Fixing a date on Scarlatti's later sonatas is generally easier than doing the same for his earlier ones, because the composer wrote so many in his final half-dozen years, well over two-thirds of his 555, in fact. This one was preserved in the fifth Venice volume of Scarlatti's sonatas, dated 1753. It was probably written in the early-1750s, perhaps even during the year on the manuscript. In any event, it is a fine work, despite its status as one of the composer's less-frequently encountered sonatas.

Marked Allegro, it opens with a bright, busy theme whose descent, both in the main line and harmony, is immediately offset by several upward swings, giving the music an almost ecstatic quality. The composer makes much of a hesitation that comes at the end of certain phrases here, especially in the equally lively and upbeat secondary material. The development section begins about midway through and takes on an even busier, somewhat more serious character in its expansion on the latter half of the main theme and its related material. Lasting three minutes or slightly longer, this cheerful Sonata, with its subtle contrapuntal activity and generally colorful writing, offers substantial rewards to the listener.

© Robert Cummings, All Music Guide