This is not a Scarlatti Sonata (2023) - 6 min
Composed and performed as part of "The Theodor Milkov – Domenico Scarlatti Project", The project will be a series of musical palimpsests (music created on top of existing music) by invited composition faculty, graduate composition students and selected alumni of the Faculty of Music, University of Toronto, under the editorship of Theodor Milkov and Christos Hatzis. *
Being from an Iranian background, I took it as an opportunity to find a way to fuse two musical traditions. It's an attempt to create a dialogue, a cross-cultural musical exchange, and a reflection on the complexity and diversity of today's daily cultural experiences.
My contribution to this project draws inspiration from Scarlatti's Sonata K.135. During my exploration of Scarlatti's work, I was struck by its lively rhythms, unexpected harmonies, and asymmetrical phrasing. To me, it also had striking similarities to Bartók's First Dance in Bulgarian Rhythm.
Below is a demo recording by Theodor Milkov, a great percussionist, whose interpretation adds another dimension to the piece.
The Theodor Milkov – Domenico Scarlatti Project
Currently in progress, "The Theodor Milkov – Domenico Scarlatti Project" will be a series of musical palimpsests (music created on top of existing music) by invited composition faculty, graduate composition students and selected alumni of the Faculty of Music, University of Toronto, under the editorship of Theodor Milkov and Christos Hatzis. During the initial phase of the project, all the new compositions will be for a single five-octave marimba, will be based on keyboard sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti and will showcase the “Milkov piano technique” for mallet instruments, a technique which redefines what is technically possible for these instruments. When completed, the project will exist as a printed and/or electronic (pdf) collection of short compositions unified by the connecting and defining theme (the “Milkov piano technique” and the keyboard music of Domenico Scarlatti) and diversified by the personal expressive voices of the selected contributing composers. Properly curated, this collection will become a valuable compendium for advanced mallet players learning to master the “Milkov piano technique.” The created compositions will be recorded and performed by the inventor of this technique, mallet specialist Theodor Milkov, and eventually by an emerging generation of such specialists who are mastering this technique and are attracted to this newly created repertory. The contributed compositions will be performed and recorded by Milkov.
Collaborating Artists:
