While the works appearing in the 1738 publication Essercizi per gravicembalo, which contained Scarlatti's first 30 keyboard sonatas, are generally lively in character, with 15 marked Allegro and 15 Presto, this Sonata in F minor, although hardly slow, is among the more ponderous, least driven in that group. Moreover, it mixes dark and upbeat elements, in the end conveying a less optimistic character than is typical of the composer's early keyboard works.

The Sonata opens with a theme that mixes the nocturnal with the regretful, the pacing sounding much slower than its Allegro marking. But the music suddenly springs into a joyous romp, as if the dark elements have quickly been dispelled and forgotten. The haunting music from the opening returns, however, only to be cast aside once again by the chipper secondary material. There follows some subtle thematic development, wherein the main theme takes on a lighter, more playful character in its first half, and the second subject divulges thicker textures and a somewhat more troubled manner. In sum, the young Scarlatti demonstrates his considerable skill in the handling of contrast and thematic development in this Sonata in F minor. Typical performances of this work last slightly over three minutes.

© All Music Guide