With regard to the number of movements, all except two of the eighteen
sonatas have three; the second and third of the 2nd Collection have
only two.

John Christian Bach, or the "London" Bach, as he was called, dedicated
his fifth work, consisting of six sonatas "Pour le clavecin ou
pianoforte," to Ernst, Duke of Mecklenburg. This cannot have been
before 1759, as that was the year in which the composer came to
London. He describes himself on the title-page as--"Maître de Musique
de S.M. la Reine d'Angleterre." These sonatas, as we learn from the
dedication, were written for the "amusement" of the Duke. The first,
third, and fourth have each only two movements. They remind us less of
E. Bach than of Haydn's early style. There is some very fresh,
pleasing writing in them. No. 5 has some excellent practising
passages, and perhaps the following--

[Music illustration]

may have suggested to Cramer his first study. The middle movement of
No. 6 is a vigorous double Fugue; the whole sonata is, indeed, one of
the finest of the set.

A Sonata in D, by Wilhelm Friedmann Bach, is commented on by Dr. Parry
in his "Sonata" dictionary article. There is another one in C major, a
fresh and vigorous example of a musician whose powers were never fully
developed.

The sonatas of Pietro Domenico Paradies (_b._ 1710), a contemporary of
E. Bach, are of interest. They were published in London by John
Johnson, and bear the title, "Sonate di gravicembalo dedicate a sua