Scarlatti, Domenico, 1685-1757

Giuseppe Domenico Scarlatti, b. Naples 1685; d. Madrid 1757

Composer and harpsichordist

Scarlatti's over 500 keyboard sonatas were first catalogued by Alessandro Longo (1864-1945) and published in 11 volumes by Ricordi during the period 1906-13. This edition was superceded by the work of Ralph Kirkpatrick in the 1950s and the sonatas are therefore referred to by their Kirkpatrick (Kk) number. Since historical concert programmes mostly refer to Scarlatti sonatas by their Longo (L) number, however, these are also given in order to enhance identification. The New Reid Concert on 11 March 1916 is significant in terms of Scarlatti performance, since Tovey included three Scarlatti keyboard sonatas from the recently published edition by Longo, which he felt were being performed 'probably for the first time in public'. It should be stressed, however, that Scarlatti sonatas had been performed to Edinburgh audiences prior to this by the likes of Max Pauer, Elodie Dolmetsch and Wanda Landowska, although the identification of the items they performed is not possible. It would appear that the sonata in D minor, described by Tovey as a 'violin sonata' by Domenico Scarlatti is Tovey's interpretation of a two-movement keyboard work by Scarlatti (see p.11 of the concert programme for 11 March 1916).

• Domenico Scarlatti (Wikipedia)