Exception may perhaps be taken to the length of the first
movement, and to the prominence throughout the work, of the principal
key; but the evident desire of the composer to express something which
was inwardly moving him gives great interest to the music.

The sonata in B minor, Op. 40, is one of Clementi's most finished
productions. The name of Beethoven must again be mentioned; for depth
of meaning, boldness, style of development, and gradation of interest,
the music comes within measurable distance of the greater master. Not
only is there no padding, but here the technique serves a higher
purpose than that of display; there are no formal successions of
thirds, sixths, or octaves, no empty bravoura passages. The long
development section of the first movement, with its bold contrasts,
its varied presentation of thematic material, its peculiar mode of
dealing with fragments of a theme, and its long dwelling on dominant
harmony previous to the return of the principal theme,--all these
things remind one of Beethoven. This movement is followed by a Largo
(_mesto e patetico_) leading to the final Allegro. These two are
intimately connected; and, moreover, the latter includes reminiscences
from the introductory Adagio. After a brief reference to the Largo,
the movement concludes with a passionate Presto coda. In Mr.
Banister's _Life of Macfarren_ we learn that the latter considered the
B minor of Clementi "one of the finest sonatas ever written"; and many
musicians will, probably, agree with him.

Of the three last sonatas (Op. 50, Nos. 1, 2, and 3), it must be
remembered that when they appeared Beethoven had published up to Op.
106, and possibly Op. 109. If, then, in some of the earlier Clementi
sonatas we spoke of his influence on Beethoven, it is just the reverse
here. Nevertheless, of these sonatas which must have been known to
that master, one may have led him to think again of the idea of
revealing the poetic basis of his sonatas.[83] Clementi gives the
title, "Didone Abbandonata: Scena Tragica" to his work. The
introductory Largo is _sostenuto e patetico_, while the Allegro which
follows bears the superscription, _deliberando e meditando_; the
Adagio is _dolente_; and the Allegro Finale, _agitato e con
disperazione_. The music expresses throughout the sorrow and despair
of the forsaken queen, while certain wild passages (as for example the
coda of the first Allegro) tell also of her anger. This Allegro is an
admir