This Sonata was preserved in the French publication by Boivin, Pieces pour le Clavecin, dating to the period 1742-1746. It was also found in manuscripts in Parma and Venice (No. 15). Out of the 555 keyboard sonatas in Scarlatti's canon, this D major effort bears the Kirkpatrick number 96, which might suggest to some that it is an early work. It was, however, written only a dozen or so years before the composer's death. It is a brilliant, ebullient work, multi-hued and full of sunshine, its upbeat spirit reflecting Scarlatti's generally happy demeanor and, at least in part, his long-held affinity for the key here, D major: 76 of his sonatas are in D major!

Marked Allegro, the work opens with a chipper theme that turns almost ecstatic when it is taken up in the bass and accompanied by luminescent trills in the upper register. The second subject, really a slight variant of the main theme, is initially less cheery in mood but soon returns to the lighter, brighter world of the opening. In the second half of the Sonata, where Scarlatti typically devoted his skills to thematic development, the music takes on a busier, more probing manner, while shedding little of its sense of joy.

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