Domenico Scarlatti: Keyboard Sonata K.159 in C major

This sonata, one of Domenico Scarlatti's 555 keyboard sonatas, is one of the most exuberant. It is like a lively dance that simply sparkles with joy, and the different thematic ideas seem to flow so naturally from one to the other. It can be quite difficult to play because of the speed and the number of ornaments, but the advice for any new piece of music is to practice it slowly at first. You can also ignore the ornaments completely at first, and if you are going to play them keep them simple (especially at this speed) and don't get too hung up on the different types - you can play them all the same way if you want. The sheet music and audio files for this sonata can be found in the left-hand menu or scroll further down this page. On mfiles we have two more Scarlatti Sonatas: Sonata K.185 in F minor and Sonata K.32 in D minor, and this one is also available in two arrangements: one for Oboe and Bassoon and one for Violin and Cello.