SCARLATTI: Complete Keyboard Sonatas, Vol. 2

Lewin, Michael

8.553067

American pianist Michael Lewin takes on the second batch in Naxos’ set of The Complete Keyboard Sonatas by Italian Baroque composer Domenico Scarlatti. The recital is fairly evenly distributed by Kirkpatrick designation and reveals a cautious and studied hand on the part of Lewin. As I suspect will be the model for all subsequent volumes in this series, the disc opens with a bright major-key sonata, qualified as presto. In this case it is the D Major Sonata, K. 492, which Lewin infuses with a subtle momentum behind the hop-scotch melody, exuding a bright happiness. Lewin sets his performance bar high and keeps to that level throughout the recital.

Lewin performs several sonatas in common with those pianists before him. As one would suspect, he is most closely comparable with Mikhail Pletnev on sonatas K. 3 in A Minor, K. 141 in D Minor, and K. 213 in D Minor. Lewin also possesses a similar carefully considered approach as Andras Schiff on sonatas K. 27 in B Minor and K. 517 in D Minor.
The more slowly paced of these sonatas (K. 213 andante) is beautifully played, displaying Scarlatti’s affinity for slower, minor-key compositions. Lewin and Horowitz share several sonatas, K. 33 D Major, K. 322 A Major, K. 146 G Major, and K. 39 A Major. Lewin consistently stays within his vigilant performance lines on all but the A Major where he plays with all of the unabashed gusto, if not brute force, of Horowitz. • Michael Bailey, Blogcritics, April 2007

CD

Naxos

22.06.1999

730099406727