From 1691 until 1705, in the years in which he wrote the four manuscript volumes of his keyboard works, Bernardo Pasquini (1637-1710) was at the height of his fame - organist of the 'Roman Senate and People', a successful composer in every musical genre, from opera to oratorio, from chamber cantata to sacred motet, from severe keyboard ricercare to new harpsichord suite in the galante style.

An artist at the forefront for almost 30 years, he shared fame with other emerging stars such as Alessandro Scarlatti and Arcangelo Corelli. He had a close relationship with the latter, often performing his oratorios, jointly conducting the orchestra from the harpsichord.

Conceived for the practical use of his nephew and pupil Bernardo Felice Ricordati, who later added the name Pasquini to his own, the 'Sonate per gravecembalo' (today preserved in the Berlin library, Landsberg Collection, and at the British Library in London), bear valuable testimony to the artist’s desire to offer posterity the ripe fruit of his talent. In this Pasquini anticipated Bach, who knew his keyboard works and who dedicated the last ten years of his life to the re-compilation and revision of most the works previously composed, so that this important work should not be lost because of changing tastes and fleeting fashions.