he has strengthened the writing, and, in some cases, modernised it.  Dr. Prieger, who has seen some, if not all of the autographs, has assured us that “these additions only concern the exterior, and do not affect the fundamental, character of the work.”  This statement is, to a certain extent, satisfactory, and we receive it thankfully.  But a great deal of the writing is far ahead of the age in which it was written; it reminds one now of Weber, now of Schumann.  Why, one may ask, did not the editor indicate the additions in smaller notes?  Then it would have been possible to see exactly what the elder Rust had written, and what the younger Rust had added.  At present one can only marvel at some of the writing, and long to know how much of it really belongs to the composer.  It appears that Rust, as editor of his grandfather’s work, had some intention of describing his editions, etc., but death, which frequently prevents the best intentioned plans, intervened.

The “Sonata Erotica” is noticeable, generally, for its charm, poetry, and spontaneity.  The first movement, an Allegro moderato, is in sonata-form.  The second, in the key of the relative minor, entitled Fantasie, has in it more of the spirit of Beethoven than of Emanuel Bach.  The Finale is in rondo form; the middle section consists of a playful Duettino, containing free imitations.

The next sonata (1777), in D flat, opens with a graceful Allegretto, and closes with a Tempo di Minuetto, which, for the most part, points backward rather than forward.  The slow movement, Adagio sostenuto, is, however, of a higher order than either of these.  It has Beethovenish breadth and dignity, yet lacks the power of the Bonn master:  those magic touches by which the latter makes us feel his genius, and secures gradation of interest up to the very close of a movement.  This Adagio, however, were the date of its composition unknown, might pass for a very clever imitation of Beethoven’s style.

In 1784, Rust wrote two sonatas, one in F sharp minor, the other in B flat minor.  The latter consists of three movements, and the music, especially in the Adagio in E flat minor, bears traces of the great Bach; still there are passages which sound more modern even in this very Adagio, which points so clearly to him as the source of inspiration.  The modern element, however, admits of explanation, for Haydn and Mozart, at the time in which the sonata was written, had appeared in the musical firmament.  But in the works we are about to mention, the composer suggests Beethoven, Weber, and even Schumann.  In writing about Clementi, we were compelled frequently, and at the risk of wearying our readers, to call attention to foreshadowings of both the letter and spirit of Beethoven.  The cases of Clementi and Rust, however, are not quite parallel.  With the former it was mere foreshadowing; with exception of a few passages in which there was note resemblance between the two composers, the music still bore traces of Clementi’s mode of thought and style of writing.  But with Rust, there are moments in which it is really difficult to believe that the music belongs to a pre-Beethoven period.