But what, it may be asked, is the character of the changes made by
Bach? The matter is of interest; by examining these sonatas, we get
some idea of the difference between letter and spirit. However, from
what we have said above, a mere imitation of these changes, in playing
Bach's music, would, in its turn, be letter rather than spirit.

As a rule the bass remains the same, though plain crotchets may become
quavers, as in extract from Sonata 1 given below, or notes turned into
broken octaves--

[Music illustration]

or, at times, some very slight alteration may occur, such as--

[Music illustration]

In the upper parts the changes are similar to those found in the
variations of Haydn and Mozart. An illustration will be better than
any explanation, and we accordingly give a brief extract from the 1st
Sonata: first the five bars of the Allegretto, as at the opening, then
as they are changed--

[Music illustration]

The publication of the set of six Leipzig collections of sonatas,
etc., commenced in 1779; but thirteen years previously, the composer
had published a set of "Sechs Leichte Clavier Sonaten," and these, in
one or two respects, are curious. The opening movement of No. 6 has no
double bars, and, therefore, no repeat of the first section. And
again, it has a coda pausing on the dominant chord and followed by an