| jeudi 11 février 2027 | 12:30 |
| Mahan Esfahani | Clavecin |
The Concert
From feline fugues to white-knuckle virtuosity: Scarlatti’s endlessly inventive sonatas.
The Music
A keyboard player is spoilt for choice with Domenico Scarlatti: the Italian Baroque composer wrote more than 550 keyboard sonatas. Mostly short and cast in a single movement, they form a remarkable body of music, ranging from virtuosic to song-like to playful. Some have a touch of Spanish ‘strumming’ – Scarlatti spent much of his life in the service of a Spanish princess.
The selection here includes the witty ‘Cat’ Fugue (K 30), its unusual theme supposedly inspired by the composer’s cat stalking across the keyboard. And there are some characterful pairings. The tenderly lyrical K 208 is followed by the vivacity of K 209. The fiendish K 470 is periodically grounded by almost drone-like thumps in the bass, while its neighbouring K 471 is short and sweetly sincere.
The Performers
One of the world’s leading harpsichordists, Mahan Esfahani brings characteristic flair to this varied and constantly surprising programme. Expect a thoroughly invigorating hour of music.
Tickets: £16 (£14 concessions, £6 under-18s) + £1.50 booking fee per transaction
