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Ever since his early youth the pianist Gabriele Leporatti’s attention has been focused on Domenico Scarlatti, the compositional genius who was for him a pioneer, a trailblazer who - like Chopin and Debussy later – left far behind him the limitations and restricted capabilities of the instrument of his day: Scarlatti’s sonatas are impressive examples of originality and the spirit of his times. For his latest Etera Classics production Gabriele Leporatti has recorded a dozen little gems, carefully chosen according to a clear sequence of keys. Here the modern piano once again reveals itself to be more than just that anachronistically wonderful invention that overrides all the historical starting points. Scarlatti’s pieces were of course originally performed on a harpsichord or an early fortepiano, but the compressed substance of this music reaches out powerfully beyond the limits set by the era of their composition. A similar sensation might be felt by a painter finding that he has been given a sepia pen to paint with instead of his colour palette – even with that he is capable of great things, but behind it lies the true vision. “What do I love about Domenico Scarlatti? The joyous zest that he radiates, the incredible energy, the overflowing vitality and stylish verve – these are just a few characteristics of his ‘Sonate brillanti’. His sonatas are ‘haikus without words’, self-contained miniature stories that convey pearls of wisdom to our inner selves through simple everyday language. They are of the highest quality: succinct, absorbing, and complete in themselves.” - Gabriele Leporatti