Here are the numbers of the sonatas of Op. 14:  11 (20), 12 (21), 13 (22), 14 (23), 15 (24), 16 (25).  And here are the keys and movements—­

     No. 1.  Allegro con brio in G; Minuetto, G; Trio, G minor;
     Presto.

     No. 2.  Allegro moderato in E flat; Minuetto, E flat; Trio, E
     flat minor; Presto.

     No. 3.  Moderato in F; Adagio, B flat; Tempo di Menuetto.

     No. 4.  Allegro in A; Adagio; Tempo di Minuetto con
     Variazione.

     No. 5.  Moderato in E; Presto.

     No. 6.  Allegro moderato in B minor; Tempo di Minuetto;
     Presto.

During the eighteenth century, both in Italy and Germany, sonatas in two movements were common, but with Haydn the reduction in No. 5 probably was made on practical, and not artistic grounds.  Schindler once asked Beethoven why he had only two movements to his Sonata in C minor (Op. 111), and the master replied—­probably with a twinkle in his eye—­that he had not had time for a third.

If these sonatas of 1776 be compared with earlier ones (1767), an immense improvement in the development sections will be observed.  In the earliest but one of the master’s sonatas—­No. 2 (30)—­the whole of the middle section is in the principal key.  No. 4 (Op. 14) has all three movements connected,—­a plan, as we have already seen, adopted by E. Bach in some of his sonatas.  The sonata in question is in the key of A major.  The Allegro ends with an arpeggio dominant chord, and still in the same bar follows the dominant chord of the relative key of F sharp minor, leading directly to the Adagio; this movement, in its turn, closes on the dominant chord of A, the key, of course, of the final movement (Tempo di Minuetto con Variazioni).

In 1780 six sonatas were published by Artaria, and dedicated to the sisters Franziska and Marianne v.  Auenbrugger.  They are Nos. 20 (1), 21-24 (10-13), and 7 (14).  No. 20 (1) is a bright little work.  No. 21 (10) (C sharp minor) opens with an interesting movement.[75] The sonata ends with a beautiful Menuetto and Trio, in which the composer comes very near to Beethoven.  The middle movement is a Scherzando, and thereby hangs a little tale.  No. 24 (13) commences with the same theme.  When Haydn sent the sonatas to his publisher he called attention to this resemblance, and, in fact, requested that it should be mentioned on the inner side of the title-page.  And he added:  “I could, of course, have chosen a hundred other ideas in place of this one; but in order not to run any risk of blame on account of this intentional trifle (which the critics, and especially my enemies, will regard in a bad light), I make this avertissement.  Or please add some note of a similar kind, otherwise it may prove detrimental to the sale.”  No. 22 (11) has an opening Allegro in Haydn’s brightest manner.  The short Largo is quaint and expressive; the ff chord of the Neapolitan sixth is of fine effect.