Masters of the Miniature Form

Live Recordings from Lucerne: Sir András Schiff Plays Scarlatti and Kurtág

“Scarlatti and Kurtág haven’t disappeared. They may well come back. In the meantime, I’ve simply been busy with other tasks,” remarks András Schiff. In the summer of 1998 and fall of 1999 – he had not yet been knighted by Queen Elizabeth II – Schiff gave two recitals at Lucerne Festival. On both occasions, he focused on two composers who have rarely appeared in his discography or live performances since then: Domenico Scarlatti (1685–1757) and György Kurtág (born in 1926). Separated by centuries, the two are united in their mastery of the miniature form. Fortunately, Swiss Radio was on hand to record Schiff’s captivating interpretations – now available as part of the “Historic Performances” series.

“My goodness, this is a treasure trove!” says Schiff, with evident enthusiasm, when describing Scarlatti’s sonatas – a body of work with which he fell in love during his student days under George Malcolm. In fact, Schiff recorded two Scarlatti albums in the 1980s – one for Hungaroton, the other for Decca. But over time, this Baroque master gradually disappeared from his repertoire.

At Lucerne in 1999, Schiff offered a refined selection from Scarlatti’s output of more than 550 sonatas. “Scarlatti initially only wrote sonatas in one movement. Since the research of Ralph Kirkpatrick, we know that the subsequent sonatas were mostly composed and conceived in pairs. There are also several groups of three,” he explains. “I respect the paired constructions. I also always organize my programs according to keys: tonic-dominant relationships, relative or mediant keys. So it’s about harmonic relationships.” In this live performance, Schiff played the 13 short sonatas on the program with dauntless spontaneity, vivid characterization, and an extraordinary sensitivity to sound.

Schiff’s selection from György Kurtág’s Játékok (“Games”) – a diary-like collection of piano miniatures he had performed in Lucerne just over a year earlier – is just as intentional. “I asked Kurtág for program suggestions at the time. He replied with a letter, providing me with lists of possible combinations of works. I didn’t follow Kurtág’s suggestions down to the last detail, but I did design the programs in his spirit.”
When Schiff entered the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest at age 14 to study with Pál Kadosa, he also spent several years being mentored by Kurtág, who was at the time Kadosa’s assistant. He reveres Kurtág as a composer “who has a strong opinion about every single note and knows exactly how he hears it.” Yet Schiff has never released any recordings of Kurtág’s music – until now. With this release, he offers a tribute in honor of Kurtág’s 100th birthday on 19 February 2026.

Sir András Schiff, who has enjoyed a close artistic partnership with Lucerne Festival for the past 35 years, returns this summer on 31 August with a recital featuring works by composers from Bach to Schumann. The edition of the “Historic Performances” recording series dedicated to Schiff will be officially released in stores on 5 September, but the CD can be purchased beforehand in the KKL Luzern foyer during the Summer Festival or via our online webshop.