Can Domenico Scarlatti’s harpsichord sonatas be played on the piano?

Yes, Domenico Scarlatti’s harpsichord sonatas can be and are frequently performed on the piano in modern performances.1

While Scarlatti composed these 555 sonatas primarily for the harpsichord, their adaptation for the piano has a long history. Notably, the Italian pianist Alessandro Longo published an extensive edition of these works beginning in 1906, which consisted of arrangements specifically for the piano. Although these early arrangements were criticized for disregarding the original chronological and stylistic pairing of the sonatas, they played a significant role in making the music widely available to pianists. Today, the sonatas are recognized for their technical and musical depth, with their keyboard writing often compared to the piano works of composers like Frédéric Chopin and Franz Liszt.21