The Pianoforte Sonata / Its Origin and Development

A chronological survey traces the evolution of the keyboard sonata from early keyed instruments through Baroque and Classical practice to Beethoven and nineteenth-century romantic composers, and notes English developments. It profiles a range of composers and situates their works in a progression of forms while emphasizing transitional experiments. Analytical attention is given to typical movement patterns and orders, key relationships between movements, and the shift in instrumentation and technique, concluding with discussion of later types such as duet sonatas, sonatinas, and modern sonata forms.