Tuesday 19 April 2016

Yevgeny Sudbin brings Scarlatti’s music alive, lifting each sonata and investing it with a special quality on his new recording for BIS

With over 550 keyboard sonatas to his name as well as 17 sinfonias, 12 operas, oratorios and serenatas, 3 masses and many other sacred vocal works, Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757) was prolific by any standards.

Yevgeny Sudbin www.yevgenysudbin.com has already recorded 18 of Scarlatti’s sonatas for BIS (BIS-CD-1508) to great acclaim. Now, to celebrate his ten years with BIS Records www.bis.se he has chosen to record another 18 of the composer’s sonatas.

SACD
BIS-2138

To get a flavour of just how phenomenal Sudbin’s playing of Scarlatti is just go to the following link https://youtu.be/cycsE-uHe7U 

Yevgeny Sudbin opens his new disc with Scarlatti’s Sonata in D minor, K417 bringing a purposeful flow yet shot through with subtle nuances of dynamics, not to mention some lovely individual little touches. It is the way that this pianist shapes each phrase that is quite wonderful.  His fluency is second to none, bringing terrific exhilaration as the sonata develops to a fabulous coda.

Next there is the contrasting Sonata in A major, K208 where Sudbin gently teases the music forward with lovely decorations and such a delicate touch, developing and shaping this music beautifully. The popular Sonata in C major, K159 leaps forward full of lightly sprung rhythms, this pianist finding a lovely, lightly dancing touch. There are fine dynamics and wonderful control in the playful moments.

It is Sudbin’s light touch that brings so much to the Sonata in C minor, K56 building through some phenomenal passages with a superb fluency, bringing sudden little eruptions as the music moves on. Quite superb. It is wonderful how this pianist gently and slowly teases out so many magical moments in the gentle Sonata in D minor, K213 full of exquisite delicacy and poetry, developing some beautifully controlled flowing passages.

A fast and furious Sonata in G major, K125 reveals again Sudbin’s lovely touch, a real spring behind every note as he whisks us through every twist and turn of this sonata. Some terrifically fast descending phrases open the Sonata in G minor, K373 as this pianist develops this work with a terrific rubato, finding so many little details.

Sonata in D major, K119 has some fine rhythms in the opening before Sudbin develops this sonata with so many lovely little details, great fluency and variety of tempi and dynamics. He finds some particularly lovely textures and moves through some rollicking passages before the coda. Sudbin brings a gentle flow, a sense of unending gentle development to the Sonata in F minor, K69, undulating through the most lovely passages.  

A lightness of touch is given to the Sonata in G major, K425 as it skips ahead, rhythmically alive and subtly nuanced. There is more superb fluency as Sonata in D major, K29 moves quickly forward with Sudbin finding so many fine little moments, dynamically sprung phrases, bringing a real sense of enjoyment to this sonata.

There is a fast flowing, yet gentle Sonata in C minor, K99 that moves through some lovely passages, full of broader harmonies and many subtleties and poetic beauties. Sudbin controls the varying dynamics of the Sonata in G minor, K12 superbly as this sonata rushes forward through passages full of lovely textures.

He shapes the rhythms of the Sonata in D major, K479 so well, again with a superb rubato and such a light touch to intricate little phrases, the whole sonata so finely structured. Sonata in D minor, K9 brings pinpoint clarity and dexterity with jewel like phrases, beautifully sprung with fine use of dynamics and tempi.

Clarity and fine phrasing appear in the exquisite Sonata in F-sharp major, K318 with Sudbin slowly allowing the music to develop through moments that find a melancholy beauty.  

This pianist brings a spectacular light and sparkle to Sonata in D minor, K141 with terrific sprung phrases and a wonderful touch, finding lovely sonorities and textures.

He brings a fine poise to the gentle Sonata in D minor, K32 with a gentle ebb and flow as it slowly builds to its coda. What a fine way to end this collection. 

Yevgeny Sudbin brings an excitement and exhilaration to Scarlatti’s sonatas as well as an exquisite delicacy and poetry. These are absolutely superb performances with Sudbin bringing this music alive, lifting each sonata and investing it with a special quality. BIS provide first rate SACD sound and there are informative notes by the pianist. 

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