Waterford Concert Series Musical Overviews
The Story of the Sonata

In the literal meaning of the word, a sonata is an instrumental piece that is played rather than sung as a cantata is. It also refers to a type of musical structure which will be discussed later.

A sonata usually has two main themes, or melodies. It may help to think of these as characters in a play who are introduced in the first movement, which is often in a fast tempo as though to bring on the action. These “characters” interact or come into conflict in the second movement, which is most often slow to allow for contemplative development; and they are brought back in the third movement, often in a higher key. The three-movement sequence, fast- slow-fast, predominates. A fourth movement is often present but its placement and style vary.

In the Baroque period (c.1600 to c.1750) the main type was the trio sonata, usually for two violins and continuo, often referred to as basso continuo,  in which a keyboard instrument capable of playing chords, such as a clavichord or harpsichord, provided a rhythmic harmonic accompaniment for the “soprano” or solo instrument or instruments. Outstanding among the trio types are the sonatas of Corelli, Handel, Bach and Purcell. Listen to a trio sonata by Arcangelo Corelli on his page at Wikipedia.

After 1700 the solo sonata for one melody instrument became very popular, the flute, violin, oboe and cello being the most favoured instruments, with the bass accompaniment (continuo) still playing the supportive role.

In the Classical period (c.1735 to c.1820) the solo keyboard sonata rose to the fore with the emergence of Scarlatti and C.P.E. Bach. Scarlatti alone wrote 555 of them. As the piano took over from the harpsichord and clavichord, the keyboard sonata continued to hold a high place in the work of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven. You will find the first movement of Haydn’s “Sonata No. 62” at the bottom of his Wikipedia page.

Only towards the end of the period, with the mature works of Mozart and Beethoven, are the string and keyboard instruments treated as equals.

In the Romantic period (c.1790 to c.1915) a great variety of personal and national styles emerged. These fall into two categories. The first is represented by the sonatas of Schubert, Chopin, Schumann and Brahms, all of whom followed the Classical three- or four-movement form but developed and expanded it. The smaller second category experimented with structure, as in Liszt’s single-movement “Piano Sonata in B Minor.” You will find Schubert’s majestic “Arpeggione Sonata for Cello and Violin” in the section on style on his Wikipedia page.

The Modern period has seen great changes in the genre. Some composers have followed the traditional structure, notably Prokofiev, Shostakovich and Debussy. But for the most part the term “sonata” does not refer to the form as used in the past.

Sonata Form

The sonata form or “sonata principle” is the most important structural element in music from the Classical period to the 20th century. It applies to a single movement, most often part of a multi-movement work such as a symphony or a string quartet. A typical sonata-form movement consists of a two-part tonal structure in three main sections: the exposition (in the tonal and another key), the development (modulating in different keys), and recapitulation (a return to the tonic). This is sometimes followed by a coda, (from cauda, meaning tail), which is a short passage meant to bring things to a suitable conclusion.