2 Sonatas

The opening K47 has no speed marking but seems to sound well at a slower speed than many sonatas. It opens with a flourish of six notes in octaves which, I for one certainly found rather hard to negotiate successfully. Leaving that aside for one moment this work proved to be grippingly individual, and by and large very suited to the guitar, and quite lengthy in duration, especially if one observed the repeats in both sections as marked on the music. It is martial in character and in a couple of places reminded of the opening section of Berlioz's Funereal and Triumphal Symphony in both structure and harmony. It may seem an odd comparison to make but anyone knowing this epic work might well be intrigued by the apparent similarities in a few places. The other work K145 is in G major and a three quavers to the bar minuet -like work with plenty of running around in demisemiquavers to get the blood flowing around your fingers when you give it a try. It is again not too difficult and sounds very well in its arranged guise, as so many pieces by Scarlatti do, a fact that, never ceases to amaze me. Here then is a nice pairing for anyone interested in Scarlatti's music, arranged for the most part very well for the more advanced players among you. (Chris Dumigan, Classical Guitar Magazine, November 2002)