gives the title, “Didone Abbandonata:  Scena Tragica” to his work.  The introductory Largo is sostenuto e patetico, while the Allegro which follows bears the superscription, deliberando e meditando; the Adagio is dolente; and the Allegro Finale, agitato e con disperazione.  The music expresses throughout the sorrow and despair of the forsaken queen, while certain wild passages (as for example the coda of the first Allegro) tell also of her anger.  This Allegro is an admirably sustained movement, and, at moments, the composer rises to the height of his argument.  It is interesting, too, from a technical point of view, for there is no empty display.  Whatever degree of inspiration may be accorded to the music, it will surely be acknowledged that the composer was full of his theme; that all his powers of head and heart were engaged in the task of illustration.  This “Dido” sonata, of course, suffers if compared with those of Clementi’s great contemporary; and some of the writing is formal and old-fashioned, and, at times, too thin to attract the sympathy or to excite the interest of pianists of the present day, who enjoy the richer inheritance of Beethoven, the romantic tone-pictures of Schumann and Brahms, the fascinating miniatures of Chopin, and the clever glitter of Liszt.  Still it does not deserve utter oblivion.  Hear what Fr. Rochlitz says of it in the Allg.  Mus.  Zeit.:  “It (the sonata) is indeed a tragic scene, one so clearly thought out and so definitely expressed, that it is by no means difficult—­not only in each movement, but in its various divisions—­to follow literally the course of changing feeling which is here developed.”

Schindler, with regard to the work, also remarks as follows:  “Who understands nowadays how to interpret this musical soul-picture (written unfortunately in old stereotyped sonata-form!)?  At best, glancing hastily over it, a pianist carelessly remarks that the poetical contents of this sonata are only expressed in the title.”  And again:  “In the year 1827, at Baden, near Vienna, Clementi gave me details respecting the contents and interpretation of this tone-poem.  A new edition of the work by J. Andre of Offenbach enabled me to insert a preface with the explanations of the veteran master."[84] And further, as a tone-picture expressing states of the soul, he knows “of no other work entitled sonata more worthy of a place beside those of Beethoven.”

II.  Johann Ludwig Dussek

This composer comes next to Clementi, in order of time, and, we may add, of merit.  His natural gifts really exceeded those of Clementi; but the latter made a deep study of his art, and also of the pianoforte, to which, indeed, like Chopin, he devoted his whole attention.  Dussek was fond of ease and pleasure, and never developed his powers to the full.  It may be noted that both these celebrated pianists were connected with English music-publishing houses.