Of Pasquini as a performer on the harpsichord, Mattheson relates “how on his visit to Rome he found Corelli playing the violin, Pasquini the harpsichord, and Gattani the lute, all in the orchestra of the Opera-house.”  And, once more, in the notice of Pasquini in the same dictionary, we are informed that the composer “exercised a certain influence on German musicians.”  In C.F.  Weitzmann’s Geschichte des Clavierspiels there is an interesting reference to some Toccatas of Pasquini published in “Toccates et suites pour le clavecin de MM.  Pasquini, Paglietti et Gaspard Kerle, Amsterdam, Roger, 1704.”  A Toccata was published (most probably one of those in the above work) by I. Walsh in his

Second Collection
of
Toccates, Vollentarys and Fugues
made on purpose for the
Organ and Harpsichord
Compos’d by
Pasquini, Polietti
and others
The most Eminent Foreign Authors.

Of Polietti,[49] court organist at Vienna before J.S.  Bach was born, Emil Naumann has, by the way, given an interesting account in an article “Ein bisher unbekannt gebliebener Vorgaenger Seb.  Bach’s unter den Italienern” (Neue Berl.  Mus.-Ztg. Jahrgang 29).  The Toccatas of Pasquini, published by Roger, and a so-called “Sonata,"[50] printed by Weitzmann in the work just referred to, constitute, we believe, all that has hitherto appeared in print of this composer.

And yet surely Pasquini may lay claim to a place in the history of instrumental music and the sonata, for he not only wrote suites, but also sonatas for the harpsichord, or, to be quite exact, for two harpsichords.  Some, at any rate, of his music is to be found in the British Museum.  There are three volumes (Add.  MSS. 31,501-3).  On the fly-leaf of the first is written:—­

“Ad Usum Bernardi Felicij Ricordati de Baggiano in Etruria.”

Then comes in pencil a note probably made when the volumes came into the possession of the British Museum:—­

“These are original MSS. by the hand of Bernardo Pasquini, 1637-1710, the greatest organist of Italy in the second half of the 17th century, and written for his nephew B. Ricordati.  They are the only MSS. of Pasquini known to be in Europe.  This vol. is dated at the end, Dec. 3, 1704; at the beginning, May 6, 1703.”

And now for its contents.  The first piece is a short suite,[51] consisting of a Tastata (the old term for Prelude), a Corrente and an Aria; and it shows that Pasquini could write homophonic as well as polyphonic music.  Then follows a piece in the key of D major, headed

     “A due Cembali, 1704, Bernardo Pasquini,”

which consists of three movements.  First one commencing with chords, after which, fugal imitation.  Next we have a fugal movement, like the preceding one, in common time; lastly, one in six-eight time.  All three movements are in the same key.  The part for each cembalo is written on a separate stave, the one below the other.  Only the bass notes are written, and the upper parts are indicated by figures.  But this will be clearer presently, for we shall give one or more illustrations.  At the close of the six-eight movement is written fine, and on the following page another piece begins in C major, marked merely 2a, commencing thus:—­