Piano - intermediate
SKU: HL.49008100
Composed by Barbara
Heller. This edition:
Saddle stitching. Sheet
music. Edition Schott.
Classical. Composed 1984.
12 pages. Duration 15'.
Schott Music #ED 8620.
Published by Schott Music
(HL.49008100).
ISBN
9790001115490.
Scar
let Letters was composed
in 1984 on commission of
the pianist and
harpsichordist Franzpeter
Goebels (1920-1988) on
the occasion of the 300th
birth day of Domenico
Scarlatti. The original
working title 'Lettere
scarlattine' is a
concealed homage to the
Italian composer. The
compositional material is
limited to the tones D,
E, C, Es (= S, spoken
'Es' = E flat in German
notation) and A, derived
from the musical letters
of Domenico Scarlatti's
name, and the tones B (=
B flat in German nota
tion) and H (= B
natural), the initials of
my name. With 7 tones and
7 parts, this music is a
sort of story about my
imaginary encounter with
the composer Domenico
Scarlatti who was then
one of my favourite
composers. Sometimes I
also used compositional
means which I discovered
in the sonatas of
Scarlatti, such as quick
6/8 figures, afterbeat
octaves and repetitions
of short motifs. I tried
to translatethe clarity,
brightness and
cheerfulness, the
astounding modulations
and the pianistic
brilliance of his music
into my compositional
language.Barbara
HellerThe piece was
recorded on CD by the
American pianist Deborah
Richards (WERGO 6610-02).
First performance: 31.
October 1987
International Festival of
Women Composers, Unna;
Rosario Marciano,
piano.
domenico-scarlatti
