History of Western Music
Lecture 19: Sonata-Allegro Form
THE GOLDEN AGE OF CHAMBER MUSIC, SONATA FORM AND SONATA CYCLE
Chamber music is written for a small ensemble (group) of instruments; there may be two to
eight (or more) players, each player with a separate instrumental part. Here, each instrument is expected to assert itself fully, yet all the players work in a team (whereas in a solo
concerto the virtuoso is expected to display his own personality and skill; while in an orchestra the individual players are supposed to blend with the other players of their group
and to follow the instructions of the conductor). The Classical era was the golden age of
chamber music; most importantly the string quartet, but also the duo sonata for violin
and piano, or cello and piano, wind instrument and piano; the piano trio for violin, cello
and piano; the quintet for a combination of wind instruments or for a string quartet with a
solo instrument, such as piano or clarinet. There were also written some sextets and septets, even octets. Compositions for small ensembles with more than one player per voice,
yet smaller than a symphony orchestra, were called serenade or divertissement, their
main purpose being to entertain and delight.
Classical compositions were exploring the possibilities of what is called absolute music,
which means music without words, music that is not telling a specific story, but is concerned with form, structure and balance instead. Absolute music is ideally exhibited
through the sonata form, which was prominent in sonatas, symphonies and all kinds of
chamber music. Be careful, there are two terms: the sonata cycle deals with a series of
movements, while the sonata form deals with one movement only.
The sonata cycle consisted generally of four movements, the first being fast in SonataAllegro form (see below), the second movement generally more slow and lyrical, either
in ABA or in a theme-and-variation form; the third movement generally a moderately
fast Minuet and Trio, the fourth movement another fast Sonata-Allegro form or a Rondo
form.
See “Sonata Allegro form” and “Sonata cycle” (taken from Machlis The Enjoymnet
of Music, Chronological version)
Sonata-Allegro form: there are three main sections: the exposition, where materials
(themes) are presented within a general framework of moving from a home key to a “related” key, such as the dominant, the dominant of the dominant, the subdominant, etc.–
[mostly we find two themes that are more or less contrasting in character and in different
keys; a difference is with Haydn who often had two themes similar in character], the development section, where the themes’ possibilities of expansion and development are
explored [by moving them to different keys, cutting them up in motifs that can be rearranged, by using sequence, inversion, changes of rhythm, harmony, slightly different
intervals, etc], and the recapitulation section, where the themes are restated, but in a
modified way, now both being stated in the home key (!).
See handouts!
Mozart Eine kleine Nachtmusik (A Little Piece of Night Music) as an example for
both, sonata cycle and sonata form (and other forms). See listening guide 26
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