Domenico Scarlatti

About the Author

Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757) was an Italian composer renowned for his innovative contributions to keyboard music during the Baroque era. Born in Naples to the celebrated composer Alessandro Scarlatti, he displayed prodigious talent from a young age, serving as organist and composer at royal courts in Rome, Lisbon, and Madrid. Scarlatti's extensive catalog includes over 550 sonatas for harpsichord, characterized by their technical brilliance and rhythmic vitality, which bridged Baroque and Classical styles. His works, often single-movement forms, showcase dazzling runs, leaps, and cross-hand techniques, influencing generations of pianists and composers. Spending much of his later life in Spain, Scarlatti blended Italian precision with Iberian flair, leaving a legacy that endures in concert halls and scholarly studies today.