Scarlatti

Domenico Scarlatti (1685–1757) was an Italian composer of the late Baroque era, celebrated for his prolific keyboard output. Born in Naples as the son of the prominent opera composer Alessandro Scarlatti, he trained in the Neapolitan music scene and began composing for keyboard and voice early in his career.

From 1719 to 1729 he worked at the Portuguese royal court in Lisbon, where he published and taught, developing his distinctive keyboard language. In 1729 he moved to Madrid at the invitation of the Spanish royal family and remained in Spain for the rest of his life, composing at court and teaching students.

Scarlatti’s enduring reputation rests on his 555 keyboard sonatas, usually written for harpsichord or clavichord. Most are single-movement pieces in binary form, notable for rapid figurations, adventurous harmonic language, and inventive use of the keyboard, including extensive hand crossings and leaps. The music blends Italian invention with Iberian rhythms and dance-like episodes, and it anticipates elements of the Galant and Classical styles.

The sonatas are catalogued by Ralph Kirkpatrick (K. numbers) and remain staples of the keyboard repertoire. Scarlatti’s work influenced later composers’ approach to keyboard writing and helped shape the transition from Baroque to galant styles, emphasizing musical clarity, virtuosity, and expressive immediacy.