Scarlatti / Taylor - Continuum [CD]

Following his First Prize at the Bruges Competition and his first album, devoted to the Forqueray family ('Choc' of the Year in Classica, Editor's Choice in Gramophone, Grand Prix de l'Académie Charles Cros), the Franco American harpsichordist Justin Taylor has recently been awarded the 'Révélation Musicale' Prize of the French Critics' Circle. His career has developed rapidly, both as soloist (harpsichordist and also fortepianist) and as director of his ensemble, the Taylor Consort, with which Alpha will soon be recording... For his second recital, Justin Taylor juxtaposes Scarlatti and Ligeti, two composers whose periods and universes seem so remote from each other, yet who show numerous affinities: in their inventiveness, the virtuosity of their respective languages and their common urge to push the keyboard to it's very limits. Continuum builds a bridgehead between these two hypersensitive composers by intertwining Ligeti's three emblematic (and spectacular!) pieces for solo harpsichord with sonatas by Scarlatti.