This is a relatively early sonata by Scarlatti that appeared in a 1742 volume of his works he presented to Princess Maria Barbara, who would become the queen of Spain (1746) and in whose Court he served. Even the composer's first forays into the sonata realm divulge his innovative style. This A minor effort, for instance, seems to augur the Romantic movement in much of its writing: Weber and Chopin, for more than fleeting moments, come to mind in this startlingly original and utterly captivating music. Marked Allegro, this sonata opens with a lively, somewhat mysterious, theme whose repetitive rhythmic motif at the outset permeates much of the work. While Scarlatti, not surprisingly, focuses on the rhythmic aspects of his thematic material, he gives it a sense of yearning, at times imparting, on ecould say, a sort of passionate, Romantic character. Midway through, the music takes on a somewhat more robust manner and in places exhibits warmth and greater confidence. In the end, this approximately five-minute effort must be assessed as one of the more innovative sonatas from Scarlatti's pen.

© All Music Guide

Portions of Content Provided by All Music Guide.
© 2008 All Media Guide, LLC. All Music Guide is a registered trademark of All Media Guide, LLC.