Grove's dictionary of music and musicians

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SONATA 515
position, but this is not sufifioiently definite in
the inference it affords to throw much light on
any ti-aiisition or assimilation of -violin sonataform
to clavier sonata-form. Galuppi's adoption
of a movement of clear sonata-qualities in this
place supplies exactly the link that was needed ;
and the fugal or canzona type of movement
being so supplanted, nothing further was necessary
but expansion, and the omission of the
introductory Adagio (which probably was not
so well adapted to the earlier keyed instruments
as to the violin), to anive at the principle of
distribution adopted in the palmiest days of
formalism. Later, with a more powerful instrument,
the introductory slow movement was often
reintroduced. Galuppi's third movement is in
a solid march style, and the last is a Giga.
All of them are harmonically constructed, and
the whole work is soUd and of sterling musical
worth.
Dr. Ame was born only four years after
Galuppi, and was amenable to the same general
influences. The structure of his sonatas emphasises
the fact above mentioned, that though
the order of movements was passing through a
phase of uncertainty their internal structure was
growing more and more distinct and uniform.
His first sonata, in F, has two movements, Andante
and Allegro; both of which follow harmonically
the lines of binary form. The second, in E
minor, has three movements. Andante, Adagio,
Allegrissimo. The first and last are on the
binary lines, and the middle one in simple
primary form. The third Sonata consists of a
long vague introduction of arpeggios, elaborated
inamannercharaoteristic of the time, an Allegro
which has only one subject but is on the binary
lines, and a Minuet and two Variations. The
fourth Sonata is in some respects the most interesting.
It consists of an Andante, Siciliano,
Fuga, and Allegro. The first is of continuous
character but nevertheless in binary form, without
the strong emphasis on the points of division
between the sections. It deserves notice for
its expressiveness and clearness of thought.
The second movement is very short, but pretty
and expressive, of a character similar toexamples
of Handel's tenderer moods. The last movement
is particularly to be noticed, not only for
being decisively in binary form, but for the ingenuity
with which that form is manipulated.
The first section is represented by the main subject
in the treble, the second (which is clearly
marked in the dominant key) has the same
subject in the bass, a device adopted also more
elaborately by W. Friedemann Bach. The
second half begins with consistent development
and modulation, and the recapitulation is
happily managed by making the main subject
represent both sections at once in a, short passage
of canon. Others of Arne's sonatas afford
similar though less dear examples, which it is
superfluous to consider in detail ; for neither
the matter nor the handling is so good in them as
in those above described, most of which, though
not rich in thought or treatment, nor impressive
in character, have genuine traits of musical
expression and clearness of workmanship.
In the same year with Dr. Ame was born
Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, the eldest son of
John Sebastian. He was probably the most
gifted, the most independent, and unfortunately
the wildest and most unmanageable of that remarkable
family. Few of his compositions are
known, and it is said that he would not take the
trouble to write unless he was driven to it. Two
sonatas exist, which are of different type, and
probably represent different periods of his
chequwed career. One in D major, for its richness,
elaborateness, expressiveness, is well worthy
of the scion of so great a stock ; theotheris rather
cheap, and though masterly in handling and
disposition of structural elements, hasmore tiaces
of the elegance which was creeping over the
world of music than of the grave and earnest
nobleness of his father and similar representatives
of the grand period. The first, in D, is
probably the most remarkable example, before
Beethoven, of original ingenuity manipulating
sonata-form under the influence of fugal associations
and by means of contrapuntal devices.
The whole is worked out with careful and
intelligible reasoning, but to such an elaborate
extent that it is quite out of the question to
give even a complete outline of its contents.
The movements are three— TJn poco allegro.
Adagio, Vivace. The first and last are speculative
experiments in binary form. The first
half in each represents the balance of expository
sections in tonic and complementary keys. The
main subject of the first reappears in the bass
in the second section, with a new phase of
the original accompaniment in the upper parts.
The development portion is in its usual place,
but the recapitulation is tonally reversed. The
first subject and section is given in a relative key
to balance the complementary key of the second
section, and the secondsection is given in the original
key or tonic of the movement ; so that instead
of repeating one section and transposing the
other in recapitulation^ they are both transposed
analogously. In each of the three movements
the ends of the halves correspond, and not only
this but the graceful little figure appended to
the cadence is the same in all the movements,
establishing thereby a very delicate but sensible
connection between them. This figure is as
follows :
i%=J^>^^
§^=m^=
fi^.^^^
etc.