What is the 'double return' in Scarlatti's music?

What is the 'double return' in Scarlatti's music?

• A. A return to the original key and main motif
• B. A repeated tonic pedal
• C. A variation form with two theme statements
• D. A type of cadential embellishment

Answer: (A)

The key idea is that a double return shows the music coming back to its opening material in the home key after a contrasting middle section. In Scarlatti’s keyboard pieces, you often start with a lively main motif in the original key, wander through related keys in a secondary area, and then bring that same main idea back in the tonic. The “double” aspect highlights that this return to the original key and motif happens prominently, reinforcing symmetry and cohesion in the movement. So the best description is a return to the original key and the main motif. The other options describe different features (a sustained pedal, a form built on two new theme statements, or decorative cadential filling) that aren’t capturing this characteristic return of material in the home key.

The key idea is that a double return shows the music coming back to its opening material in the home key after a contrasting middle section. In Scarlatti’s keyboard pieces, you often start with a lively main motif in the original key, wander through related keys in a secondary area, and then bring that same main idea back in the tonic. The “double” aspect highlights that this return to the original key and motif happens prominently, reinforcing symmetry and cohesion in the movement. So the best description is a return to the original key and the main motif. The other options describe different features (a sustained pedal, a form built on two new theme statements, or decorative cadential filling) that aren’t capturing this characteristic return of material in the home key.