This is another of the sonatas that first appeared in the 15th Venice volume, of 1549. It is a comparatively gentle work, written in one of the composer's favorite keys: in all, the facile and prolific Scarlatti wrote 48 sonatas in B flat major. There were, however, 76 in D major and 69 in G major. ThisSonata in B flat major was probably composed in the mid-1740s, but may date to even the previous decade. Though marked Allegro, it is usually performed at a rather leisurely pacing, conveying little of the composer's typically energetic manner.

Its monothematic and seemingly threadbare character may strike some listeners as paltry resources for a sonata lasting five minutes or more, but Scarlatti deftly varies the many repetitions here and imaginatively develops his thematic wares. The rhythmic figure launching the Sonata serves as a springboard for most of the material that follows. The music is tranquil but playful in its leisurely gait, the mood bright but with a few clouds hovering and sunset imminent. There is a sense throughout of the music diving gently downward, then lazily but jauntily rising. In the latter half, the mood turns almost serious at times, but never quite jettisons its playful serenity.

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