24 Sonatas in progressive order: Piano (Solo)

Scarlatti's sonatas offer an elegant alternative to the standard Baroque-to-Classical piano curriculum. These pieces have genuine character and technical demands without requiring the time commitment of a full multi-movement sonata, making them ideal for building facility and interpretation in intermediate students. The Sauer edition's progressive ordering removes the guesswork from program planning.

Spirited and conversational. Scarlatti writes with a courtly elegance that never becomes stiff, full of unexpected turns that keep you alert. These sonatas feel like someone thinking through ideas in real time, testing harmonic ground and reveling in the keyboard's capabilities.

Intermediate pianists ready to move beyond the elementary Baroque repertoire into something with genuine technical and musical substance. Teachers seeking compact, rewarding pieces for students preparing for auditions, competitions, or recitals where variety and personality matter.

• Treat hand-crossing passages as part of the musical line rather than an obstacle. The visual surprise is part of Scarlatti's intent; let it shape your phrasing and dynamic shape.
• Approach the ornaments with period style in mind, but don't let them choke the forward momentum. These sonatas breathe differently than Baroque keyboard music that preceded them.
• Balance the frequent scalar runs with harmonic awareness. Scarlatti often sneaks unexpected key moves inside figuration; these shifts matter more than pure finger speed.
• Use the original repeat signs, especially in the opening sections. Repetition with variation is central to how these pieces build form and character.

Build a recital around a single Scarlatti sonata paired with a Baroque work and a later Classical piece to show how keyboard writing evolved. Alternatively, program two contrasting sonatas from different points in this collection back-to-back to demonstrate Scarlatti's range within a single aesthetic.

• Hand independence and crossing in a musical context
• Baroque ornamentation and its execution
• Reading and performing repeat structures with stylistic integrity
• Harmonic analysis at the intermediate level
• Scalar technique with musical purpose rather than mechanical precision