Jean Rondeau - Scarlatti: Sonatas (2018) CD-Rip

An air of mystery pervades Jean Rondeau's 2018 release on Erato, a collection of harpsichord sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti. The program consists of 15 sonatas arranged in no particular order, with a 30-second improvised nonsense track placed midway as a palate-cleanser for anyone listening to the album in one sitting. Even the liner notes are a bit baffling, consisting entirely of a fictional letter from Scarlatti to Queen Maria Bárbara on the expressive potential of the harpsichord and advice on interpretation, among other musical topics. (Apart from the preface to his Essercizi per Gravicembalo of 1738, no Scarlatti texts are known to exist.) Listeners may feel unmoored without the customary historical background information and artist biography, and perhaps Rondeau has left room for independent assessments by revealing so little of his own intentions, though his flamboyant performances are sufficient to enjoy this disc. Rondeau plays a 2006 harpsichord by Jonte Knif and Arno Pelto, based on German models, and the recording in the Salle de musique de La Chaux de Fonds, Switzerland, provides a close-up but natural sound in a moderately resonant acoustic. But above all is Rondeau's playfulness, which seems to be the key to understanding his fresh interpretations, as well as the quirkiness of this album. Highly recommended, but don't take it too seriously.