in one place, the three
staves, and a few passages, show the influence of Liszt, the pianist
_par excellence_ of the days in which this sonata was written; but the
movement has, in addition to romantic charm, individuality. It
commences in B minor; then after a short expressive passage in major,
an arpeggio chord leads directly to the Scherzo; the following shows
the outward connection between the two movements--

[Music illustration: Commencement of Andante theme.]

[Music illustration: Scherzo.]

This bright, clever Scherzo, with its soft Schubertian trio, need not
detain us. The final Allegro is preceded by a short introduction, in
which the chief theme and other material of the Finale are set forth.
The connection between this and the earlier movements of the sonata is
not evident, like the one, for instance, already noticed, between the
Andante and the Scherzo; with research, and possibly some imagination,
relationship might, however, be traced. We are far from asserting that
movements of a sonata ought to be visibly connected; after all, the
true bond of union must be a spiritual one. But if an attempt be made
in that direction, surely the opening and closing movements are those
which, by preference, should be selected. In his Op. 28 Beethoven
seems to have evolved the themes of all four movements from the first;
in Op. 106 and Op. 109, connection is clear between the first and last
movements. Such an experiment was safe in the hands of Beethoven, and
Brahms has never allowed it to become a mannerism; but second-rate
composers, and superficial listeners run the danger of mistaking the
shadow for the substance. To this matter we shall, however, soon
return. Many references have been made to the composers who have
influenced Brahms, yet we cannot resist naming one more. The opening
section of this Allegro Finale reminds one more than once of the
corresponding section in Clementi's fine Sonata in B minor. The music
of this concluding movement is clever.

The 3rd sonata (Op. 5) is in F minor. The Allegro opens with a wild,
sinister theme, and one which even casts a shadow over the calm,
hope-inspiring strains afterwards heard in the orthodox key of the
relative major. The tender melodies and soft chromatic colouring which
fill the remainder of the exposition section show strong feeling for
contrast. Again, storm and stress alternate with comparative calm in
the development section. The Andante expressivo bears the