The Sonata, Its Form and Meaning, as Exemplified in Mozart's Piano Sonatas

What it is

This is a book written by F. Helena Marks in 1921, published in London, offering a descriptive analysis of Mozart's piano sonatas and their musical form. It includes a bibliography and musical examples, and opens with a portrait of Mozart drawn by Dora Stock during his 1789 visit to Dresden.

Why it matters

This is a secondary source: it was written over a century after Mozart's death to help students understand the structure of his music. It shows how later generations of musicians and scholars studied and taught Mozart's work, keeping his compositions central to musical education long after his lifetime.

Look closer

• Why might a writer in 1921 want to analyze Mozart's sonatas in such detail?
• What does the inclusion of a portrait by Dora Stock suggest about how the author wanted readers to picture Mozart?
• How might a scholarly analysis differ from hearing or playing the music itself?