Mahan Esfahani & Friends: Solo Concert

BBC Radio 3 Lunchtime Concert

From feline fugues to white-knuckle virtuosity: Scarlatti’s endlessly inventive sonatas.

A keyboard player is spoilt for choice with Domenico Scarlatti: the Italian Baroque composer wrote more than 550 keyboard sonatas. Mostly short and cast in a single movement, they form a remarkable body of music, ranging from virtuosic to song-like to playful. Some have a touch of Spanish ‘strumming’ – Scarlatti spent much of his life in the service of a Spanish princess.

The selection here includes the witty ‘Cat’ Fugue (K 30), its unusual theme supposedly inspired by the composer’s cat stalking across the keyboard. And there are some characterful pairings. The tenderly lyrical K 208 is followed by the vivacity of K 209. The fiendish K 470 is periodically grounded by almost drone-like thumps in the bass, while its neighbouring K 471 is short and sweetly sincere.

One of the world’s leading harpsichordists, Mahan Esfahani brings characteristic flair to this varied and constantly surprising programme. Expect a thoroughly invigorating hour of music.

Programme: Domenico Scarlatti · Sonata in F major K6 · Sonata in G minor K30 · Sonata in G major K470 · Sonata in G major K471 · Sonata in D minor K213 · Sonata in D major K214 · Sonata in A major K208 · Sonata in A major K209 · Sonata in D minor K32 · Sonata in D major K436 · Sonata in C-sharp minor K247 — Mahan Esfahani harpsichord