Back to search

Sonata, for harpsichord / by Mr. Dn. Domenico Scarlatti, &.

Date
1740
Archive
Documentation Center of the Catalan Orfeó
Document type
Textual
Reference code
CAT CEDOC 12-VI-17
Link to the online document
Description

Son of the great composer Alessandro Scarlatti, Domenico Scarlatti (Naples, 1685-Madrid, 1757) entered the service of Maria Casimira, Queen of Poland, in 1709, who hosted a small court in her Roman exile. He composed oratorios and operas for her. After her death, in 1715 he was part of the Giulia Chapel for a while and in 1719 he became chapel master to King John V of Portugal. In 1738 the first great selection of Sonatas was published in Venice, dedicated to John V, recorded by Fortier under the title Essercizi per Gravicembalo di Don Domenico Scarlatti Cavaliero di S. Giacomo e Maestro dè Serenissimi Prencipe e Prencipessa delle Asturie etc.
This manuscript, dated 1740, contains on the first page the copy of Sonatas XVI to XXIX of the Essercizi and testifies to their rapid diffusion after publication.