Sonata in A
Domenico Scarlatti
Domenico Scarlatti -he lived from 1685 to 1757- was one of the great Baroque composers. He was a prolific composer whose repertoire included a lot of innovations in style and composition. His best known works are his 555 Sonatas for cembalo, that he wrote for his pupil and mistress, the Portuguese princess Maria Barbara. He taught her to play cembalo in Lisbon and when she married a Spanish prince, he followed her to Madrid. Considering the level of the Sonatas, she must have been a talented musicienne. She rewarded Domenico's efforts by providing him a living and by paying his gambling debts.
This Sonata clearly shows the two part character of many of his Sonatas. A melody line and a swinging bass line are inextricably bound up with each other. The music almost seems to be composed for guitar (Scarlatti implemented a lot of Spanish influences in his music) and it is no surprise that quite a few of his Sonatas have been arranged for solo guitar or guitar duo.