The A flat sonata here, No 43, published in London in 1783 but almost probably composed a decade or so earlier, is a far slighter work. Indeed, with the autograph lost, some commentators have even doubted the sonata’s authenticity. If it is by Haydn, it shows the composer at his most blithely galant. The monothematic first movement has a certain amiable charm but none of Haydn’s usual sense of adventure or delight in surprise. Next comes a minuet that contrasts the mock-military dotted rhythms of the main part with a flowing, almost Schubertian Ländler trio. The most vividly Haydnesque movement is the racy Presto finale, a characteristic amalgam of rondo and variations. Near the end the main theme acquires a slightly zany twist with unscripted leaps to a higher octave.
from notes by Richard Wigmore © 2007
