Scarlatti: An Introduction to His Keyboard Works: Piano

This collection assembles the pieces that actually work in a teaching studio without requiring a PhD in Baroque performance practice. The editorial guidance on figured bass and interpretation removes the guesswork, so you can focus on what matters: watching your student discover that Scarlatti's humor and technical ingenuity make him far more engaging than a generic sonatina. The Federation Festivals selection gives you immediate programming momentum.

Scarlatti bounces between moments of crystalline elegance and playful mischief. These sonatas and minuets have a lightness and rhythmic buoyancy that feels almost modern, with sudden harmonic turns that catch you by surprise. The writing celebrates what the hands can do together, full of quick exchanges and moments where both hands move in similar motion or clever counterpoint.

Intermediate pianists ready to explore Baroque keyboard writing beyond Bach, and teachers building a historically informed curriculum without drowning in editorial complexity. Students who have solid hand independence and pulse control will find these pieces achievable yet genuinely rewarding.

• Treat repeated notes as opportunities for agility rather than fatigue. Scarlatti's hand-crossing passages and quick repeated figures demand wrist freedom; tension will collapse the line.
• Shape the opening statement of each sonata with clear phrase breathing, then let the harmonic surprises emerge naturally without overdoing the drama.
• Balance the figured bass passages with a light hand so the theoretical framework doesn't weigh down the sound. These measures should feel like a conversation, not a lecture.
• Experiment with articulation across the different works in this volume. Some pieces sing; others snap. The variety is intentional and rewarding to explore.

Use this collection to represent the Baroque era in a recital or studio showcase, pairing individual pieces with works by Couperin or Purcell for a full period picture. The minuets work particularly well as intermission music or as part of a mixed-genre program where you want something witty without the weight of a full Bach fugue.

• Hand independence and coordination across contrasting figuration
• Figured bass literacy and realization at the keyboard
• Baroque articulation and phrasing without excess ornamentation
• Quick finger work and hand position management in repeated-note passages
• Recognition of harmonic movement and unexpected tonal shifts
• Sight-reading fluency across multiple keyboard textures