Watch Justin Taylor's recital at the Library of Congress

An impressive concert from the gifted young French-American harpsichordist Justin Taylor pairs sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti and his admirer and disciple Antonio Soler

His technical command and thoughtful perceptions of form and structure highlight intriguing hints of modernism from both composers. Their brilliant and often flamboyantly dramatic sonatas suggest the world of opera and convey the cosmopolitanism of the major music centers they worked in, including the royal courts of Portugal's Maria Barbara and the grand Escorial monastery and palace in Spain. Admirably paced, Taylor's recital builds to pieces that also conjure the flash and sensuality of Iberian popular music, setting the stage for Soler's flamenco-fired tour de force, "Fandango."

(2022) Justin Taylor, Harpsichord. [Video] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/webcast-10214/.

Harpsichord of the Chateau d'Assas (French, anonymous, c. 1740)

Program:
[2:18] Domenico Scarlatti: Sonata in D minor, K32
[4:36] Domenico Scarlatti: Sonata in D minor, K18
[8:07] Padre Antonio Soler: Sonata in D minor, R25, "Andante"
[15:51] Domenico Scarlatti: Sonata in B minor, K27
[19:01] Domenico Scarlatti: Sonata in A major, K208
[23:36] Domenico Scarlatti: Sonata in C minor, K115
[29:39] Padre Antonio Soler: Sonata in F-sharp major, R90
[33:59] Domenico Scarlatti: Sonata in D minor, K213
[43:16] Domenico Scarlatti: Sonata in F minor, K239
[46:15] Domenico Scarlatti: Sonata in F minor, K519
[49:08] Padre Antonio Soler: "Fandango", R 146
[59:57] Encore: François Couperin: "Les baricades mistérieuses"