D. Scarlatti Three Sonatas
Channel: David Ezra Okonsar
Date: 2019-07-08

The sonatas are first published with the title: "Essercizi". Scarlatti never called them sonatas. Which name could be appropriate for them: sonatas; suites; studies? Some of them belong to more than one genre too, and their particular form is a very original creation by the composer. Most of them have in common a brilliant virtuoso écriture.

Most of the time the formal structure is simple. Almost always they are in one single movement of two parts. The first part establishes the main key and progresses towards the dominant and the second part returns to the tonic. Unlike the classical sonata where the conclusive part is a return to the main motive in the tonic, the Scarlatti sonata does not re-exposes the main theme necessarily in the tonic key.

One can not talk about a bi-thematic structure even though there are many examples of a kind of second theme appearing in the course of the Sonata.

There are different kind of Scarlatti sonatas regarding the formal structure, some have only one theme, while others present two or more secondary motives that can nevertheless, hardly be qualified as second theme.

According to Ralph Kirkpatrick, the "harmonic orientation" around a tonal axis, more than the thematic element itself, determines the formal structure of the Sonata.

Scarlatti uses a tonal and harmonic language which may seem disorienting at first but is, after close examination, simpler than it appears. His harmonic vocabulary is quite simple too but it is used with surgical precision aimed for the desired sound effect.

The usage of the dominant seventh chord on the tonic root is quite frequent as well as pedal tones, retarded resolutions, appoggiaturas, ornamentations and passing tones.

Scarlatti evolves in strict tonal surroundings but switches heartily from major to minor and vice-versa. He commands masterly the art of modulation, assumably inspired by the guitar sounds, he hazards stunning dissonances.

The design in Scarlatti Sonatas is very unique as well. His themes are short and crisp and his melodic and rhythmic creativeness is inexhaustible. He requires a fascinating virtuosity.

Within a single Sonata he often unfolds a vast number of instrumental feats: hands crossing; large jumps; rhythmical overlapping; fast repeating keys; double thirds and sixths; trills and tremolos with more than one note; broken octaves in fast runs; glissando-like scales and many more.

He has also a personal use of the "accaciatura", not to be confused with "appoggiatura", noted the same way in the old editions, where the accaciatura key must be pressed almost simultaneously with the main note. The accaciatura is also often used by French harpsichordists like Rameau and Couperin.

This music is all about gaiety, cheerfulness together with a sense of grandeur that will impact to many composers: Francesco Durante; Baldassare Galuppi; padre Martini; padre Soler and later on, Muzio Clementi. ............................................................
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