Scarlatti and Weiss for Guitar

Born in the Italian city of Naples, Giuseppe Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757) was one of the few Baroque composers to transition into the Classical period. Scarlatti composed operas, cantatas, symphonias and liturgical pieces, but his 555 keyboard sonatas are most well-known; a vast collection of single movements in binary form. Lily Afshar's arrangement of Sonata K. 11 (a favorite of Segovia) utilizes staccato articulation reminiscent of the harpsichord and othertechniques including cross-string trills and minimal slurs. The pair of sonatas work well together, written in E minor and E major.


Sylvius Leopold Weiss (1687-1750) was the most accomplished lutenist of the Baroque period and the most prolific composer of lute music, writing over one thousand pieces for the instrument. The four pieces arranged in this book show the beautiful polyphony and fantastical writing of Weiss. Afshar utilizes campanella (cross-string) fingerings throughout to emphasize the musical line and produce a fuller sound on the instrument.