The Pianoforte Sonata Part 19

[53] "Si puo fare a Due Cembali."

[54] See the _Novello Alb.u.m_.

[55] See the _Novello Alb.u.m_.

[56] The post was offered to Bach in 1738, while Frederick was as yet Crown Prince, but he only entered on his duties in 1740.

[57] The four sons of Hans Georg Benda (Franz, Johann, Georg, and Joseph) were excellent musicians, and all members of the band of Frederick the Great. Georg, the third son, composer of _Ariadne_ and _Medea_, two _duodramas_ which attracted the attention of Mozart, was, however, the most remarkable.

[58] Cf. Carlyle's _Frederick the Great_, vol. iv. p. 134:--"Graun, one of the best judges living, is likewise off to Italy, gathering singers."

[59] The symphonies appear to be three-movement overtures transcribed for clavier. As a rule, the pieces marked as symphonies in this collection have no double bars, and, consequently, no repeat in the first movement. A "symphony" of Emanuel Bach is, however, marked as a "sonata" in the _Six Lessons for the Harpsichord_, published in London during the eighteenth century.

[60] The king was extremely fond of Ha.s.se's music, but this composer, though German by birth, was thoroughly Italian by training.

[61] Yet, curiously, there is no chord in the later sonatas so large as the two on page 29 (6th Sonata)--

[Music ill.u.s.tration] and [Music ill.u.s.tration]

which, of course, are played in arpeggio.

[62] Excepting in the fifth, which, by the way, was, for a long time, considered to be the composition of J.S. Bach, and was published as such by J.C. Westphal & Co. This return to the opening theme is to be found already in the sonatinas for violin and cembalo by G.P. Telemann published at Amsterdam in 1718. See Allegro of No. 1, in A; the main theme is given as usual in the key of the dominant at the beginning of the second section. Then after a modulation to the key of the relative minor, a return is made to the opening key and the opening theme.

[63] Similar pa.s.sages are to be found in the opening Vivace of J.G.

Muthel's 2nd Sonata in G. He was a pupil of J.S. Bach, and either a pupil or close follower of E. Bach. His six published sonatas are of great musical interest; in his wide sweeping arpeggios and other florid pa.s.sages he shows an advance on E. Bach. His 2nd Arioso with twelve variations is worth the notice of pianists in search of something unfamiliar. There are features in the music--and of these the character of the theme is not least--which remind one strongly of Beethoven's 32 C minor variations.

[64] A recitative is also to be found in a Muller sonata.

[65] "In tempo in cui ebbi l'onore di darle Lezzione di Musica in Berlino."

[66] "The two sonatas, which met with your special approval, are the only ones of this kind which I have ever composed. They are connected with the one in B minor, which I sent to you, with the one in B flat, which you now have also, and with two out of the Hafner-Wurtemberg Collection; and all six were composed on a Claviacord with the short octave, at the Toplitz baths, when I was suffering from a severe attack of gout."

A series of six sonatas by E. Bach is in the _Tresor des Pianistes_, and is said to have been published at Nuremberg in 1744; the work is also dedicated to the Duke of Wurtemberg, and the Opus number (2) is also given to it. There is mention of these sonatas in Bitter's biography of J.S. Bach's sons, but not of the others.

[67] Sechs ausgewahlte Sonaten fur Klavier allem von Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach bearbeitet und mit einem Vorwort herausgegeben von Hans von Bulow (Peters, Leipzig).

[68] In like manner he feels in the Andante, _reflection_, and in the final Andantino, _melancholy consolation_.

[69] _Leipziger Mus. Almanack_, 1783.

[70] The number of sonatas in each collection grew gradually smaller: first six, then three, lastly two. The dates of composition in the last column of above table may be studied with advantage: a later date of publication does not necessarily imply a more advanced work. Thus, of the three fine sonatas in the 3rd Collection (all of which are included in the Bulow selection), one was written eighteen, another fifteen, and the third (though first in order of reckoning), seven years before the date of publication (1781).

[71] See particularly the Sonata in G (collection of 1783).

[72] All of these consist of two movements; in the first, both movements are marked Andante.

[73] For the benefit of readers who may not possess Pohl's _J. Haydn_, we insert in brackets, after the Pohl numbers, those of the Holle edition.

[74] Cf. C.F. Pohl's _J. Haydn_, vol. ii. p. 311. They are in the keys of D, E flat, and A, and are interesting. The Tempo di Menuetto of the second presents a strict canon in the octave. In the last, too, there is a curious canon.

[75] The treble of the tenth bar of the second section has been frequently printed a third too high.

