Johann Kuhnau published a sonata for clavier in 1695, and this was
followed up by a set of seven sonatas ("Frische Früchte") in 1696, and
a few years later (1700) by the seven "Bible" Sonatas. That he was the
first composer who wrote a sonata for the clavier is a point which
cannot be overlooked, and in the evolution of the sonata he occupies
an interesting position. In the "Frische Früchte" there is, as Dr.
C.H. Parry truly remarks in his excellent article "Sonata" in Sir G.
Grove's _Dictionary of Music and Musicians_, an awakening sense of the
relation and balance of keys; but in the "Bible" Sonatas the form and
order of the movements is entirely determined by the Bible stories. As
specimens of programme-music they are altogether remarkable, and will,
later on, be described in detail; they do not, however, come within
the regular line of development. It was, of course, natural that such
a new departure should attract the notice of John Sebastian Bach, who
was Kuhnau's immediate successor as cantor of St. Thomas' School,
Leipzig, and Spitta, in his life of Bach, refers to that composer's
_Capriccio sopra la lontananza del suo fratello dilettissimo_, and
reminds us that "Kuhnau as well as so many others had some influence
on Bach." Of course, among the "so many others," Froberger's name--as
we shall see later on from Kuhnau's preface--deserves a prominent
place. In addition to what Kuhnau says, Mattheson has recorded that
"Froberger could depict whole histories on the clavier, giving a
representation of the persons present and taking part in them, with
all their natural characters." When writing the Capriccio above named,
Spitta believes that Bach was specially influenced by the last of the
"Bible" Sonatas (we may perhaps add that Spitta tells us that Bach
was intimately acquainted with Kuhnau). He indeed says: "We might
doubt the early origin of the Capriccio if its evident 'dependence' on
Kuhnau did not solve the mystery." Then, again, in a Sonata in D by