INTRODUCTION ‘Samuel Wesley was born in 1766, nephew of John, the founder of Methodism. He studied music from the age of six, and by 1774 had such a reputation as.a child prodigy that William Boyce could declare to his father: ‘Sir, T hear you have got an English Mozart in your home’. At the age of twelve Samuel published his first harpsichord pieces. He was never to hold a salaried job but led an insecure and often poverty-stricken existenceasa ‘freelance’ musician, performing (on harpsichord, piano or organ), conducting, composing and teaching. His later years were marred by fits of irascibility and depression resulting from a head injury, and he died in London in 1837. Wesley was a prolific composer of choral music, hymns, songs and keyboard music; he also wrote the most important English symphonies and concertos of the time, though there was @ limited market for such works. ‘The present set of sonatinas was probably written for teaching purposes, and though modest in intention and scope they nevertheless typify Wesley's music in their mixing of the modern ‘Viennese’ style with a decidedly Baroque, and especially Handelian, flavour. As single-movement character pieces they stand midway between Baroque dance movement and the Romantic miniature; with their attractive variety of moods and textures, they are effective performed as a cycle, though there is no reason to suppose that Wesley conceived them thus. ‘This edition is based on the British Library copy of che first edition: Twelve Sonatinas for the Piano-Forte or Harpsichord... Op.4, printed ‘for the author’ by Robert Birchall in 1799, Like most English keyboard publications of the time, this contains surprisingly few indications of dynamics, phrasing or articulation. Where there is no footnote to the contrary, all phrasing and articulation in the present edition is editorial; other editorial additions appear in small print or square brackets. All appoggiaturas have been slurred to their main note; and suggested metronome settings appear at the end of each sonatina. The original edition contains fingering by Wesley, but this has not necessarily been followed here. Players should remember that the sustaining pedal was rarely used at this period other than as a special effect in slow movements. Extra resonance in left-hand broken-chord figurations may, however, be achieved by holding the notes longer than their written value. TIMOTHY ROBERTS London, 1984Allegretto a—¢ Twelve Sonatinas SAMUEL WESLEY, Op4 2 4 6 & ae 1B, repeat7 p P= e160) "The bracketed notes may be omite by payee with small bends, AB 1859Presto [non legato} 4 (A, repeat p | [rit a tempo] [non legato} [senza rit.] are is == oS cages, “ap te eee The wedges ia BI, LBL ae the nl mass tape ne cgi an 1859Uh repeat Pp (J =emy ‘The upper notes may be omitted by players with small nd AB 1959yer Ie Se tse aa E = T D.C. al Fine “The slurs in 6.6 & 8, RH. appea inthe original AB 1859td = e104) AB 1859Andante 9 Lp cantabile) SS 4 [rit a tempo] re ia Go Ape a gee ae ea ee = 2 2 I it (d= 063 ‘The lower nots enay be omitted hy players with sll bands “Ta slurs in 8.12 & 16, REL, appear inte origina AB 1889PASTORALE. Vivace 10 I fe leggiero} [non legato} AB 1859(Attegro con seco An ae aS ‘The lower notes may be omit by players with smal! hands. AB 189‘The sats in 8.15, 16, 25,27 & 29 appear inthe orignal, as do the lower to dees in. Andantino a ) 2 [P| sempre dole Aw 1859‘Bars 25-82 at indicated by Du Capo in the original. The sar in 8.8 spears in the orginal AB 1859