[76] This Sonata in E flat (Op. 78) was dedicated to Mrs. Bartolozzi, wife of the famous engraver, and to her Haydn also dedicated one in C major, marked as Op. 79,--a bright, clever and showy work, in which the influence of Clementi is sensibly felt. The development section of the opening Allegro, together with the return to the princ.i.p.al theme, is interesting. The Adagio, in the key of the subdominant, is one of Haydn's best, while the final movement (Allegro molto) is full of life and humour.

[77] "Clementi is a charlatan, _like all the Italians_" (Letter to his sister, June 7, 1783).

[78] It is thirty-five years since the fine one in B minor was performed at the Popular Concerts; and eighteen, since a Clementi sonata has appeared on a Popular Concert programme.

[79] The three Sonatas in E flat, F minor, and D, dedicated to Maximilian Frederick, Elector of Cologne, and published at Speyer in 1783, are not here taken into account.

[80] In mentioning any of them we shall first give the Breitkopf & Hartel numbers and then the Holle numbers in brackets, so that either edition may be referred to.

[81] At the time of their production Dussek was not born, Hummel was still a child, and Beethoven an infant "mewling and puking in the nurse's arms," if, indeed, the Beethovens were able to afford the luxury of a nurse. Even Emanuel Bach had not published any of his Leipzig Collections, neither had Haydn written his best sonatas. As Clementi was not only the survivor of Beethoven, but also his predecessor, a reminder as to the state of the sonata world, when Clementi first entered it, is not wholly unnecessary.

[82] London Symphony in E flat, No. 8 (No. 1 in Breitkopf & Hartel _Catalogue_).

[83] See p. 187 concerning Beethoven's conversation with Schindler.

[84] Schindler, _Biography of Beethoven_, 3rd ed. vol. ii. pp. 223-4.

[85]

HAMBURGH, _June 12, 1801._

MR. CLEMENTI, MON CHER CLEMENTI,--

J'ai recu avec un extreme plaisir votre lettre, aussi que _L'Autoscript_ dans celle de ma femme, je suis extremement touche du desir que vous temoignez de me revoir a Londres, mais etant une fois dans le Continent je ne puis resister au desir de faire une visite a mon Pere, d'autant plus qui je Lui ai deja ecrit que je viendrai pour Sure le voir cette etee, je scais par Ses lettres qu'il attend ce moment comme la plus grande, et peut-etre, la derniere jouissance de sa Vie; tromper dans une pareille attente un Viellard de 70 ans, ce serait anticiper sur sa mort, d'ailleurs en arrivant en Angleterre tout de suite je ne ferais egalement que manger mon argent, ou bien celui de ma femme jusqu'a l'hiver prochain, aussi ma resolution est prise de faire le Voyage de la Boheme; voire en pa.s.sant Dresde, Prague et Vienne, ou je scais que je puis gagner de quoi me defrayer de tout mon voyage, et au dela: et de revenir a Londres vers le Novembre, vous pouvez compter ladessus, mais surtout sur le plaisir que j'aurai de revoir et d'embra.s.ser un ami tel que vous--Mardi prochain part d'ici pour Londres un commis de Mr. Parish _un des premiers Banquiers d'ici_ qui vous remetra en mains propres, par un de vos a.s.socies, mes trois nouvelles Sonates,--je suis occupe a metre au net. Les trois Concertinos qui vous recevrez aussi dans une quinzaine au plus tard, dont j'espere qui vous serez a.s.sez content, etant le meilleur ouvrage que j'ai jamais fait _in the Selling Way_, adieu mon cher Clementi, Les oreilles doivent souvent vous tinter, car je parle constamment de vous a tout le monde, car tout le monde aime qu'on leur parle de leurs connaissances, or vous etes de la connaissance de tout le monde, adieu.

Votre ami,

DUSSEK.

MESSRS LONGMAN, CLEMENTI, & CO., GENTELMEN AND FRIENDS,--

I beg you would do your possible to send to me the two grand instruments immediately, for the two Gentelmen whom I have persuaded to purchase them after they have heard my own, are very impatient about it, and I am afraid if I do not receive a decided Answer from you about it or the _connois.e.m.e.nt_, wich I may Show them, they will be induced to Buy some of their German Instruments as they are pretty well influenced by the Capel Master of this Town who is a tolerable great As in Music and an illnatured Antianglomane, besides I expect it as the means to make my Journey to Bohemia, therefore I hope you will be so good, and make the greatest Speed you can--you will see by the above that I intend to be in London about November Next, when I will be very happy to settle with you what may Balance in our account and to continue faithfull to our agreement.

Believe me,

Gentelmen and Friends,

Yours faithfully,

DUSSEK.

You have no Idea how many proposals I have received from London about my Compositions, some of them will make you Laugh.

[86]

AT THE GENERAL QUARTERS OF THE PRUSSIAN ARMY IN SAXONY, _the 4th 8ber 1806_.