No one redefined the limits of contemporary keyboard writing in the 18th century more radically than Domenico Scarlatti, whose formal innovation, harmonic daring and virtuosic brilliance set him apart from his contemporaries. In this selection of sonatas Martin Cousin presents a multifaceted portrait of Scarlatti’s full creative range. Along with scalic runs, extended trills, dramatic dynamics and playful syncopations, we also meet the impish, quasi-improvisational and introspective composer capable of great nobility and lyrical beauty, one who bridged Baroque traditions with the new Classical style.

Pianist Martin Cousin is regarded as one of the most outstanding pianists of his generation, having won First Prize at the 2005 Ettore Pozzoli International Piano Competition.

Two albums of Rubinstein’s piano music (8.574426/8.574427) were released by in 2023, gaining 5 stars in MUSICA magazine, 5 tuning forks from Diapason and 4 stars from Ritmo magazine.

For Somm he has recorded an album of Rachmaninov’s Études-tableaux and won a 5-star review from The Observer. Fanfare also commented that Cousin was ‘among the most distinguished Rachmaninov pianists of our generation’.