It would be difficult to deny that Scarlatti experimented in his compositions. He surely employed some unusual and pioneering harmonies and this Sonata in A minor evidences that tendency. He uses chords here that are so boldly innovative for their time as to seem almost out of place with the rest of the music. Almost. Some are comprised of ten notes and involve pungent dissonance to a degree unknown in Baroque-era keyboard music. Yet Scarlatti was not simply seeking to try out something new, but he was also crafting a masterful, quite spicy composition full of color and delightful surprises. Marked Allegro, this sonata opens with a lively theme of festive character that contains more than a few hints of Spanish folk styles. Soon, dissonant chords in the bass begin to blend into the merriment and eventually they make their way into the upper register, taking on an even more discordant manner. Yet Scarlatti manages to deftly impart color to the piece here, not draw attention to the spices of his appetizing main course. Midway through, he develops his thematic material and infuses the music with a greater sense of tension. This imaginative sonata has a duration of about three-and-a-half minutes.

© All Music Guide