An Outline of The History of Western Music Grout ... - The Reel Score

) Sonata Form
1: Most instrumental music of Haydn, Mozart, Beethovan, and their
contemporaries whether called sonata, trio, string quartet, or sympony is written
in 3 or 4 movements of contrasting mood & tempo
2: Early Organization
i- Treatise of 1793 by Heinrich Christoph Koch (1749-1816) - also wrote
Essay on Composition 1787 - on the sonata form when form was not settled
a- the form of the first movement (now know as sonata form or first
movement form) consists of two large divisions - each of which may be
repeated
b- the first has one main period, the second two resulting in three periods
within a binary form
i) the first period the principal ideas are presented in the key of the
movement
(1) prevails until a modulation to the dominant (or relative major in a
minor key) leads to a resting point on the tonic of the new key
(2) the remainder of the 1st period is in the new key
ii) the second period often begins with the main theme on the dominant
(occasionally with another idea or in another key) and modulates
back to the tonic by means of still another melodic idea
iii) the third period most frequently begins with the main theme in the key
of the movement
(1) melodic ideas from the first period are reviewed often shifting to the
key of the subdominant without ever making a cadence
(2) finally the closing section of the first period (presented in the
dominant or relative key is not repeated in the tonic
3: Modern View (1830 - Present)
i- divided the movement into three sections
a- an Exposition
i) an introduction often precedes the exposition
ii) usually repeated
iii) incorporating a first theme or group of themes in the tonic
iv) a bridge passage leading to a second more lyrical theme or group
v) this lyrical theme or group presented in the dominant or the relative
major if a minor key
vi) a closing - frequently cadential theme also in the dominant or relative
major
vii) the different themes being connected by appropriate transitions
b- a development section
i) modulates to new keys - possibly remote
ii) motives or themes from the expostion are presented in new aspects
or combinations
c- recapitualation
i) material of the exposition is restated in the original order but with all
the themes in the tonic
ii) there may be a coda