Lesson 4: Sonata Form

Lesson 4: Sonata Form

One of the most prominent and widely used forms of music during the Classical period was the sonata form. Before we begin to explore this form, it is worth noting that sonata form and sonata are two related, but separate terms (another of those confusing uses of similar terminology in music, like the distinctions between classical music and the Classical period). A sonata is a large-scale composition that is played (rather than sung). While a sonata form is sometimes included in a sonata, often as the first part of the composition, a sonata form is also created and can stand on its own apart from any larger composition.

To understand sonata form, we need to go back to the definition of form, which is the overall plan that a composer has when creating a piece of music. You might think of form as equivalent to the shapes that we see with our eyes, only in this case, form is what we hear. Form is patterns within the music. To take this just a little further, think about all of the different ways that we can arrange shapes to create new objects, such as trees, houses, and so on when we are drawing. The same is true with form. A composer may combine forms (patterns of music) in different ways to create new types of music.

A sonata form is a piece of music that has three parts in an ABA pattern. While Classical composers such as Haydn and Mozart used sonata forms in their work, the term was not applied to the specific pattern until later. Yet, understanding the sonata form is critical to understanding the symphonies and other large-scale works of music during the Classical and later periods of music. The main three parts of the sonata form are as follows:

• Exposition: The exposition is the first part of the sonata form, and it is where the composer will bring in, or “expose,” all of the musical ideas that will be used in the piece. The first tune and key of the piece are used. The themes or subjects of the piece are also introduced; you may find it helpful to think of them as characters in a book. If you listen closely, you may be able to pick out these themes from the beginning of a sonata form. The two themes are known as the First Subject Group and the Second Subject Group. They may have a transition occurring between them.
• Development: Development is the second part of the sonata form, and it is where the composer builds on the two themes from the exposition. Music scholars have sometimes described this as “fantasia” because the composer can run wild with the themes set up and create an infinite number of different variations. This is the part of the piece where tension and drama often build; it may create some discomfort in the music and it is not unusual for the listener to want to return to the original themes of the exposition.
• Recapitulation: Recapitulation is the third part of the sonata form, and it is where the exposition is repeated (although it may be changed slightly). The tension and drama of the development part leaves and the piece comes back to a lighter, happier sound. Toward the end of the recapitulation, the piece returns to the original key that the exposition established as the main key.

In many cases, the piece will end with the recapitulation part of the sonata form, but there are some pieces that continue on in what is known as a coda. The coda will use music from the movement, but it typically does not add anything to the “argument” of the piece. Codas are often short, but there are examples of longer, more elaborate codas. They will typically end on the same cadence, or pace, as the piece started with.

While the three main parts of the sonata are standard, composers often found ways of putting their own variations and stamps on the form. Some composers added more than two main subjects or themes to the exposition of the piece. Other sonata forms sometimes have an introduction before the exposition. The introduction is often slower in tempo, but is usually still upbeat and light in mood.