me, not having technical knowledge about the instrument.
Then again, the use of the key of D minor raises questions as
the original key is G minor. Using the original key "would force
the viola d'amore into an unnaturally high register, making
it sound forced". Therefore the sonata is transposed down a
fourth. I wonder why Valerio Losito didn't use the kind of instrument
which Marianne Rônez plays in her recording of Herrando's
Sonatinas. The Violino di V corde, as Herrando called
it, would have allowed her to play Scarlatti's sonata in the
original key. As far as the other sonatas are concerned, Losito
and Coen believe K73 could also have been conceived as a piece
for viola d'amore, whereas the others can be played on it.
I am not in the position to assess the musicological arguments
on which these interpretations are based. The artists have laid
down their views in more detail in a contribution to the book
Domenico Scarlatti Adventures, Essays to commemorate the
250th anniversary of his death (2008). What we get here
is an intriguing and musically challenging view on some of Scarlatti's
sonatas. The artists conduct their case in a most persuasive
way, delivering eloquent and captivating performances of the
nine sonatas. Many of Scarlatti's sonatas are usually played
in pairs of the same key, but as most of those on this disc
are in two, three or four movements, they are played independently.
Exceptions are the single-movement Sonatas K79 and K80, which
are treated as a pair, with K 79 performed as a harpsichord
solo.
The tempi are mostly rather moderate, and it seems the performers
have added some improvisatory elements. In the grave of the
Sonata K 89, for instance, Valerio Losito plays a kind of cadenza,
and some movements are introduced by a short episode on the
harpsichord. It is a token of the creativity with which the
interpreters have treated the repertoire.
The title of this disc is a shade pretentious, as one will understand
after reading my description of what is on offer here. These
are not 'sonatas for viola d'amore and harpsichord', but rather
sonatas which could be played on the viola d'amore. I am also
not totally satisfied with the recording. There is a bit too
much reverberation, and the balance between the two instruments
is less than ideal. The harpsichord is too much in the background,
and the recording as a whole could have been given more presence.
Even so, this is a good disc, in particular for lovers of Scarlatti’s
music. They will certainly be interested in these 'alternative'
readings of sonatas they may know pretty well. Considering the
fact that music for viola d'amore isn't that often recorded,
this disc is also a worthwhile addition to the catalogue of
recordings with this instrument.
Johan van Veen
http://www.musica-dei-donum.org
https://twitter.com/johanvanveen
Valerio Losito (viola d'amore), Andrea Coen (harpsichord) 