Classical artists blind comparison #9. Scarlatti K 141

Here it is. Blind comparison #9. Scarlatti K 141.

Protocols:

Please rank them from 1 to 8 in order of preference.

Feel free to comment on any or all of the pieces.

I prefer that the votes and comments be sent to me via PM which I will cut and paste after the poll closes. If you wish you may vote via direct post to the thread but please use the spoilers blinders.

(spoiler) TEXT (/spoiler) using the square brackets

If you vote by PM please post that you did so to give the thread a bump.

Either way please do not say anything that might give away the identities of the artist.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/61803565/classical music folder/#1.mp3

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/61803565/classical music folder/#2.mp3

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/61803565/classical music folder/#3.mp3

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/61803565/classical music folder/#4.mp3

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/61803565/classical music folder/#5.mp3

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/61803565/classical music folder/#6.mp3

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/61803565/classical music folder/#7.mp3

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/61803565/classical music folder/#8.mp3

 

Here's a link to download the score: http://en.scorser.com/S/Sheet+music/Scarlatti+K+141/-1/1.html

 

Absolutely fantastic selection of interpretations!

 

Thank you

 

bump

 

That's an amazing piece - never heard music as stormy and turbulent as that from the Baroque period, not even from Vivaldi, and certainly not Bach and Handel. Mind you I believe Scarlatti is regarded by many as a precursor to the classical period despite sharing the same birth date as the latter two, with his linear textures, avoidance of much counterpoint and frequent use of 4-5-1 cadences - that piece sounds very "Sturm und Drang".

Look forward to hearing the rest of the set and making my comparisons when I have more time this weekend...

 

bump

 

bump

 

bump

 

Cool! Is there a firm deadline?

 

When the poll closes, but there's usually at least a few hours' leeway after that to allow for any last minute submissions while the host is still at work/out of the house.

 

But when does the poll close?

 

This poll will close on 05-28-2012 at 05:27 PM

 

Thanks!

 

too bad it ain' harpsichord versions but it is really good!

 

Well for the fairness of this comparison, it either has to be all piano or all harpsichord, I can't speak for Scott but I imagine he prefers the piano for Scarlatti.

And TBH if I think if the piano had been readily available back then Scarlatti would have written these pieces for it - why not take advantage of the wider range of tools available?

 

You imagine quite correctly. Honestly I can't get through this piece on Harpsichord.

 

dwnq

 

pmub

 

bmup

 

qmud

 

Love the Pletnev 2cd collection.

 

Downloaded and burnt to CD.

First time through I kept thinking "No human could possibly play this faster."

Then the next selection starts.....



.

 

Just went through these. I am going to voice (what I hope will be) some provocative opinions, so I will put them in the thread, in spoiler blinders, and perhaps we'll have some discussion.

Spoiler

IMO if you are going to play this piece on the piano is must be for the purpose of using the piano part of pianoforte rather than just the forte. Why is it so many pianists want to play this at Presto, and bang with the left hand? The tendency among several of these performers to do that, particularly in the repeat of the first theme, became about as welcome as a jackhammer. I love Scarlatti almost as much as any composer. Frankly though, but for Gilels, this piece may need to be relegated to the harpsichord. Candidly, some of my frustration may have been due to the fact that I could barely follow the score in some of these faster versions.

So with that said I hardly know how to rank these performances, except I put no. 2 first.

And I put nos. 4 and 8 at the bottom. They are taken at breakneck speed. Perhaps as the final encore of a tremendous recital this would blow my hair back and leave me awestruck. As it is, at home, amongst others, I could hardly tolerate them. Those trills are there for a reason, by the way, and they need to be played. You can't do it at 110 miles per hour. 6 also bothered me for blowing through the trills.

5 is done at a decent tempo, with no repeats. But the sound of the piano and the pianist's touch could be better IMO.

3 seems a study in contrasts, at least as far as my impression went. LH is too brusque in the first theme, but the second theme is quite nice.

7 is interesting as the LH is again too aggressive, though it is moderated somewhat on the repeat. I don't mind the interpretive license taken at other points in the piece, e.g. the ritard in bars 116-22. It is fast, but seems more thought through.

In the end I suppose I'd rank as follows:

2
7
3
6
1
5
4
8

To restate the above, however, the only things I'd stand by are the top and bottom of my ranking. I suspect if I went over and over the others they'd all shuffle around. Essentially there are three tiers:

2
1 3 5 6 7
4 8

Now I am going to put on some Scott Ross to cleanse the palette. His version, by the way, clocks in at 4:45. Capiche?

N.B.: All of the above kvetching is only meant for the purpose of provoking discussion and is undertaken in good fun. Many thanks to Scott for doing this, these are always great thinking exercises for me. I look forward to finding out who's who.

 

Not that I have any business getting into any discussion as the proctor but I have two things to say. Anyone who wishes to keep the comparison blind should not read SBurke's post. He did recognize one of the artists and named that artist. Nothing wrong with that but just so you all know there is indeed an actual spoiler there.

The other thing is that I find this piece to be very difficult to listen to on harpsichord. It's just too hard and thick a sound for such a piece. I feel it is much easier on the ears on a piano.