hich took place between 1683, when
Corelli published his first sonatas, and 1740, when E. Bach composed
his first set. Instances were given of sonatas in three movements by
Corelli, but with that composer _four_ was the normal number; with E.
Bach, _three_. This change came about in great measure through the
concerto. From E. Bach, we are able to show the links in the chain of
development: Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven; but though between
Kuhnau, the first writer of sonatas for the clavier, and Bach, B.
Pasquini wrote, as mentioned in the last chapter, sonatas in three
movements, yet we have no knowledge that Bach was acquainted with
them. Kuhnau, in fact, however interesting a phenomenon in the musical
firmament, is not necessary to explain the appearance of Bach. Joh.
Sebastian Bach was undoubtedly acquainted with the "Bible" Sonatas. He
must have admired them, but he may have been afraid of the freedom of
form which they displayed, and of their tendency to programme-music;
and perhaps he did not speak of them to his sons, lest they should be
led astray. For, as we have already mentioned, Sebastian Bach seems to
have yielded for a moment to the Kuhnau influence, but, if we may
judge from his subsequent art-work, he did not feel satisfied that it
was a good one.

In 1742, E. Bach dedicated the six sonatas (composed in 1740) to
Frederick the Great. The title-page runs thus:--

Sei Sonate
per Cembalo
che all' Augusta Maesta
di
Frederico II.
Re di Prussia
D.D.D.
l'Autore
Carlo Filippo Emanuele Bach
Musico di Camera di S.M.
Alle spese di Balth. Schmid
in Norimberga.

And in the obsequious dedication, the composer describes them as works
"debolissimo Talento mio." As Bach's earliest published sonatas, they
are, for our purpose, of special interest. Their order is as
follows:--

Sonata 1, in F Poco Allegro, Andante, Vivace.
" 2, " B flat Vivace, Adagio, Allegro assai.
" 3, " E Poco Allegro, Adagio, Presto.
" 4, " C minor Allegro, Adagio, Presto.
" 5, " C Poco Allegro, Andante, Allegro assai.
" 6, " A Allegro, Adagio, Allegro.

The first and last movements of all six are in binary form. In the
five major sonatas, the first sections close in the key of the
dominant, and in the one minor sonata (No. 4), in the relative major.
The opening movement of each sonata is in early sonata-form: the
second section starts with the princip