The romantic piano literature contains three important collections of nocturnes. The nocturnes of John Field (1782-1837) were the first to appear, and were followed by collections from Frederic Chopin (1810-1849) and Gabriel Faure (1845-1924). While the relationship of the nocturnes of Field to those of Chopin is well documented, the corresponding relationship between Faure and Chopin is not. This study contains a detailed examination of this relationship, and shows the precise nature of Chopin's strong influence on Faure's early nocturnes, as well as the nature of Faure's growth from that influence. Chopin's influence was strongest in the area of harmonic language, as Faure carried certain of Chopin's techniques to logical extremes. Faure also adopted ternary form as the important form for the piece from Chopin. Faure's use of this form shows both similarities and differences from that found in Chopin. Faure's early nocturnes employ the same basic textures as Chopin's nocturnes, but Faure's later works abandon this in favor of increasingly contrapuntal writing. Chopin's influence is weakest in the area of melodic construction, as Faure's melodies often show a rigorous motivic construction which is not found in Chopin.

After examining biographical and stylistic influences on the work of J. C. Bach and C. P. E. Bach, this study analyzes and compares the two sonatas under discussion. Each sonata is placed in historical perspective by relating its outstanding formal and stylistic features with conservative Baroque or more progressive Classical tendencies. In addition to the recorded performance of the Sonata in E-Major, Op. 5, by Johann Christian Bach, and the Sonata in G-Major from Fur Kenner und Liebhaber, Vol. 1, by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, this dissertation includes three tape recordings of selected piano works of D. Scarlatti, F. Haydn, W. A. Mozart, L. V. Beethoven, F. Schubert, F. Mendelssohn, F. Liszt, S. Rachmaninoff, and C. Debussy.