Sourced in the thirteenth Venice volume of Scarlatti's keyboard sonatas, this work carries the rather unusual marking of Cantabile (in singing style)—unusual for Scarlatti, that is. This A major effort is only one of eight keyboard sonatas, from his series of 555, that bears that directive. True, he did employ it a little more often in conjunction with tempo indications like Andante, as in the Andante cantabile markings in K. 474, 478, 481, and 485. But Scarlatti's normally lively, often driven style allowed for relatively little singing music. In the latter part of his career, however, he may have mellowed a bit: four of his last 20 or so sonatas, including this one, carry a Cantabile marking.

This Sonata in A major opens with a gentle, lyrical melody, which seems mostly on the ascent, as if its serene glories are enacting a rapturous rise to the heavens. In its secondary material, however, the musical trajectory switches to mostly descending paths, but without jettisoning the blissful sense. In the second half of the work, Scarlatti, as was his wont, develops his thematic material, injecting tension and darkening the mood a bit, but in the end he returns to the euphoric serenity of the opening. Sprinkled throughout the Sonata are many subtle passages of contrapuntal writing, and as usual Scarlatti demonstrates his marvelous grasp of keyboard color.

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