Scarlatti wrote about 555 sonatas for keyboard, but the exact number is difficult to determine, due to certain number of doubtful works. There is no doubt, however, about the authorship of this playful sonata, one of 20 he wrote in the key of F minor. While there is some imaginative development of its thematic materials, its design is somewhat simplistic, with a fair amount of repetition throughout. Still, it is a compelling effort. The sonata opens in a playful manner, with a lively theme in the upper register whose scampering movement sheds some of its animation as it proceeds, its character turning a bit more serious. Marked Allegro, this work contains brief passages of repetitive rhythmic motifs, which assume an almost ponderous manner. Midway through, the second subject of the main theme is imaginatively developed, even if it is stripped away of some of its bounce and color. It alternates thereafter with earlier thematic material, as the sonata closes in a lively, though somewhat subdued, manner. This work typically has a duration of four minutes.

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