Sonata Form Flashcards
What is sonata form most commonly found in?
Sonata form is most common in the first movement of a symphony.
Can sonata form be found in movements other than the first?
Yes, sonata form can be in any movement except movement 3, which has a rigid rounded binary form.
When was sonata form most important?
Sonata form was the most important and fully developed form for instrumental music in the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
What are the two main ‘plots’ in sonata form?
The two main ‘plots’ are the tonal plot and the thematic plot.
What does the ‘tonal plot’ refer to?
The tonal plot refers to the change in key throughout the form.
What does the ‘thematic plot’ refer to?
The thematic plot refers to the presentation and development of main musical themes over time.
How can sonata form be fundamentally viewed?
Sonata form can be seen as a type of ternary form structure, but it is more complex.
What are the three main sections of sonata form?
The three main sections are the Exposition, the Development, and the Recapitulation.
What are the optional additional sections in sonata form?
The optional additional sections are the introduction and the coda.
What is the purpose of the introduction and coda in sonata form?
These sections frame the symphony, with the introduction at the start and the coda after the end.
What is the goal of the Exposition section?
The goal is to introduce a tonal centre and finish in a different tonal centre.
In the Classical Period, where does the tonal closure usually occur if the key is major?
If the key is major, the tonal closure is usually in the dominant key.
In the Classical Period, where does the tonal closure usually occur if the key is minor?
If the key is minor, the tonal closure is usually the relative major.
What are the four sections of the Exposition?
The four sections are the First Subject, the Transition, the Second Subject, and the Codetta.
What does the First Subject establish?
The First Subject establishes the tonic key.
What is the purpose of the Transition in the Exposition?
The Transition prepares for the modulation to the new key.
What does the Second Subject establish?
The Second Subject establishes the new key, often contrasting with the First Subject.
What is the function of the Codetta?
The Codetta closes the Exposition, often referencing the First Subject.
What characterizes the Development section?
The Development section develops previously heard material and is usually tense and forward-moving.
How is material treated in the Development section?
Material is often fragmented, imitated, sequenced, or presented as fugal/counterpoint passages.
What does the Development section end with?
It ends with a preparation section for a return to the tonic key.
What is the purpose of the Recapitulation?
The Recapitulation presents the entire Exposition section again in the tonic key.
What is different about the Transition in the Recapitulation?
The Transition does not modulate; it often stays on a dominant pedal or introduces new material.
