Whilst Alessandro Scarlatti was largely responsible for the development of early Neapolitan opera, his son Domenico composed a huge sequence of keyboard sonatas designed principally for the use of Infanta Maria Barbara, who became Queen of Spain in 1746. This treasure trove is one of the most important such collections of the 18th century, and continues to furnish the repertoire for pianists to this day. The present volume, performed by Sergio Monteiro, first prize winner at the 2003 Martha Argerich Piano Competition, includes a magnificently varied selection that embraces polyphony, guitar imitation, syncopated writing and an unusually wide keyboard range.
