Domenico Scarlatti (1685–1757) is recognized by most scholars and musicians as the founder of modern keyboard technique. He referred to the hundreds of sonatas he composed as "an ingenious jesting with art." But in these "jests," the great baroque composer explored new worlds of virtuoso technique, and created works of dazzling originality that are considered the crowning achievements of his career. These exciting, briskly paced compositions are filled with virtuoso technical devices — hand-crossing, rapid repetition of notes, extravagant arpeggios, and more — that celebrate the dynamic and expressive potential of the keyboard. The 40 sonatas selected for this volume, the fourth in Dover's series devoted to Scarlatti's keyboard sonatas, are those numbered K436–477 in the Kirkpatrick edition (K452 and 453 were not included by Longo). They have been reprinted directly from Ricordi's monumental 11-volume set, edited by Alessandro Longo.