Sonata is from the Italian sonare, to sound or to play. Basic sonata form consists of an exposition, development, and recapitulation. Do not confuse sonata form with the sonata genre, a 3 or 4 mvmt piece for 1 or 2 performers. (Introduction) • Introductions occur only once in their entirety, at the very beginning of the movement. • Not all sonata forms include an introduction Exposition First theme group (or Primary Theme) • Often (not always) assertive or dramatic in character • Tonic key typical • May end with a PAC or “dissolve” into transitional material (Transition) Second theme group (or Secondary Theme) • Typically in V if the movement is in major, III if the movement is minor • Often (not always) more lyrical than the first theme • Sometimes early sonata forms (Haydn) simply transposed the first theme for the second theme (Transition) Third theme group • Sometimes it is appropriate to speak of a “third theme” • Some authors prefer to use the terminology “secondary themes” for all themes after the first theme Codetta • Must come back in the recapitulation to be a true codetta • Typically emphasizes the key of the last theme group (usually dominant or relative major) • Lots of tonic-dominant chord progressions Development • Various motives from the introduction and exposition are explored in a variety of keys • Modulatory and unstable • Sequential, motivic, or harmonic structures often guide the development • Developments are NOT random wanderings; rather, composers use them to “work through” conflicts present in the exposition • Ends with a retransition anticipating the recapitulation’s motivic material, accompanied by a dominant pedal point. Recapitulation Normally, the recapitulation restates the themes from the exposition transposed to the TONIC key. (Coda) • Occurs once at the end of the movement, if present. Not all sonata forms include a coda. • Terminal development: Development in the coda (rare before Beethoven) • To find the coda, compare the recapitulation and the exposition measure-by-measure until all material from the exposition has been stated. The remaining music is the true coda. (Remember also: “Once a codetta, always a codetta.” The return of the codetta is part of the recap.) The sonata form principle: The tonal “conflict” created by the secondary themes in the exposition must be reconciled to the tonic key.
