Scarlattiana

To "Queen Anne's Footstool" (St John's, Smith Square) for music by Domenico Scarlatti in this 250th anniversary year. Carole Cerasi played harpsichord music by Scarlatti, Thomas Roseingrave, Soler, Mateo Perez de Albeniz and Manuel Blasco de Nebra: the Pastorela by the last of these had a wonderfully eccentric middle movement. Then London Baroque with Emma Kirkby and Elin Manahan Thomas (a last-minute stand-in) performed a Handel Trio sonata, and a cantata and an entertaining Arcadian duet by the two sopranos, who hammed it up beautifully. How lucky we are in London to have so many opportunities to hear interesting and unusual music by such performers.

Quanta furie ha il cieco Averno,
tante io porto in mezzo al seno.
Sento il cor che gia vien meno!
Cieli! Aita! Nice, oh dio!
Chi di me pietade avra? Chi?

No, non mi lagno della sorte,
ch'io solo, io, si non quello
che me spingo in braccio a morte,
se di me non ho pieta.