I have a 14 year old pupil taking grage 6 piano on 9th July. Not far away. He is highly intellegent (both musically and academically), an absolute delight to teach and he will be taking grade 7 saxophone only 11 days later.

Although I suggested the Mozart 'Courante' (A2) he chose to do the Scarlatti piece (A3) and he has really struggled with it. The Malcolm Arnold 'Buccaneer' (C1) he learned in a trice, and the Stenhammar (B3) in only a little longer. The problem he is having is, quite naturally, the long trills. The ones in bars 2, 12 and 16 are just about ok, but the ones on lower notes in bars 17, 18, 21 and 22 are more difficult. The end result is we do not yet have a '2 in the bar' feel.

Has anyone else taught or learned this piece? If so, I was wondering whether to suggest to him that he only plays a simple mordent when it comes to the lower trills, and thereby risks the possible wrath of his examiner.

I have played this one for nearly 50 years (!), it is quite tricky for Grade 6. One of my favourite Scarlattis.
Because it is going quite quickly (as you say, a two in the bar jaunty sort of rhythm), I end to play those inner trills just as semiquavers. I'm not sure whether this is really correct, but it sounds OK and is better than fouling up a faster trill, and I think also better than just doing a simple mordent, which isnt really acceptable.
Make sure the quavers are legato where they should be and staccato where they should be.

Hope this helps.

What I'd like to know is:- would you be penalised in an exam for not counting exactly 12 notes in those long trills? It's a "false trill" in that case. I'm teaching it to a 14-year old girl at the moment, and we're playing safe, but I would normally just do a trill & not count it. Gould, by the way, plays them as turns.

I take the lower note of the inner trills with my thumb, i.e. trilling with 3 & 1. I find that easier.
Still would like some feedback on realisation of accidentals in exams, please, if anybody can throw any light on it? Do they have to be as written? Steve.

I would suggest that no ornament has to be realised exactly as written, especially in music of this period, as interpretation has such a big role to play. Ornaments are only realised in small print above the music to suggest one possible interpretation, but there are always plausible alternatives. In respect of changing a trill to a mordent, this is one good example of such flexibility. I did this with several of the trills in my Arne piece at Grade 6, and still got 27/30 for it, plus the comment 'ornamentation sparkled convincingly with finesse'.

So dont be afraid to use some artistic license with the more tricky trills in that (gorgeous) Scarlatti sonata.

denmark

Thanks, Denmark, for your helpful comments. I totally agree; trills shouldn't be rigid, but have expression and personal style, spontaneity even. Steve.