Search - Domenico Scarlatti, Mirjana Lewis :: Domenico Scarlatti: 13 Sonatas

Brilliant playing, wonderful sound quality

J. M. Adamik | Dallas area -Texas | 03/07/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I am not a harpsichord expert but just love the music (I have a music degree with a classical guitar concentration). In my opinion the playing here is technically superb, controlled, yet exuberant and lively. I was, however, most struck by the wonderful sound quality of this Connoisseur Society recording."

Mirjana Lewis Plays Scarlatti Sonatas

Robin Friedman | Washington, D.C. United States | 05/01/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is an obscure and rare gem of a recording of Scarlatti sonatas on the harpsichord. The recording dates from the late 1980's but happily is still in print. I don't know much about the performer, Mirjana Lewis, other than that she was born in Yugoslavia and made one other record, Bach's Goldberg Variations, in a jazz idiom with her husband, John Lewis. But judging from this CD she is a first-rate harpsichordist. She performs on a 1972 built reproduction of a double-manual French harpsichord. The sound is strong but not jangly.



Lewis interprets this elusive music with an almost aristocratic swagger. There is a feel of rhythmic force and variety throughout and much dancing. There is a sense of joyful lightness. She performs 13 sonatas, most of which will be familiar to lovers of Scarlatti, from all phases of his output.



The recital begins with the virtuosic sonata in A major, K.24, marked presto, with its falling almost pointillistic opening theme, dramatic pauses, and contrasting long lines and arpeggios.



The remaining 12 sonatas on the CD are grouped in pairs, as many scholars believe Scarlatti intended them to be played. The sonatas in D major and d minor, K. 119 and 120 contrast a march-like strong major key work, with a lighter rapid and skipping minor-key companion. An even stronger contrast is provided by the lengthy sonata in C major, K. 132, with its idiosyncratic falling and plaintive theme, and its companion, the C major sonata K. 133, which is short, full of exuberance, and large passages in octaves.



Lewis plays two pairs of sonatas from the K.200's. The two A major sonatas, K. 208 and K.209, contrast a slow and melancholy with a lively, dancing work. The sonata in f minor, K. 238 is a contrapuntal work with strong dotted rhythms in which the hands echo each other while its companion sonata in f minor, K. 239 lacks dotted rhythms, but expands from a light fugal opening to a work of drama. Both these pairs of sonatas are highly melodious.



Lewis performs one pair of sonatas from the K. 400s and one pair from the final K. 500 series. The sonata in B flat major, K. 441 is distinguished by a light, turning theme and by jaunty moving bass line. Its companion, the sonata in B flat major, K. 442, expands upon a brief opening ornamented phrase.



The late sonatas in B flat major, K. 544 and K. 545 are among Scarlatti's masterworks. The K. 544 sonata marked cantabile, is a slow, reflective work with long descending scale passages in the left hand and extensive passages in thirds in the right. The final work, K. 545, marked prestissimo,opens with three measures of rising thirds that must be played with perfect evenness. It leads to a climactic section of large and triumphant octaves. In the second section of the work, Scarlatti offers a contrasting passage of great charm with a simple rising theme in the right hand before the octaves return to bring the sonata to a large, rousing close.



It is always a pleasure to find a rare, outstanding performance of great music by a relatively little-known performer. This CD by Mirjana Lewis has enchanted me for several years. It will delight lovers of Scarlatti and the harpsichord.



Robin Friedman

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