The Pianoforte Sonata: Its Origin and Development — John Shaqi
The Pianoforte Sonata: Its Origin and DevelopmentShedlock, J. S. (John South)
History
The Pianoforte Sonata: Its Origin and Development
Shedlock, J. S. (John South)
Sonatas (Piano) -- History and criticism
From the two collections, etc., may be gathered many facts of
interest. First, as regards the number and character of movements in a
sonata. Emanuel Bach kept, for the most part, to three: two fast
movements, divided by a slow one.[23] In the second of his Leipzig
collections (1780), there are two with only two movements (Nos. 2 and
3; a few bars connecting the two movements of No. 3). But among other
composers there are many examples; in some sonatas, the first movement
is a slow one; in others, both movements are quick, in which case the
second one is frequently a minuet.[24] All twelve sonatas of Paradies
have only two movements.
Of sonatas in three movements, some commence with a slow movement
followed by two quick movements.[25] (In one instance, in E. Bach's
sonatas, the 1st Collection, No. 2, in F, we even find two slow
movements followed by a quick one, Andante, Larghetto, Allegro assai.)
But the greater number had the usual order:--Allegro or Allegretto,
Andante or Adagio, and Allegro or Presto. Thus Hasse, Nichelmann,
Benda, and other composers. Now in E. Bach's Wuertemberg sonatas we
found all three movements were in the same key, and there are similar
cases in Hasse, Fried. Bach, Joh. Ernst Bach, etc.; but for the most
part, the middle (slow) movement was in some nearly related key; in a
sonata commencing in major--in the relative, or tonic minor, or minor
under-dominant; and even (as in a sonata by Adlgasser) in the
upper-dominant. Joh. C.F. Bach, in one instance, selected the minor
key of the upper-dominant, and there are examples of more remote keys
(E. Bach, Coll. of 1780, No. 1). With sonatas commencing in minor, the
key selected for the middle movement was generally the relative major
of the under-dominant, or that of the tonic; sometimes even tonic
major. A very extraordinary example of a remote key is to be met with
in Bach's Collection of 1779, No. 3: his opening movement is B minor,
but his middle one, G minor.[26]
It should be mentioned with regard to sonatas in three movements
commencing in a minor key, that the last generally (in works of this
period) remains and ends in minor. In modern sonatas the major is
often found, at any rate before the close (see Beethoven, Op. 10, No.
1, etc.).
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