SONATA‐ALLEGRO
FORM
IN
MOZART’S
“SYMPHONY
NO.
41
(K
551)”
Sonata-allegro form, also known as single-movement sonata form, is a very common
form in music that was made popular by the classical period composers. Numerous
composers, such as Haydn, Beethoven, and Mozart all used and perfected this form in
their piano sonatas and symphonies.
distinct sections:
Sonata-allegro form is characterized by three
exposition, development, and recapitulation.
An introduction is
possible to establish the key. The exposition usually contains three main themes called
the main theme, secondary theme, and closing theme. The main theme is in the tonic key
and modulates to the dominant key, and the following two themes remain in the dominant
key. This section is then repeated. The development is distinguished by its fragmented
structure; it often takes excerpts from one of the themes and develops it with sequences,
chromaticism, and counterpoint.
The recapitulation restates the themes from the
exposition, but they are all in the tonic key. A coda is possible at the conclusion of
sonata-allegro form. In classical symphonic music, the first movement is typically in
sonata-allegro form. Mozart’s “Symphony No. 41 (K 551),” also known as the “Jupiter
Symphony,” is an ideal example of sonata-allegro form.
*
*
*
The first movement of Mozart’s “Jupiter Symphony” is a good model of the sonataallegro form. Unlike some of Mozart’s music, this movement follows the “rules” of the
form as far as tonality and use of thematic material. The exposition and the recapitulation
are about the same in length (around 120 measures); the development is about 50 bars
shorter than those sections, but it is fragmented and made up of piece of the themes
introduced in the exposition as it should. “Symphony No. 41” was the last of the
symphonies that Mozart wrote and was possibly never performed in his lifetime, but it
has withstood the test of time and can remain a standard in orchestral repertoire as well as
serve as an example of this classic sonata-allegro form.
Exposition (1 – 120)
Main Theme (1 – 55) C major to G major
Motive “a” – i.e. mm. 1 – 2
Motive “b” – i.e. mm. 3 – 4
Second Theme (56 – 100) G major
Motive “b” – mm. 66 – 67, 75 – 76, 89 - 96
Closing Theme (101 – 120) G major
Development (121 – 188) inconsistent tonality
False entry of Recapitulation – m. 161
Recapitulation (189 – 313)
Main Theme (189 – 243) C major
Second Theme (244 – 288) C major
Motive “b” – mm. 259 – 260, 263 – 264, 277 – 284
Closing
Theme
(289
‐
313)
C
major