Domenico Scarlatti: Sonata in D minor, K. 141

1685 was a good year for composers. Bach was born that year in Eisenach, just a couple of hours away (in today’s terms) from Halle where Handel had been born the month prior. These two giants of the Baroque era tend to overshadow Domenico Scarlatti, born October 26, 1685, in Naples. Scarlatti would spend most of his career in Portugal and Spain. Although the Italian style dominates music of this era, Scarlatti developed an interest in the rich folk music of the Iberian peninsula, and you can frequently hear those influences in his music.

Scarlatti’s music has not achieved the prominence of his fellow eighty-fivers, but he does hold a certain special status among keyboard musicians. His keyboard sonatas (more than 500 of them) push the limits of delicate simplicity on the one hand and virtuosity on the other. Audiences find them immediately appealing. Because they tend to be short works of 3-4 minutes, they are perfect for showcasing the skills of a first-rate pianist and for encores. And first-rate pianists like Vladimir Horowitz have done much to popularize Scarlatti.

Scarlatti would have intended his sonatas primarily for the harpsichord and the new-fangled fortepiano, a forerunner of the modern-day piano. The greater expressive range of the modern piano, however, is well-suited to these sonatas.

The sonata featured here lies well on the virtuosic side of the equation. The repeated notes that characterize this piece require considerable skill on the part of the performer and an instrument of some quality. (Your student-grade upright is likely not up to the task.) Scarlatti was also fond of crossed-hand technique that you can see in this video.

You can make your own comparison of how this sonata translates to the piano with this video of Martha Argerich.