Scarlatti's Sonata K255

[Vox Humana]

Back in the 60s Bärenreiter published a slim volumes of "Sonatas and Fugues for Organ" by Scarlatti. The editor, Loek Hautus, considered K255 to be "undoubtedly" an organ piece, apparently because of two markings which he assumed were registrations: "Oytabado", which he thought derived from "Octava tapada" (a 4' Gedeckt) and "Tortorilla" (literally "Turtle Dove") for which he suggested a bright registration like 8'+2' or 8'+1' (obviously he'd never heard a Turtle Dove!)

 

However, "oytabado" must surely derive from the Portuguese dance "oitavado". So was the "tortorilla" also a dance? And, if so, where does that leave K255 as an organ piece?

[Jonathan Thorne]

Back in the 60s Bärenreiter published a slim volumes of "Sonatas and Fugues for Organ" by Scarlatti. The editor, Loek Hautus, considered K255 to be "undoubtedly" an organ piece, apparently because of two markings which he assumed were registrations: "Oytabado", which he thought derived from "Octava tapada" (a 4' Gedeckt) and "Tortorilla" (literally "Turtle Dove") for which he suggested a bright registration like 8'+2' or 8'+1' (obviously he'd never heard a Turtle Dove!)

 

However, "oytabado" must surely derive from the Portuguese dance "oitavado". So was the "tortorilla" also a dance? And, if so, where does that leave K255 as an organ piece?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I seem to remember the edition - my copy has a redish cover - is it the D maj one?

[Vox Humana]

Nope - it's the C major one in 3/8 time.

[Jonathan Thorne]

Nope - it's the C major one in 3/8 time.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

ok!