Scarlatti: Twenty Sonatas

These twenty sonatas showcase why Scarlatti's keyboard writing still captivates advanced pianists. Each piece is self-contained and dramatically distinct, giving you flexibility to program individual works at recitals or use them strategically throughout a performance season without requiring students to master a monolithic cycle.

Scarlatti's keyboard world sparkles with wit and architectural clarity. The binary form creates satisfying symmetry, while the technical devices—hand-crossings, rapid scales, wide leaps—generate visceral excitement without sacrificing musical substance. These pieces feel both intimate and brilliantly virtuosic.

Advanced pianists seeking repertoire that combines Baroque musical language with genuine technical demands. These sonatas work for students preparing for competitions, building recital programs, or deepening their understanding of keyboard history before moving into Classical and Romantic literature.

• Study hand-crossing passages at slow tempo first, establishing the mechanics before attempting tempo. Mark the crossover points in your score so the physical choreography becomes automatic.
• Balance the binary form's two sections carefully; resist the impulse to rush the second half just because the figuration becomes denser. Each section deserves its own architectural weight.
• Approach repeated-note figures with clarity and evenness. These are not ornaments but structural material; they need rhythmic precision and consistent voicing.
• Listen to multiple recorded interpretations before finalizing your tempo choices. Scarlatti's notation can accommodate a wider range of speeds than you might initially imagine.

Program individual sonatas as contrasting recital pieces between more Romantic works, or dedicate a full recital to exploring Scarlatti's stylistic range across these twenty selections. In an advanced student series, use them to anchor a "Keyboard Masters" concert that traces technical innovation from Baroque through present day.

• Hand-crossing coordination and independence
• Binary form analysis and structure
• Rapid repeated-note clarity and evenness
• Wide intervallic leaps and hand position shifts
• Baroque ornamentation and phrasing conventions
• Virtuosic finger technique with musical intent