The simple, catchy, innocuous little tunes of Scarlatti and Caccini, Cesti and Caldara could be on countless pairs of lips as Cecilia Bartoli's popularity grows ever wider. Anybody who frequents vocal recitals knows these songs.
No one knows what music in the hand of Palestrina or Scarlatti or Monteverdi looks like: no certain examples have emerged.
Known as a rigorous musicologist and an inspired performer, Ross recorded 555 sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti on 34 compact discs, which an Erato spokesman said was the world's biggest set of compact disc recordings.
By David Bauder, Associated Press Writer Keyboard Sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti (London) _ Andras Schiff, piano.