Sixty Sonatas (Urtext), Volume I: Piano Book

This Urtext edition gives students direct access to Scarlatti's original notation without editorial intrusions, teaching them to make their own interpretive choices. The sonatas range enough in difficulty to serve multiple levels within a piano studio or school program, and the compact format of each piece makes them ideal for recitals, competitions, or examination repertoire. Few composers reward careful score study as generously as Scarlatti does.

Scarlatti's sonatas sparkle with playfulness and wit. The rapid hand crossings and unexpected harmonic turns create a sense of virtuosity and delight, while the underlying two-part structure grounds the music in genuine substance. You feel the composer's keyboard mastery in every gesture.

Intermediate to advanced piano students preparing solo repertoire, recital programs, or competitive performance. Teachers building a balanced curriculum that values both Classical and pre-Classical keyboard literature will find these sonatas essential for developing musical maturity and technical command.

• Study the hand-crossing passages without rushing them. Scarlatti's left-hand leaps and right-hand figurations demand precision in execution, not speed for its own sake.
• Observe all written ornaments and embellishments as structural elements, not surface decoration. Each trill, turn, and mordent contributes to the harmonic and melodic shape.
• Use articulation and touch to shape the two-part form clearly. The contrast between the opening and closing sections benefits from distinct character in the hand.
• Maintain a steady harmonic pulse beneath the figuration. The rapid passagework can obscure Scarlatti's bold chord progressions if the underlying harmony isn't felt.

Program a single Scarlatti sonata as a recital opener or closer to establish command and elegance. Pair a sonata with a Classical-era piece (Haydn, Mozart) to show the historical continuum, or program one alongside a Romantic or contemporary work to highlight textural and harmonic contrast. In educational settings, assign sonatas as supplementary repertoire to deepen technique between major competition pieces.

• Hand independence and crossing technique
• Baroque ornamentation and embellishment interpretation
• Two-part structural awareness and voice leading
• Rapid scalar and figurative passagework with clarity
• Harmonic analysis through unfamiliar progressions
• Score reading and editorial decision-making (Urtext format)