Thrilling and full of intense passion, with feathery lightness and technical brilliance, and captivating in every note – these are the most telling qualities of the 16 sonatas by the great Italian-born composer Domenico Scarlatti on this new Genuin album, and the interpretation by Japanese harpsichord soloist Tomoko Matsuoka mirrors just these qualities. She relishes in the technical challenges of the sonatas, difficulties once daunting to Scarlatti’s contemporaries. The wonderful sounds she elicits on the authentic Neuchâtel Ruckers harpsichord will win over the hearts of her audience. With each breath and each phrase, she shows that the Spanish-Italian minisodes are best performed on just this instrument. Can you already inhale the heady aromas of the Alhambra, can you feel the warmth of southern Spain, can you hear the sounds of a summer night? If not. Put this album on...