Sonata in C minor, K.11, L.352
Baroque Sonata Piano solo ~5 min
In brief

This C minor sonata feels brisk yet taut, with sudden rhythmic breaks and harmonic detours that require a controlled, forward-driving touch. Analysis harmonique (3.6/5): you will need to map the progressions and short cadences to shape the small phrases and anticipate harmonic delays, which informs dynamic shading and subtle rubato; Ornaments baroque (3.1/5): the appoggiaturas and embellishments demand finger preparation and clear articulation so they enhance the melodic line without weighing down the passage. In context, it belongs to Scarlatti’s Baroque keyboard sonatas, notable for concise forms and rhythmic inventiveness. I do not provide a recommended recording because I am not fully certain of a single, widely agreed reference for this exact sonata.

MusicCoach difficulty
42/100
Elementary
Likely range : 37–47/100
Confidence : 64% · fair confidence
BeginnerIntermediateAdvancedVirtuoso
Exam grade
On the syllabus: Grade 5 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
4
38/100 normalised
Combined exam syllabi
Grade 5
44/100 normalised
Relative difficulty
10%
Among Domenico Scarlatti
18%
Era Baroque
9%
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
Hand independence
1
Interpretation
Phrasing
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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