You can do so much with Scarlatti’s hundreds of keyboard sonatas – arrange them for the accordion or guitar, put them in all sorts of different order; here Claire Huangci groups them together, first as Suites on CD one, and then as Sonatas on CD two. Pure invention, creating a certain tonal monotony (seven successive sonatas in G major is too many). The “Sonatas” are more varied as their central movements are in different keys, but they tend to be paced so as to be “slow” movements. Huangci’s Yamaha piano has a harpsichord-like sound that suits her pert finger staccato: there is some stunning fast playing, and the gem-like brilliance of Scarlatti’s invention shines through.
