About Sonatas K. 1 - K. 30

Among Scarlatti's keyboard sonatas, K. 1 to 30, numbered according to the generally estimated composition dates in the Kirkpatrick catalog, were published as Essercizi per Gravicembalo and dedicated to King João V of Portugal in return for the bestowal of a knighthood. (This collection is generally translated as "Exercises for Harpsichord", and Scarlatti's works for keyboard instruments are primarily presumed to be for harpsichord; however, the current state of research does not definitively rule out other keyboard instruments.) This was the only collection published by the composer himself during his lifetime, and its preface holds value as an authentic documentary source by the composer himself.

The preface suggests that the collection aims at the cultivation of performance technique, leading to the inference that it was written for the practical purpose of daily practice for Maria Barbara, whom he served as a music teacher. Regarding the composition date, many researchers argue for an early composition date, viewing the Essercizi as revisions of sonatas written considerably earlier, but no definitive conclusion has yet been reached.

The arrangement of all 30 pieces allows for progressive learning, with later works generally becoming longer and more difficult. The form is fundamentally binary. Furthermore, it is typical of Scarlatti's sonatas for the opening of a piece to feature brief imitation between both hands; in many cases, the imitative figure appears to have little direct relation to the main material of the rest of the piece.

The preface also contains remarks touching upon the overall musical content of the collection, but their interpretation has been repeatedly debated, partly due to the preface being a text prone to expressions of humility or conventional formality.

K. 17 Presto

The entire piece is characterized by parallel thirds and sixths between the upper voice and the lower or inner voices. Regarding the form, it is notable that the second half does not begin with the opening motive of the piece. This is likely because the first half ends with the opening arpeggio, a characteristic rarely seen until K. 16. Furthermore, variations of motives, such as the addition of appoggiaturas or long, continuous descending embellishing figures, form the core of the musical structure.