The Keyboard Sonata in D minor, K. 141, is a solo keyboard sonata written for harpsichord by the Italian composer Domenico Scarlatti. The sonata is characterised by fast repeated notes throughout, which makes it generally difficult to play. Because of its virtuosity, the piece is also described as a toccata. The piece contains many idioms characteristic of Scarlatti, such as hand crossing, a technique most closely associated with the composer. The piece is in D minor, which is Scarlatti’s most used minor key. Scarlatti’s sonata shows a Spanish influence, especially of Spanish dance music with guitar technique and syncopated rhythms.
Scarlatti’s output for the solo keyboard is comprised almost entirely of sonatas. Although he did not collect the sonatas within the framework of the Baroque keyboard suite, each of his sonatas has its own distinctive character, and that character is sometimes marked by virtuosity and innovations in keyboard technique. His sonatas K. 141 in D Minor and K. 380 in E Major represent technical innovations using guitar technique, rapid repeated notes, imitating horn calls and Spanish dance rhythms.
Despite the name, the overwhelming majority of Scarlatti’s keyboard sonatas (including the Sonata K. 141) are not in sonata form, as they were written before sonata form was developed/codified. The sonata has one movement in binary form; its time signature is 38. The piece is driven by rapid-fire single-note repetitions that demand extreme finger dexterity and endurance. It mirrors Iberian folk and dance music, complete with snapping accents and rustic strumming textures reminiscent of a Spanish guitar. Operating at an Allegro tempo, the relentless momentum pushes the limits of keyboard agility.
