Sonata in B minor, K.87, L.33
Baroque Sonata Piano solo ~4 min
In brief

This B minor sonata has a tense, incisive character: quick bursts alternating with more restrained moments, driven by leaps and echoing figures that call for crisp, precise articulation. Technically, Analysis harmonique (3.6/5) is important to track progressions and anticipate key changes so you can shape phrases, and Connaissance des formes (3.6/5) helps identify sections, repeats and cadences to manage tension and release — in practice you will need to anticipate cadences and adjust attack, note lengths and phrase breathing. The piece belongs to the Baroque period and is part of Scarlatti's large body of keyboard sonatas that explore both expressive nuance and instrumental virtuosity.

MusicCoach difficulty
51/100
Intermediate
Likely range : 47–55/100
Confidence : 64% · fair confidence
BeginnerIntermediateAdvancedVirtuoso
Exam grade
On the syllabus: Grade 6 ABRSM

Official level, taken from the exam syllabus.

Difficulty estimate by MusicCoach on a scale of 1 to 100.

Where this work sits
050100

Most works cluster between 45 and 65: a small score gap often marks a real step. The highlighted bar shows this work among those for the same instrument.

The MusicCoach difficulty measures a work's overall demands (technique, reading, stamina) on a shared 0-100 scale, consolidated from editorial and pedagogical reference points (Henle, exam syllabuses, curation) and our own analyses. It measures neither musical value nor the practice time YOU will need: two musicians of the same level can experience the same work very differently depending on their strengths (hands used to octaves, quick sight-reading…). The confidence reflects how many reference points sit behind the score and how well they agree — a lightly documented score is flagged “to validate”. For a truly personal bearing, the diagnostic and your space compare each work to YOUR estimated level, which the score alone cannot do.

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Difficulty sources
Henle Verlag
5
50/100 normalised
Combined exam syllabi
Grade 6
55/100 normalised
Relative difficulty
38%
Among Domenico Scarlatti
42%
Era Baroque
30%
Genre
Estimated skills
Theory
Harmonic analysis
1
Theory
Knowledge of forms
1
Reading
Bass clef reading
1
Style
Baroque style
1
Ornaments
Baroque ornaments
2
Technique
Legato
1
Interpretation
Dynamics
1
What to play next?

Each suggestion combines difficulty gap, risk, confidence and skill overlap. The first two cards in each column are the most useful pedagogically.

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