Rather than assign a single pianist to record the entire cycle of 555 Scarlatti keyboard sonatas, Naxos showcases a different artist with each volume, beginning with Georgian pianist Eteri Andjaparidize. Her unfussy, crystalline fingerwork, rock solid rhythm, and keen ear for nuance dispel any notions that this music should be played only on the harpsichord. On occasion the pianist supplements Scarlatti’s textures with octave couplings and register shifts, done, I hasten to add, with discretion and taste. I have two quibbles: the slower, lyrical selections allow a wider expressive berth than Andjaparidze’s introspective severity permits. What’s more, the close miking turns the sometimes ill-tuned concert grand into a veritable “harpsi-piano”. On my copy, incidentally, the pitch drops a half step midway through track four, remains a half step flat for the next three selections, and corrects itself by track eight. I trust Naxos will rectify this defect.
