Serena+Hui+-+Sonata+Allegro+Form(Classical)

**SONATA ALLEGRO FORM **

 Description -

 Sonata Allegro Form, also known as the Sonata Form is a musical form that is a very popular way of organizing a work of music during classical period (18 century). