Christoph Ullrich - Scarlatti: Complete Piano Sonatas, Vol. 15 (2015/2020)

"Scarlatti's Birthday Party" - this was the title of a performance by the English comedy troupe Natural Theatre Company, which I went to see in 1985. Very virtuoso and very funny. The fundamental idea was that in 1985 the whole world was celebrating the 300th birthday of J.S. Bach, and also a few were celebrating that of G. F. Handel. Scarlatti's 300th birthday was celebrated by no-one at the time! In "Scarlatti's Birthday Party", there was some particularly absurd recorder playing, which actually suited his music pretty well, even though he wrote nothing for this instrument. For part 5 of his recordings of the complete 555 keyboard sonatas presented here, Christoph Ullrich doesn't need a recorder anyhow! His reverence towards this father of virtuoso keyboard music is always enthralling and rich in variety and has us on the edge of our seats. But then, for two fascinating bonus tracks, Ullrich brings the well-known percussionist Eric Schaefer into the recording studio. There they improvise together on two of the previously recorded sonatas. The result rounds off part 5. We can also reckon on more such surprises in the future!