Sonata how many movements

Then, at the very end of the program we'll play it for you again, and by that time I hope you'll be hearing it with new ears. But you're probably wondering why we're playing a symphony on a program that's about sonatas. Well, the answer to that one is easy; a symphony is a sonata. You see, a sonata is a piece, usually in several movements, that has a certain basic musical form; and when that form is used in a piece for a solo instrument, like a piano, or violin or flute, or a solo instrument with piano accompaniment, the piece is called a sonata.

Now when the same form is used in a piece for three instruments, it's called a trio; and for four instruments, it's called a quartet; for five, a quintet, and so on. But when this form is used in a piece for a full orchestra, it's called a symphony. A symphony is merely a sonata for orchestra. And that's all I'm going to tell you for the moment.

Now let's just sit back and enjoy this glorious, first movement of Mozart's Jupiter Symphony. Now that we've had the pure pleasure of listening to that divine Mozart, let's get to work and find out why that music gives us such pleasure. The thing that interests us most today about it is its form—the musical shape of the piece. You know, the shape of a musical composition is the hardest thing for most people to grasp; they can remember a tune or a rhythm easily enough—even harmonies and counterpoints.

But the form is harder to understand because grasping the form of a piece means seeing it all at once, or I should say hearing it all at once, which is of course impossible since music takes place in time instead of in space. So how could you hear it all at once. You can see the form of a painting, or a church, more or less all at once because their forms exist in space. Then you look at this stage, for instance you see its whole form instantly and you can take pleasure in its proportions and its balances.

But with a piece of music it takes time to hear the form; you have to keep in your head all the notes you've already heard while you're listening to the new ones, so that by the time the piece is over, it all adds up to one continuous form.

Maybe that sounds impossible, but it's not. Of course, it's not easy, either. But if you know a little about the form in advance, for instance, if you know the piece is going to be in sonata form it all becomes much easier, because you can almost predict what musical shapes are going to happen. That's what we're going to do now, by finding out what a sonata is. This word sonata originally meant simply a piece of music. It comes from the Latin word sonare, to sound; so a sonata is anything that is sounded by instruments, as opposed to a cantata, which is anything that is sung from the Latin word, cantare, to sing.

But it's only in the last two hundred years or so that the word sonata has acquired a special meaning, which describes the form of a piece, and in particular, the first movement of the piece. And this first movement form, which is known as sonata form, laid the foundations of the symphony as we have known it from that time, almost two hundred years ago right into our own twentieth century. How can we explain this immense popularity and growth of sonata form over two hundred years?

What makes it so satisfying, so complete? Two things really: first, its perfect three-part balance, remember that, and second, the excitement of its contrasting elements. Balance and contrast—in these two words we have the main secrets of the sonata form. Let's consider first that three-part design; this is something we can see all around us. Think of a bridge with two great towers rising on either side of the river, and the connecting span sweeping over the water between them.

That's a three-part form. You must all have felt the pleasure and satisfaction that comes from looking at such a three-part structure. Or think of an elm tree, with its central trunk, and the umbrella-shaped branches arching out on both sides. That's another 3-part structure. Or the three-part balance of a human face, with its centerpiece of nose and mouth, and its two mirror-like side-pieces of eyes and ears. Again three-part form, one, two, three. Now of course any form as basic and natural as that must be just as natural in music.

An so it is; the most basic form of a simple song is usually a three-part form. Sonata da camera chamber sonata — written for 2 or more instrumentalists with keyboard accompaniment. These often used dance rhythms and contained a significant number of short movements. In many ways, the sonata da camera developed into the suite. Sonata da chiesa church sonata — these tended to be more serious in their character. They were usually 4 movements: Slow — Fast — Slow — Fast It is from the sonata da chiesa that the classical sonata developed.

Have a listen to this Baroque sonata for violin with harpsichord accompaniment:. Other examples of sonata that were popular in the Baroque period include:. In the Classical period , the sonata was a very popular form of composition. Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven all wrote sonatas.

Haydn and Mozart usually but not always wrote sonatas in 3 movements. The first movement is usually Allegro and composed in sonata form. Have a listen to the opening of the 1st movement: Beethoven Piano Sonata 1st Movement. In the Classical period roughly 'sonata' came to mean a work in several movements. It was usually three, with the first movement in a special sonata form. Sonatas were a popular and important form, and many were composed for amateur performers to play at home.

The usual order of the four movements was the following:. This usage would be noted by critics in the early nineteenth century, and it was codified into teaching soon thereafter. Beethoven, Piano Sonata No. Skip to main content. Classical Instrumental and Chamber Music, L. Search for:.