Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757)
Keyboard Sonata in b minor, K87
Keyboard Sonata in c minor, K158
Keyboard Sonata in g minor, K8
Keyboard Sonata in G major, K13
Tamara Stefanovich (piano)
rec. 2024, Teldex Studios, Berlin, Germany
Digital-only release
Pentatone PTC5187401 [23]

This is a puzzling release. It is described as an EP, which, of course, refers to the good old days of vinyl, when EPs were longer records than singles (at 23 minutes, this release is definitely not extended!). Pedantry aside, my main response is “where’s the rest?”. Tamara Stefanovich writes in the booklet notes that she first met the music of Scarlatti as a 12-year old in 1985, and could not get enough of it. That being so, why do we only get four sonatas? There are, after all, 551 others to choose from!

Firstly let me deal with the performances. I have heard quite a bit of very fine Scarlatti this year, and this is another to add to the list, alongside those of Javier Perianes (review) and Shani Diluka (review). The three minor key pieces are introspective and Stefanovich allows the music time to breathe, without any sense of exaggeration. The fourth is one of Scarlatti’s dazzling showpieces, and Stefanovich demonstrates her ability to deal with the torrents of notes and changing rhythms whilst maintaining clarity.

While the playing is excellent, the choice of these four sonatas and their ordering creates an imbalance. We start with nineteen minutes of slow music, and finish with four of fast. I really think that K158 needed to be substituted by a faster sonata.

The booklet is illustrated with abstract images drawn by Stefanovich, which she calls Aramat art. Initially I thought this must be some ancient style, but then realised it is simply her given name in reverse. Had these images been linked to the four sonatas, I would have thought more of them. Her notes about Scarlatti’s music are quite eloquent and poetic, like her playing. I like her description of the quandary of playing this music “to reveal all the ornate, accessorized ornaments without obscuring what is being embellished”.

The digital-only nature of this release will possibly limit its sales, as I know that there are still many classical music collectors who only want physical CDs. It is also more than half the price of a full-length CD, which won’t help either. Given the quality of the performances, it is such a shame how short it is, and I see it as an opportunity lost.

David Barker