sonata form

American  

noun

1. a musical form comprising an exposition, in which the main theme or themes are stated, a development section, a recapitulation of the material in the exposition, and, usually, a coda.

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sonata form British  

noun

1. a musical structure consisting of an expanded ternary form whose three sections (exposition, development, and recapitulation), followed by a coda, are characteristic of the first movement in a sonata, symphony, string quartet, concerto, etc

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Etymology

Origin of sonata form

First recorded in 1870–75

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

sonata form

“Two hours is a long time for a kid to watch something like that. But a ‘Columbo’ episode is akin to a strangely modified sonata form — kind of like Beethoven’s mastery of it.”

From New York Times ● Jan. 7, 2021

“I sometimes argue in sonata form, sometimes in theme and variations,” said Mr. Wallace, who played with local groups and in an informal ensemble featuring Condoleezza Rice, a former secretary of state.

From Washington Post ● Feb. 25, 2020

I understood Mendelssohn more readily than, say, Leonard Bernstein, who, teaching us sonata form on television, seemed human pretty much everywhere.

From The New Yorker ● Feb. 28, 2015

Similarly, the power and ferocity of the Second Piano Sonata comes in part from the way the piece warps, destroys, reforms and rebuilds conventions such as sonata form and fugue.

From The Guardian ● Jul. 16, 2012

Some symphonies don't have silence between movements, and some don't use the sonata form in any of their movements.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones

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