About Sonatas K. 1 - K. 30

Among Scarlatti's sonatas for keyboard, K. 1 to K. 30, numbered generally based on estimated composition dates according to Kirkpatrick numbers, were published as Essercizi per Gravicembalo and dedicated to King João V of Portugal in return for the knighthood bestowed upon him. (This collection is generally translated as "Exercises for Harpsichord," and Scarlatti's keyboard works 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, and it can be inferred 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, Essercizi as revisions of sonatas written much earlier, but no definitive conclusion has 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. It is typical of Scarlatti's sonatas for the opening of a piece to feature brief imitation between the hands, and often, the imitative figures appear to have little direct relation to the main material of the rest of the piece.

Furthermore, the preface 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 humility and conventional expressions.

K. 29 Presto

Difficult hand-crossings dominate the piece, but it is considerably easier and more natural to play without crossing hands. While the hands are crossing, the texture is almost entirely in sixteenth notes, and the hands return to their normal positions in homophonic minor-key passages consisting of regular eighth-note accompanying chords and a decorative melody. The changes in rhythm, texture, key, and hand positions correspond to each other.