About Sonatas K. 1 - K. 30

Among Scarlatti's sonatas for keyboard, K. 1 to 30, numbered according to Kirkpatrick numbers generally assigned based on estimated composition dates, were published as Essercizi per Gravicembalo and dedicated to King John V of Portugal in return for the bestowal of a knighthood. (This collection is commonly translated as "Exercises for Harpsichord", and while Scarlatti's keyboard works 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.

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, many researchers argue for an early date, viewing the Essercizi as revisions of sonatas written much earlier, but no definitive conclusion has 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 fundamentally binary. It is typical of Scarlatti's sonatas for the opening of a piece to feature brief imitation between the hands, and in many cases, 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 expressions of humility or conventional formality.

K. 22 Allegro

The structure of the first half of each section is contrasting: the first part features both hands clustered in the high register, while the second part has the bass leaping in octaves; similarly, the first part shows both hands moving in the same direction, often in parallel thirds, while the second part features descending sixteenth notes and ascending eighth notes. Furthermore, the piece is characterized by contrasts in register, such as the expansion from a high-register cluster to a lower range, and the repetition of octave-shifted passages, as well as busy hand alternations.