Konstantin Scherbakov approaches Scarlatti from a pianistic perspective in that he draws upon the instrument's infinite capacity for tone color and dynamic shading for maximum musical effect. His extraordinary sense of timing and wide variety of articulations hold attention in slow, texturally spare works like the F major K. 542 and F minor K. 238 sonatas (the gorgeously calibrated diminuendos in the latter will take your breath away). His scales and ornaments are unfailingly alive, pinpointed, and peppered with rhythmic sparkle, as in the C major K. 422 (whose melodic surprises foreshadow Haydn), the heel-clicking F major K. 17, and D major K. 313 sonatas.

Lyrical pieces, such as the achingly eloquent G major K. 283, also benefit from Scherbakov's imagination, taste, and technical finish. I wouldn't hesitate to enshrine Scherbakov alongside the great Scarlatti pianists on disc, including Horowitz, Pletnev, Meyer, Tipo, and Schiff. Yes, he's that good! The excellent engineering gives the piano a slightly metallic edge, and the bass has great richness without exaggeration. This is the finest release thus far in Naxos' ongoing complete Scarlatti sonata cycle. [2/28/2005]

--Jed Distler