noun
definition
A musical composition for one or a few instruments, one of which is frequently a piano, in three or four movements that vary in key and tempo.
Examples of sonata in a Sentence
Her favorite sonata bore her into a most intimately poetic world and the look she felt upon her made that world still more poetic.
He chose a sprightly sonata in b-flat major.
Vermont Country Store features the Eileen West Moonlight Sonata Cotton Lawn Robe.
From the far side of the house through the closed doors came the sound of difficult passages--twenty times repeated--of a sonata by Dussek.
Moreover, the higher problems of rhythmic movement in the classical sonata forms are far beyond the scope of academic teaching; which is compelled to be contented with a practical plausibility of musical design; and the instrumental music which was considered the highest style of art in 18 3 0 was as far beyond Wagner's early command of such plausibility as it was obviously already becoming a mere academic game.
But with Wagner, just as there are people who have never tried to follow a sonata but who have been awakened by his music-dramas to a sense of the possibilities of serious music, so there are lovers of music who avow that they owe to Wagner their appreciation of poetry.
Classical and modern chamber-music in the sonata style consists mainly of string-quartets for 2 violins, viola and violoncello; string-trios (rare, because very difficult to write sonorously); pianoforte-trios (pianoforte, violin and violoncello); pianoforte-quartets (pianoforte with string-trio); pianoforte-quintets (pianoforte with string-quartet); string-quintets (with 2 violas, very rarely with 2 violoncellos), and (in two important cases by Brahms) stringsextets.
The two short cadenzas for organ in the opening two movements, wholly foreign to the sonata tradition, reinforce this impression.
Watkins ' cello sonata was recorded by Paul and Huw Watkins for Nimbus Records on a CD featuring twentieth century British cello sonatas.
The first movement is in sonata allegro form and uses traditional harmonic progressions.
Vivaldi made a note on the manuscript of the names of the four female musicians who were chosen to perform the sonata.
No less intensely passionate than the A minor sonata is the Violin Sonata in D minor Op 121.
George ANTHEIL's second sonata for piano is entitled ' The airplane ' .
The most striking work is the third sonata, which comprises three movements rather than four.
The last movement of the D major sonata is perhaps the most interesting in its variety of textures.
The work is more in the form of a large trio sonata in four movements rather than a conventional concerto.
Also in March he gave the first London performance of his violin sonata at the Wigmore Hall with the violin sonata at the Wigmore Hall with the violinist Daniel Bell.
The Moonlight Sonata is particularly well-known for its first movement.
Least of all can it conduce to the formation of sound critical standards for the new instrumentation which is now in process of development for the future forms of instrumental music. These, we cannot doubt, will be as profoundly influenced by Wagner as the sonata style was influenced by Gluck.
Where this is so there need be no confusion of style; but the danger of such confusion is great, and with the rise of modern dramatic instrumentation it may be doubted whether there are any standards of criticism in current use for chamber-music of other than the sonata style.
The compositions belonging to the period of his residence at Weimar comprise two pianoforte concertos, in E flat and in A, the " Todtentanz," the " Concerto pathetique " for two pianos, the solo sonata " An Robert Schumann," sundry " Etudes," fifteen " Rhapsodies Hongroises," twelve orchestral " Poemes symphoniques, " " Eine Faust Symphonie," and " Eine Symphonie zu Dante's ` Divina Commedia,' " the " 13th Psalm " for tenor solo, chorus and orchestra, the choruses to Herder's dramatic scenes " Prometheus," and the " Missa solennis " known as the " Graner Fest' Messe."
At the pianoforte his achievements culminate in the two books of studies, twice rewritten, and finally published in 1852 as Etudes d'execution transcendante, the Etudes de concert and the Paganini Studies; the two concertos and the Todtentanz, the Sonata the Hungarian Rhapsodies and the fine transcriptions of Beethoven's symphonies (the 9th for two pianofortes as well as solo), and of Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique, and the symphony, Harold en Italie.
They went up to the door of the sitting room from which came the sound of the oft-repeated passage of the sonata.
No less intensely passionate than the A minor Sonata is the Violin Sonata in D minor Op 121.
George ANTHEIL 's Second sonata for piano is entitled ' The airplane '.
The 2nd subject of a sonata form movement is usually in the dominant, in this case B flat major.
In 1944 he wrote one of his last pieces the Sonata for solo violin for Yehudi Menuhin.
Also in March he gave the first London performance of his violin sonata at the Wigmore Hall with the violinist Daniel Bell.
Felice awoke to the sound of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata wafting its way up from the inn's conservatory.
Felice hesitated, but her hands no longer obeyed her, and they began to play the sonata that had drawn her down the stairs.