The Baroque composer Domenico Scarlatti (1685–1757) is regarded today as one of the most original and influential figures in the history of keyboard music. Though not as famous in his own time as Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel—all born in the same year!—his innovations and the style of his 550 keyboard sonatas greatly influenced the development of keyboard music in the eighteenth century.

Born in Naples on October 26, 1685, Domenico was taught by his father, the renowned opera composer Alessandro Scarlatti, and later by other prominent musicians. At the age of fifteen, he became an organist and composer at the royal chapel in Naples. He then held other prestigious positions in Naples and Rome, but become most successful as maestro di cappella at the Portuguese court in Lisbon when he was appointed music tutor to the Princess Maria Barbara de Braganza (1719). He followed her to Madrid when she married and became Queen of Spain in 1729. Remaining in Spain for the rest of his life, he composed there most of his keyboard sonatas. Written primarily for the harpsichord, these shaped the musical culture of Spain into a distinctive and exotic form and stand out for their expressive power and technical complexity.

Scarlatti created his most innovative compositions during his last decade, contradicting common assumptions about declining creativity with age. Historical accounts describe Scarlatti as having robust physical health throughout most of his life. His death in 1757 at age seventy-one places him among the longer-lived individuals of his era. The composition of over 550 keyboard sonatas across several decades indicates not only creative fertility but also the maintenance of the physical capabilities necessary to test and refine these works. His position as a court musician provided economic security and avoided extraneous distractions. The keyboard instruments available in his time—primarily harpsichords and early pianofortes—presented different physical demands compared to modern instruments. The lighter touch required by harpsichords may have been protective against joint stress and encouraged subtle muscular control rather than forceful playing. Many sonatas include built-in recovery periods where one hand performs strenuous tasks while the other rests or performs less demanding work.

Scarlatti composed his sonatas mostly in binary form (two sections each repeated) which presented unprecedented keyboard musical expressions during his time. The musical pieces incorporate unconventional harmonic shifts and bold dissonances together with virtuosic playing techniques which include hand crossing, rapid repeated notes, wide leaps, and intricate ornamentation. His music exploits the physical layout of the keyboard, anticipating later developments in keyboard technique and composition.

In his lifetime, Scarlatti was better known as a performer and a teacher than as a composer, and his sonatas were circulated privately among connoisseurs. It was only in the 19th and 20th centuries that the full scope of his achievement was recognized. Pioneering performers and scholars helped bring his works to wider attention, and these are now staples of the keyboard repertoire, performed on both the harpsichord and the modern piano.

Domenico Scarlatti’s music continues to captivate listeners with its inventiveness and charm. His keyboard sonatas and legacy stand as a testament to the power of individual creativity, musical experimentation, and blending of cultural influences.