Bach, Scarlatti

This app lets you enjoy the music of Bach and Scarlatti offline, without an internet connection. The included works are performed using MIDI data precisely captured from live performances by harpsichordist Jone Sankey. You can choose between two carefully crafted instrument soundfonts, each offering a distinct musical character. Through detailed and expressive interpretation, these performances reveal a depth rarely found in conventional MIDI playback. Included Bach works: BWV 855, 979, 813, 826, and 974. The first instrument is modeled after an 18th-century French Blanchet harpsichord. Created by Eric Bricet and Jean-Yves Garet in August 2005, this soundfont was produced by carefully sampling every note of the restored Blanchet 1720 instrument. By capturing the individual tonal qualities of two 8’ stops and a lute stop, it faithfully recreates the clear, resonant character of the original harpsichord. The second instrument is based on a Steinway Model C grand piano, measuring 7’5” and built in 1897. This soundfont was created by Warren S. Trachtman with the cooperation of the instrument’s owner, Anthony Ponaras. All 88 keys were recorded over several days at multiple dynamic levels, then meticulously edited and refined from a multi-gigabyte sample set to recreate the rich, historic resonance of the original piano. With these carefully crafted soundfonts and expressive performance data, the app provides a vivid and intimate way to experience the music of Bach and Scarlatti.