Sonata Form
Classical Period
Sonata form
• The sonata is broken up into the following
sections:
– 1st movement: Allegro
– 2nd movement: Slow
– 3rd movement: Minuet and Trio or Scherzo
– 4th movement: Allegro
st
1
Movement - Allegro
• The first movement of the sonata is broken up into three
sections: exposition, development and recapitulation. Most
of the musical ideas come from two main themes known as
the first and second subject.
– In the exposition the material is presented for the first
time. There are two main melodies known as the first
and second subject.
1st subject
from Haydn’s
Sonata
2nd subject.
Modulated to
D Major
st
1
Movement
• The first subject is in the tonic key. The second
subject is in a different key, usually the dominant
or the relative minor, and has a different character.
The two subjects are connected by a transition or
bridge passage.
– Tonic key: The original key signature of the piece
– Dominant: the key that is a perfect 5th above the tonic
key. E.g.. If the key is C major the dominant is G major.
– Relative Minor: Minor scales that have the same key
signature as the major scale and key signature. E.g..
The relative minor of G Major is E Minor.
st
1
Movement
– In the development section the material from
the exposition is transformed. The music goes
through several modulations
st
1
Movement
– In the recapitulation the material from the exposition is
recapped - repeated in a slightly different and shorter
form. The first and second subjects are now both heard
in the tonic key.
nd
2
Movement - Slow
• Theme and variation: material is repeated but in
an altered form. The changes may involve
harmony, melody, counterpoint, rhythm, timbre,
orchestration or any combination of these.
Chopin – Nocturne in F Minor
rd
3
Movement
• Made of Minuet and Trio or later in the
classical period, Scherzo and Trio.
• This movement is a social dance and has a
3/4 time signature.
rd
3
Movement
• Minuet and Trio:
–
–
–
–
¾ Time Signature
Dance tempo
Binary form: AB sections
Trio: three instruments
Luigi Boccherini Minuet
rd
3
Movement
• Scherzo and Trio
–
–
–
–
¾ Time Signature
Dance tempo and feel
Ternary form: ABA sections
Trio: three instruments
• Note: The B section is the Trio
Schubert - Piano Sonata in B Flat
Major (scherzo and Trio)
th
4
Movement - Allegro
• Set out as either theme and variations or in
Rondo form
– Rondo Form: ABACAD…
Haydn piano sonata 8 - 4th movement