Scarlatti, K 513 for your winter gift giving

[Eugene]

That famous Italian pastorale of the late baroque era, the one that serves as the basis for the carol "Quanno nascette Ninno" and numerous Christmas concerti and chamber works—did you know that Scarlatti quoted it in one of his sonatas for solo harpsichord? I don't know why, but K 513 always seems forgotten on all those baroque Christmas albums (of which I own way more than would be rational).

It's popular to set Scarlatti sonatas for solo guitar, so I thought I'd try this one. I quickly gave up in favor of setting it for mandolin–guitar duo and offer that to you here. The Christmas-melody quote begins with the pickup to measure 23 and continues through the first half of measure 28.

It takes a little practice (or it took me a little practice), but is actually pretty idiomatic with that practice. I'm very conscious to use strict alternate picking, always beginning on a downstroke, in the tuplet passages that begin in measure 13. This means that the beat to follow the septuplets occurs on an upstroke, but that approach is what I could make the most consistently even. I'd probably avoid tremolo here, the only exceptions perhaps being the long tied notes in 23, 24, and 26. I dabbled with a number of fingerings in the presto section, but settled on what I've presented here. Feel free to realize in whatever way might fit your fingers.

Wailing on a harpsichord, Scarlatti offered no dynamic indications. I think it effective to take short imitative passages as echoes, the second statement of a repeated phrase quieter. I also like diminuendo to pianissimo in the drone-accompanied melody that ends the A section.

If you have a go at this, I'm keen to receive your constructive criticism.

Cheers!

[Joe Bartl]

It's been awhile! Glad to see you are back here.

[Eugene]

Greetings, Joe. I sometimes get lost in the business of busyness . . . or busyness of business. After such episodes, catching up here is a little intimidating. Whatever. I'm glad to be back every time I make it back. Cheers!