Eugene Thayer (1838-1889), a contemporary of Dudley Buck and John Knowles
Paine, was one of the early American organ virtuosi who composed many works
for the organ. The
Sonata IV for organ was published in the
1860s in Berlin. This is the first sonata by Thayer to contain only
original thematic material; he felt confident enough not to depend on the
nationalist themes used in previous sonatas. Thayer dedicated his
fourth sonata to August Haupt, his teacher; indeed, this dedication is prominently
displayed on the cover.
It is divided into three movements and is the shortest and technically least
demanding of his five sonatas. The entire piece lies between simple and moderate.