The Pianoforte Sonata is J. S. Shedlock’s study of the history of the sonata as a form for the keyboard, tracing its origins and growth from the early masters through its great flowering. The book follows the form from its precursors to its full realisation in the works of the classical composers.
Shedlock examines the contributions of figures such as Domenico Scarlatti, C. P. E. Bach, Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven, charting how the sonata evolved in structure and expression. Scholarly yet readable, the book illuminates one of the central forms of instrumental music. As a careful history of the keyboard sonata, it remains a valuable study for pianists and students of musical form.