Two Pieces for Solo Piano or Harpsichord

Little information is available about Maria Teresa Agnesi (1720-1795), an Italian composer, singer, harpsi­chordist, and librettist. She was known primarily for her operas, possibly writing the librettos for three of her seven operas. She was apparently well-known at the courts of Vienna and Dresden. Besides her extant opera compositions, she wrote arias, concertos, and a few keyboard pieces. In 1752 she married Pier Antonio Pinottini.

The two pieces in this volume are Sonata in G Major, and Allegro ou Presto in A Major. Both of these short compositions are similar in style to those of Domenico Scarlatti with rounded binary form containing one theme, technically demanding arpeggios, appoggiaturas, suspensions, no dynamic indications, a few trill signs and grace notes, some Alberti bass accompaniment, and a few diminished chords. Most of the writing occurs in the middle-range of the keyboard. Both of the pieces are in the dance meters of 3/8 and 6/8, respectively.

Sonata in G Major has written-out turns and alternate-hand arpeggios. The grace note suspensions or appoggiaturas may be executed on the beat. The Allegro ou Presto is virtuosic in style with many passages of hand crossings for a range of two octaves for the arpeggios. In the right hand of measures 32 and 33, the slash on the second half of beat four may be interpreted as a tirata, an ornamental scale-like design starting a third below the written note.