Sonatas K. 1 - K. 30

Among Scarlatti's keyboard sonatas, K. 1 to 30, numbered according to the generally estimated composition dates (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 while Scarlatti's works for keyboard instruments are primarily presumed to be for harpsichord, 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 much earlier, but a definitive conclusion has not 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 primarily binary. Furthermore, it is typical of Scarlatti's sonatas for the opening of a piece to feature brief imitation between the hands; in many cases, the imitative figure appears to have little direct relation to the main material of the rest of the piece.

It should also be noted that 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 expressions of humility or formality.

K. 19 Allegro

From the outset, four-measure phrases follow one another, suggesting a clear formal structure, but as the upper voice begins to move ceaselessly in sixteenth notes, the regular phrase structure starts to break down. In the second half, a sequence based on the motif from the first half continues over a less active bass line, after which a portion of the first half is partially inserted from the dominant key. The transition from measure 66 features the most substantial chords in the piece and prepares the return to the tonic of the first half with a dominant pedal point.