Beethoven's Piano Sonata in E, Op. 109

In this exhaustive study of the sources for Beethoven's Piano Sonata Op. 109, Nicholas Marston suggests a unique way of understanding this major composition. Using letters, sketchbooks and other contemporary material, he builds up a detailed picture of Beethoven's compositional progress on the sonata. Detailed analysis of sketches and their relevance to the final version provides the core of the analytical study. The notion of `sketch' is also extended beyond Op. 109. The book is copiously illustrated with detailed transcriptions from the manuscript sources and many music examples.