# Vivaldi v D.Scarlatti



## beetzart (Dec 30, 2009)

Sorry, another football fixture. For me Scarlatti scrapes past mainly because his keyboard sonatas are so original and ahead of his time. I particularly love the dischord in Scarlatti's music and how cleverly he resolves it. I like Vivaldi but all his concertos do tend to sound the same.


----------



## Sisyphus (Jul 2, 2017)

I have the same feeling. Any favourite recordings? I like Pogorelich's Scarlatti sonatas.


----------



## beetzart (Dec 30, 2009)

I brought nearly all the Scarlatti sonatas that Naxos are working through with a different pianist on each CD. To completes my collection and I have 553 I think I just had to rummage around Amazon to get the almost complete set. Yes, I came across Pogorelich and his performances were very god. Although, at the moment it is hard to say if I have a favourite performer overall.


----------



## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

I would actually go with Vivaldi, due to the variety of his compositions, from fine choral works to the colorful concertos. Not a great fan, but for me, he beats Scarlatti.


----------



## T Son of Ander (Aug 25, 2015)

I would go with Vivaldi, only because I'm more familiar with a wider range of works. The only thing by Scarlatti I know besides his sonatas is the Stabat Mater, and I can't even really recall that, off-hand. Alessandro Scarlatti, though, has some great sinfonias! Off-hand, I'm not sure of the relation.


----------



## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

I'll base my answer on listening frequency:

Scarlattti - A couple of times per year.
Vivaldi - Although I did listen to Vivaldi 20 or thirty years ago, it's now zero.

So, Scarlatti wins, but I could easily do without either of them.


----------



## JeffD (May 8, 2017)

I recently played both some Vivaldi and some Scarlatti in a mandolin chamber orchestra. I can't make a valid comparison because the Vivaldi was transcribed from violin, and the Scarlatti from piano, and so what it feels like to play it may have nothing to do with the composers at all. 

Both were delightful to play, and (I assume) to hear. I thought the Vivaldi piece was a little more "serious" and less playful, but again, that is not comparing composers, its the individual pieces.


----------



## Klassik (Mar 14, 2017)

beetzart said:


> Sorry, another football fixture. For me Scarlatti scrapes past mainly because his keyboard sonatas are so original and ahead of his time. I particularly love the dischord in Scarlatti's music and how cleverly he resolves it. *I like Vivaldi but all his concertos do tend to sound the same.*


IMO, that's complete nonsense. Maybe I could see this if you only listen to his violin concertos or something, but he wrote many fine concertos for many different instruments. They all use the instruments well especially given when they were composed. The bassoon and lute/mandolin concertos come to mind immediately. Vivaldi's RV 93 on lute, especially the Largo, puts me in a very special place. Very few pieces of music can compete with that IMO. Vivaldi's organ concertos are not technically concertos, but they're still wonderful.

While I do thoroughly enjoy D. Scarlatti's sonatas on harpsichord, I think I prefer listening to Alessandro Scarlatti as a whole.


----------



## beetzart (Dec 30, 2009)

Klassik said:


> IMO, that's complete nonsense. Maybe I could see this if you only listen to his violin concertos or something, but he wrote many fine concertos for many different instruments. They all use the instruments well especially given when they were composed. The bassoon and lute/mandolin concertos come to mind immediately. Vivaldi's RV 93 on lute, especially the Largo, puts me in a very special place. Very few pieces of music can compete with that IMO. Vivaldi's organ concertos are not technically concertos, but they're still wonderful.
> 
> While I do thoroughly enjoy D. Scarlatti's sonatas on harpsichord, I think I prefer listening to Alessandro Scarlatti as a whole.


Fair enough, but to me they sound subjectively similar then other baroque composer so to me that isn't nonsense. I still like Vivaldi though. I will have a thorough re-listen and maybe my opinion will change.


----------



## ldiat (Jan 27, 2016)

List of solo keyboard sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
500+ WOW


----------



## jegreenwood (Dec 25, 2015)

Scarlatti would likely make my top 10 composer list. Vivaldi for me is morning background music.


----------



## Myriadi (Mar 6, 2016)

Klassik said:


> IMO, that's complete nonsense. Maybe I could see this if you only listen to his violin concertos or something, but he wrote many fine concertos for many different instruments. They all use the instruments well especially given when they were composed. The bassoon and lute/mandolin concertos come to mind immediately. Vivaldi's RV 93 on lute, especially the Largo, puts me in a very special place. Very few pieces of music can compete with that IMO. Vivaldi's organ concertos are not technically concertos, but they're still wonderful.


I strongly second this. I think it's the Telemann effect, since there are so many concertos, and Vivaldi _was_ one of those composers who like recycling ideas... Thankfully that didn't prevent him from creating countless original, and distinctly individual, works. But it takes some effort and a bit of luck to find the right ones.


----------



## JeffD (May 8, 2017)

With the Scarlatti broken out into four parts, mandolin 1, mandolin 2, mandola, mandocello - the music seems really playful. I listened to the original piano and wow, not as much fun. Especially K430. With the parts separated its a lot of fun to pass those riffs back and forth. And the fun comes through in the performance.

With solo piano, I get virtuosity, but perhaps not as much fun.


----------



## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

If I had to choose I would go for Vivaldi, wider range but, Zacharias playing the Scarlatti sonatas, who wants to be without.


----------



## Eschbeg (Jul 25, 2012)

In a way, choosing between Vivaldi and Scarlatti is kind of like choosing between ritornello form and sonata form, in which case it's Scarlatti by a mile for me.


----------

