Scarlatti, Sonata in C major, K. 159 (harpsichord and organ)

[MushroomKetchup]

If i ever have to kill someone in a psycho maniac way i want this song to play in the background

[30inventionman]

@MushroomKetchup RU sick?

[DonVueltaMorales]

If anyone here ever studied with Carl E. Schachter in the 1970's, you'll remember he beat this work into the ground--Schenker-style--for weeks. Fond memories of Longo 104. Beautiful visual of nascent sonata allegro. Thanks.

[sammypark333]

This song sounds like a royal medival party with an evil joker!

[OmegaRed1993]

Wow this what happens when you practise for so long :D Do you have any tips on reading music? For instance i know how to read music but i dont read it i decode it because its hard to read it quickly so what would you suggest if you know what your reading but it takes alot of time to undestand a single note on either stave?

[AnyPortInTheStorm]

DEEEEELIGHTFUL!!!

[M1u2S4i8K]

How do you play this Glissando from 1:13 to 1:14?

[smalin]

@M1u2S4i8K With my nose.

[M1u2S4i8K]

@smalin Hm...

[smalin]

@M1u2S4i8K How did you think I played it?

[M1u2S4i8K]

@smalin With a special fingertechnique. Chomatic Glissandi or irregular ones are very hard to play for me on a standard Piano/Keyboard.

[smalin]

@M1u2S4i8K I am playing on a grand piano (with an attachment to record MIDI, which is what is playing the harpsichord and organ). No special technique. What you see in the video is how I did it (you are seeing the performance you're hearing).

[M1u2S4i8K]

@smalin Never mind; the part was just to fast to follow with my eyes.

[Nastollo]

I wasn't sure if it was an harpsichord or an organ and they are both! =D

Good work!

[littleasshole26]

Its a Harpsichord and an Organ?

[smalin]

@littleasshole26  Yes.

[stargirlsusan]

Oh I love the baroque music, is the best

[unpodimusica1]

One of my favorite of Scarlatti's numerous sonatas - very good inerpretation.

[xyaqua]

How long does it take you to figure out the fingering when you sight read? Is it subconscious? Does it take a few dry runs? Is there a technique you use to prepare?

[smalin]

@xyaqua Part of sight-reading is knowing what fingering to use. It's almost completely unconscious. Think about reading (text) aloud; do you think about how you move your tongue? Do you think about how to pronounce words? No, you just know ... almost all the time.

[Pirochild]

The way your hands move is just amazing. I don't think I've ever seen anything like it before and the music that you just played was out of this world to be blunt about it. I have heard this piece countless times but you made it fresh and new again.

[vonzigle]

Mr. Malinowski makes this Scarlatti look easy, but believe me, it isn't. As an advanced amateur keyboardist at one time, I found that Scarlatti was the most difficult to get to sound right; accuracy and rhythmic sense are all important1

Nice work!

[pianonaranja]

Theres no way this guy is self thought. Thats some good and relaxed techinique. The keys are at leasr weighted? Thats important to know?

[smalin]

@pianonaranja I took lessons when I was a kid, but I developed my relaxed technique as an adult. The keys are weighted, but that's only relevant for piano, not for harpsichord or organ.

[xyaqua]

@pianonaranja

The more i look into Stephen's playing the more i'm impressed. A friend of mine who moved to LA to make movies knows of Stephen. That was tres weird. He's an excellent teacher, too. Almost reminds you of some old Italians? :-)

[xyaqua]

@pianonaranja I've seen enough of this guy;'s works to know he is levels above me in amultitude of ways, if he says he sat down and sight read this rigt off the bat.... heck i'd put money on it.

This Scarlatti is a mere indulgence for him...

[SFChristo]

Great idea for the timbre. Somewhere I heard a recording of a harpsi/organ. It was a very very pleasant sound.

[misterpers0n]

Not one of my favorites, but still brilliant nonetheless.

[xyaqua]

@misterpers0n

Stephen is brilliant, this etude is so open to interpretations it is almost silly, he does a straight reading at request. D. Scarlatti is an odd fellow to perform, his father was less renouned but so much more eskilled.

[AyanamiBlue]

Oh God, I was looking for this piece long !!!!!

Ask and nobody knew about it !!!!!

Thank you for sharing this!!

Brilliant

It is incredibly beautiful !!!!!

Thanks, I admire you greatly. And I love your channel, thanks for sharing all this!

[sabancek]

nice!!!



[violatione]

Are you self taught? I love your playing! However my teachers would beat me for crossing over my left pinky like that. Fight the power!

[smalin]

@violatione I took piano lessons for about eight years, then practiced on my own for another forty. If your piano teacher doesn't like my fingering, it's probably because he/she hasn't studied historical fingering practice.

[violatione]

@smalin As I've gotten older and wiser, I've realized that fingerings don't matter at all. If the end result is a great performance (like the one you've displayed), I don't care what fingerings you use.

[tigersmoo888]

You did a superb job! We're listening to this in Music Theory class and I couldn't find a better playing of this. I also liked how you had the little red and blue squares so you could keep up with the song and look at the rhythm in both hands.

[TikiFury]

this man wrote wonderful music and I'm proud to say that he is (almost) Spanish like me!!

[itsalliebabes]

this makes me feel insignifact.

but your fucking amazing. like literally, amazing.

[gedeon541]

vraiment superbe!

[xyaqua]

Stephen, you are a freaking genius. This is way beyond mere amateur hobby, your music animation machine is probably a good teaching tool, and a tremendously engaging interface for us musical neophytes. Good on you.

[darkendank]

Fantastic playing as usual, and I enjoy the graphic.

[1923moo]

piano prodigy!!!

[mutzuz]

that was fantastic

[3cplantin]

Nice touch with the pedal point G in the treble in the repeat of the 2nd half! wouldn't be nearly as effective on a harpsichord. And thanks again for another Scarlatti sonata.

[smalin]

@3cplantin: pedal point

Yes, that helped me decide to do it with organ.

[hippie23708]

your videos are awsome man i like that you have at least one song up every other day

[smalin]

My piano has a MIDI out (thanks to a Moog PianoBar I installed) which goes to the sampled pipe organ and harpsichord (I only recorded the organ and harpsichord --- not the live piano). Depending on the pitch and duration of the note, the organ or harpsichord is more noticeable, but every note is played on both instruments.

[HalaHadean23]

Is that you playing that? DAMN, you're good.

[Seanx8p2]

amazing

[TomHendricksMusea]

Does that keyboard have as light a touch as it looks like it has?

PS Smalin made the world's first all new world music list. And I'm about to challenge all NPR in a musical showdown, my list versus theirs. Major historical music even.

[smalin]

re: light touch

I had the same impression when I first saw the video. The action is a tiny bit lighter than normal for a grand piano of its size, but I think what you're seeing is just that I'm playing it with a very light touch.

[Grasinem]

You're absolutely awesome! Great work!

[Ally123234]

You have SKILLS my freind :) Very very well done

[Deakness]

AMAZING!

[SKYSURVEYOR]

*****5*****

[cotoocho]

pura vida!!!

[Phyle9]

is this sped up?

[smalin]

No.

[Phyle9]

wow...that is pretty amazing!! :O

[B8Av3]

Love it, keep it up!!

[mrpitchf0rk]

I like the way you've stereofied it.

[javitr91]

Sounds a lot like K96. Any chance we'll see you play it?

[smalin]

K. 96 is on my DVD, so I probably won't post it on YouTube.

[sippitysipsap]

Five Stars. Your videos are my absolute favorite.  Thank you!

[MrBobGangstaKing]

AWESOME!

[semimaru666]

epic