by HAROLD CRAXTON
This Sonata (No. 14 in Franklin Taylor's edition) admirably illustrates Haydn's historical position as a composer of clavier sonatas in the line Scarlatti - C.P.E. Bach - Haydn - Beethoven. In some of his piano sonatas he is more advanced than Mozart; indeed, in some he seems to anticipate the post-Beethovenian romantics. This charming work is not one of them; it is a clear-cut ' harpsichord style' sonata ; but its adagio should certainly help to dispel the popular idea that Haydn wrote only ' tum-tum ' slow movements.
Another interesting point about this adagio : instead of coming to an orthodox close, it runs without a break into the final minuet.