SCARLATTI
13 Sonatas: K 443, 249, 146, 551, 208, 6, 525, 462, 1, 262, 87, 377, 248
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Seymour Hayden (hpd)
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BOSTON SKYLINE 112 (58: 57)
American harpsichordist and mathematician Seymour Hayden devoted his early career to mathematics and music, but then decided in 1979 to spend his time solely on the harpsichord, including a period of study with Ralph Kirkpatrick, which he has described as “demanding, intense, stimulating, and inspiring.” Kirkpatrick’s sense of line and clarity is found all through these 13 selections of Domenico Scarlatti’s sonatas, though Hayden proves himself anything but a copycat of his mentor.
Scarlatti, who was born the same year as Bach and Handel, came late to composing, setting down nothing until the age of 40, and had nothing published until 53. Why the delay? Scholars aren’t sure, but some suggest (I think falsely) that he was too intimidated by father Alessandro. If this was the case, he got over it quickly, and in a 20-year period he produced more than 555 sonatas—one of the most amazing collections of single-genre music in the history of the art.
Though they are all in one movement, this shouldn’t lull anyone into a sense of sameness—they are anything but, each as varied as is imaginable, and many, many of them supreme masterpieces of exquisite beauty. These 13 are among the best, and although there are some delightful quirks in these readings, like the lurching pause that Hayden inserts into the F Major, K 525, the interpretative facility is of the highest order, and you will find few such recitals as benevolent and warm toward a Baroque composer as this one. Scarlatti emerges with a profoundly empathetic humanity in place, pathos-laden and highly emotional, spanning the gamut from bittersweet to sad to bouncily joyous. Just listen to the exquisite B-Major Sonata, K 87, with its wonderful contrasting registration and gorgeously tempered phrasing—it just doesn’t get any better than this.
This album is a mixture of some of the most ingratiating ADD and DDD recordings you will ever hear. Hayden plays a harpsichord built by Eric Herz of Cambridge, Massachusetts, a beautiful instrument with resonant yet non-astringent sound that is perfect for Scarlatti. This album was released by Boston Records in CD format in 1992 and is eminently deserving of Hall of Fame status. You can still get it online for little more than a song, so it’s a crime to pass it up. Hayden, by the way, is a professor emeritus at the City University of New York.
Steven E. Ritter
