Semester

Spring

Date of Graduation

2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Type

DMA

College

College of Creative Arts

Department

School of Music

Committee Chair

Peter Amstutz

Committee Co-Chair

Lucy Mauro

Committee Member

Kelly Burke

Committee Member

Thomas-Erik Angerhofer

Committee Member

Bruce Kang

Abstract

This document aims to inform pianists preparing to perform keyboard sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757). Readers will learn about Scarlatti's professional life and his compositional characteristics. Analyses of six sonatas, the influence of Spanish traditional music, and details on performance practices are used to illustrate his style. The six sonatas included in this study are Sonata in G Major, K. 63; Sonata in C minor, K. 22; Sonata in F minor, K. 238; Sonata in F minor, K. 239; Sonata in D Major, K. 490; and Sonata in D Major, K. 491. The influence of Spanish traditional music is discussed with excerpts from Sonata in G Major, K. 105; Sonata in A Major, K. 209; Sonata in D Major, K. 492; Sonata in C Major, K. 460; and Sonata in D minor, K. 64. Instead of focusing on one aspect of Scarlatti's keyboard works, this paper presents three categories (analyses, performance practices, and Spanish folk influence), enabling readers to approach learning and performing his sonatas from different perspectives. The terminology used in the analyses is based on the writing of Ralph Kirkpatrick (1911-1984), as found in his biography Domenico Scarlatti.

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