555 Domenico Scarlatti Harpsichord Sonatas, all played at the same time

30 July 2019, 17:17

Scarlatti sonatas
Scarlatti sonatas. Picture: YouTube

By Maddy Shaw Roberts

People 50 years ago: “I bet they’ll having flying cars in the year 2019”. 2019:

The Complete 555 Domenico Scarlatti Harpsichord Sonatas - ALL AT THE SAME TIME

Someone on the Internet has combined the complete Domenico Scarlatti Harpsichord Sonatas, and it *hurts*.

In one YouTube video, all 555 sonatas are played at the same time, creating pure, painful white noise.

Don’t ask questions, we’re not sure why.

Who was Domenico Scarlatti?

Scarlatti (1685-1757) was heralded as the ‘greatest Italian harpsichord composer of his time’.

Although the Baroque composer composed in a variety of musical forms, he is mainly known today for his 555 keyboard sonatas.

NB: Domenico is not to be confused with his father Alessandro Scarlatti, who was a prolific opera composer in the late 1600s and early 1700s. Alessandro Scarlatti’s music marks an important transition between the Italian Baroque vocal techniques used by earlier composers, and the music of the early Classical period.

Have a listen to his concertos here:

Alessandro Scarlatti 6 Concerti Grossi, Accademia Bizantina