Sonata Form: Structure, Variations, and Concerto Practice

All flashcards

What is sonata form?

A musical design, usually with exposition, development, and recapitulation, that presents, explores, and returns thematic and harmonic material.

What is the difference between a sonata and sonata form?

A sonata may refer to a multi-movement instrumental work; sonata form describes the organization of one movement within a work or in another genre.

Why is sonata form also called first-movement form?

It is especially common in the first movements of Classical multi-movement works, though it can occur elsewhere.

Which composers helped establish influential Classical sonata-form practice?

Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart are especially important examples; Beethoven and later composers further expanded the practice.

How should the standard model be used?

As an analytical guide to common thematic and tonal functions, while allowing for the many ways composers vary those functions.

Quiz questions

1. In a typical major-key sonata-form exposition, which key area usually contains the second subject group?Answer: The dominant key area.
2. What is the usual function of the retransition near the end of a development?Answer: It prepares for the recapitulation, often by building expectation for the tonic.
3. In a typical recapitulation, how is the exposition’s tonal contrast usually addressed?Answer: The second subject group returns in the tonic or another key that avoids the original opposition.
4. In a typical Classical concerto first movement, what does the solo exposition commonly do?Answer: It gives the soloist a central role and completes the move toward the secondary key.
5. What distinguishes sonatina form from a typical three-section sonata-form outline?Answer: The development is omitted, and the recapitulation follows the exposition.