Sonata

Details of the manuscript Sonata for piano n.o 28 from Ludwig van Beethoven. The piece was finished in 1816.

The term sonata is the name given to different musical forms, used from the Baroque period to the most futuristic experiences of contemporary music. It is important to take into account that the same word alludes to subtly different meanings in each era: mainly in formal matters. By sonata is understood, according to the classical model, both a complete piece of music and a compositional procedure that uses two generally contrasting themes. This compositional procedure is known as "sonata form".

History

The sonata (musical classicism: approximately between 1750 and 1810), the most widespread form of this musical form, is a work consisting of three or four types of tones, composed for one, two, or three musical instruments. Initially, three-movement forms predominated, especially in classical times, but as both their complexity and length increased, four-movement forms became popular.

In the Baroque era, that is, before 1750, the term sonata was used relatively freely to describe reduced instrumental works, as opposed to the cantata, which included voices. In the time of Arcangelo Corelli, two types of genre were practiced under the name of sonata: the sonata da chiesa (church sonata), usually for an instrument that carried the melody (violin or flute) and a basso continuo (which in the case of the sonata da chiesa was played preferably by instruments such as the theorbo or the organ), usually composed of a slow introduction, sometimes an allegro fugitive, a cantabile and an energetic finale, in the form of a minuet or a gigue; and the sonata da camera, composed of variations on dance themes, which would lead to the suite or partita In the case of the sonata da camera, the basso continuo is played by the clavichord, regularly. However, both forms were freely combined, and it would not be until the time of Johann Sebastian Bach and Georg Friedrich Händel that the form of the first would acquire some stability. Among the works of Domenico Scarlatti and Domenico Paradisi, for example, there are hundreds of works called sonatas composed in only one or two movements, often of great vigor and complexity of execution. Most of these sonatas are composed, as already mentioned, for flute or violin, with the bass in charge of the viola da gamba and the harpsichord, although there are many sonatas for solo viola da gamba, and also for solo harpsichord, since both viola and harpsichord can play their own accompaniment.

At the beginning of the Baroque period the sonata a tre was very popular, which has nothing to do with the trio of the post-Haydn era. The sonata for three, two violins (or two other melodic instruments) play the melody, and a third instrument plays the basso continuo (could be harpsichord, lute, theorbo, viola da gamba, cello, etc.)

At the beginning of the classical period, the name was reserved for works composed for a solo instrument or a melodic instrument and piano, conceived according to a structure of three or four movements in which the musical theme is presented, exposes, develops and recapitulates according to a conventional way. The names divertimento, serenata or partita remained in use until around 1770, but after Haydn they generally fell out of use. At the same time, the names trio and quartet for pieces with three and four instruments, respectively, became popular.

Haydn's sonatas are structured in an allegro, in which the musical theme is shown and briefly developed, a slower second movement —many times andante or long in lied form (A-B-A), although the minuet was occasionally used—in which the theme is developed at length through orchestral techniques, and a final movement—nuevamento allegro i> or even presto—sometimes posed as a rondo, in which the orchestral development was recapitulated regardless of modulations. The musical form of the basic rondo is A-B-A-C-A-B-A. In some cases a scheme of four movements was used, including both the minuet and the andante in the thematic development.

This last scheme predominated in the era considered canonical of the sonata, with its development with Ludwig van Beethoven. Development in four movements had already spread to quartets and symphonies.

Movements or sections

1. Allegro de sonata: the first movement is a complex joy (in "sound form" proper), endowed or not with a slow introduction (especially in late classicism or romanticism, that is, in the centuryXIX). It consists of three sections: exposure, development and recapitulation. He may have a final elbow.
   1. The exhibition consists of two themes, the first theme "A" is in the main tonality of the sonata and the second in a neighboring tonality (for sonata in larger tones usually to the fifth grade and in tones less than the third grade or relative greater). Between the theme “A” and “B” there is a bridge without much melodic importance that modulates one tone to the other. After the theme “B” there is a stop to the exhibition in which you can return to the initial tonic or stay in the secondary tonic of the theme “B”.
   2. Development has a free structure, but we can say that the composer takes one of the two themes, both or parts of them and submits them to countless compositional procedures, playing with them. It is the moment of greater tension of the work where more harmonic changes occur and there is a certain tonal instability.
   3. The recapitulation or re-exposition happens when the composer presents the complete themes and both in the main tones. It was very common that to end the movement the composer added a elbow, which had a great impact on the concert giving origin to the cadence (let us remember that the first movement of the concert also uses the sonata form).
2. Slow movement, Walking, adagio or longwhich can have different forms.
3. Movement in dance form, minuet and from Beethoven in scherzo (this movement is optional).
4. A new one allegroless formally structured than the initial Allegro da sonata or may have other forms such as rondo-sonata which is a combination of rumdo shape with the sonata shape explained for the first movement;

The fixation of this form, especially through Beethoven's numerous sonatas, profoundly influenced the Romantic era, whose conservatories codified the practice. The notion of formal structure was taken as a paradigm for other genres, leading to consider, for example, the symphony as a "sonata for orchestra". Chopin, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Liszt, Brahms, and Rachmaninov made extensive use of the theoretical principle of the sonata in famous compositions.

Application

The «sonata form», in addition to the sonatas themselves, is also found in various types of musical compositions, both symphonies and quartets or concertos, etc., have parts written using the typical sonata form of exposition of two themes in neighboring keys, development of both, and restatement of the two themes in the key of the first.

The larger and more complex the instrumental formation for which the composer writes; The application of this "sonata form" tends to be larger, more complex and flexible, as a result of the demands of composing for important instrumental groups, and of the demands required.

One of the main forms is the duet with piano, although all kinds of instruments can also be used to be able to relate the piano, although it should be noted that not all reach the same quality, mainly the aim is to achieve the perfect accompaniment, and to For each type of singer (see: Category: Lyrical singers) there is an instrument whose attributes are related to each voice and preference of the composer, "For example, in classicism, violin or cello duo formations are preferred by far. In romanticism, in addition to those used in the previous period, the clarinet is especially added. In the 20th century, in addition to the duets already exposed, practically the majority of the instruments were added, reaching its maximum development with the wind instruments".

Sonatina

When the «sonata form» is applied to small pieces, they are called sonatinas.

The differences between a sonatina and a sonata are not structural, since both, in their classical version, tend to follow the same pattern, but are found in their length and aspirations. The sonatina is usually a short or very short piece that often does not reach three movements, and each composition procedure is presented without showing off its complexity.

Despite these signs that would seem easy to discover, it is also true that there are cases such as, for example, Mozart's Sonata in C major (KV 545) in which the border between sonata and sonatina are diffuse, and you have to guide yourself or confront the author to check what kind of piece of music you are dealing with.