Publisher Description

Mozart's piano sonatas form a richly diverse and significant part of his instrumental output, and span much of his mature composing career, thereby representing a microcosm of the composer's changing style. Part I examines the contexts in which the sonatas were composed and performed, and reviews likely sources of influence. Part II concentrates on the genesis of the sonatas and the surviving autographs, which reveal important information about Mozart's compositional process. In Part III the music is studied from the standpoint of rhetoric - a discipline featured in numerous contemporary aesthetic and theoretical textbooks on music - and proceeds through an investigation of the nature of the musical ideas, followed by a discussion of formal design and finally a consideration of the style. The resulting picture affords a cross-section of Mozart's compositional strategies.

Table of Contents

Preface; Acknowledgements; Abbreviations; Part I. Contexts: 1. The solo sonata in context; 2. Stylistic models for Mozart's sonatas; Part II. Sources: 3 Six sonatas, K.279-84; 4. Three sonatas, K.309-11; 5. Four sonatas, K.330-2, K.333; 6. Fantasia and Sonata in C minor, K.475 and 457; 7. Later Viennese sonatas: K.533 and 494, K.545, K.570, K.576; 8. Fragments: Part III. Style: 9. Eighteenth-century views of sonata form; 10. Pre-compositional choices - the rhetorical inventio; 11. Dispositio: rhetoric and design; 12. The rhetorical elocutio; Notes, Select bibliography; Index.

Review

'Irving's book functions in part as a ready reference guide. As well as a rundown on the sources for each sonata, particularly noteworthy for its attention to the evidence provided by ink shadings for Mozart's manner of compsoing, there is some interesting prefatory material that considers possible stylistic models for the Mozart sonatas.' W. Dean Sutcliffe, Times Literary Supplement

Review Quote

"Performers and scholars who have spent years in the companionship of these sonatas will find Irving's study a useful entry point into their sources and recent critical literature." Michelle Fillion, Notes

Promotional "Headline"

An examination of Mozart's piano sonatas, showing them to be a microcosm of the composer's changing style.

Description for Bookstore

Mozart's piano sonatas form a richly diverse and significant part of his instrumental output and span much of his mature composing career, thereby representing a microcosm of the composer's changing style. Issues such as the conflicts of the works, their genesis and rhetoric are examined, resulting in a comprehensive cross-section of Mozart's comprehensive strategies.

Description for Library

Mozart's piano sonatas form a richly diverse and significant part of his instrumental output and span much of his mature composing career, thereby representing a microcosm of the composer's changing style. Issues such as the conflicts of the works, their genesis and rhetoric are examined, resulting in a comprehensive cross-section of Mozart's comprehensive strategies.

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