Sonata in the Eighth Tone (attributed to Félix Máximo López, 1742–1821)

**Sonata in the Eighth Tone (attributed to Félix Máximo López, 1742–1821) – First Edition & World Premiere Recording**  

*For Spanish Baroque Organ – Piano Version Included*  
 
This edition presents the *Sonata in the Eighth Tone*, a newly published work attributed to the Spanish court organist **Félix Máximo López** (1742–1821). Preserved in the **Archivo Histórico Provincial de los Capuchinos de Pamplona**, the work appears immediately after the set of Minuets and Toccata, though the manuscript does not explicitly designate its author. Following established editorial practice for anonymous repertory of the period—and given its stylistic features, modal construction, and characteristic use of repetition—the attribution to López is highly plausible.  
The sonata is composed *“de 8º Tono”* (*in the Eighth Tone*), referring to the **church modes** still in use in Spain during the Baroque period. Specifically, the Eighth Tone corresponds to the **Hypomixolydian mode**, centered on G as its *finalis*, with cadential patterns in C. These modal frameworks were a living part of Spanish liturgical and instrumental tradition, providing both continuity with medieval chant and contrast with the emerging major-minor tonal system.  
 
Stylistically, the piece reflects López’s customary **“stile antico”**, with frequent repeated passages and subtle ornamental variations. As in many of his organ works, the score omits explicit registration indications, which had already been specified in the preceding Toccata as “Lenguetería” (reed stops), a choice typical of Spanish Baroque organs.  
 
**Edition Features:**  
- First modern edition and world premiere recording  
- For Spanish Baroque organ (performance suggestions included)  
- Piano version provided for study and interpretation  
- Faithful transcription from the Pamplona manuscript  
 
This compact three-page work offers performers a rare glimpse into the **late Spanish Baroque organ tradition**, balancing the modal heritage of the *tonos de iglesia* with López’s personal idiom. Both organists and researchers will find in this edition a valuable addition to the repertoire.