Muzio Clementi’s Sonata in A major

Using Muzio Clementi’s Sonata in A major, Op. 50, no. 1 and any piano sonata written between 1760 and
1780, identify the stylistic and formal characteristics of each and then compare and contrast them. Did styles
change, and if so, how? What factors contributed to any changes or similarities? Write your answer in an essay
of no fewer than 500 words and no more than 750. You may include a chart of stylistic characteristics as an
illustration, but the chart does not count toward the overall word count.
This assignment assesses your mastery of the following learning objectives:
MLO 7.3 Evaluate stylistic characteristics analyzed in a representative chamber music composition from the
early 19th century against the prevailing styles used in works written between 1760 and 1780.
CO 3 Trace the development of musical styles, genres, and forms during the mid- to late-18th century using
representative examples.
CO 4 Explain in-depth the stylistic characteristics of individual composers, genres, and forms from the mid- to
late-18th century using representative examples.
Downs, Philip G. Classical Music: The Era of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. New York: W. W. Norton, 1992.
Chapter 27 – The Great Works of the Final Decade, pp. 500-550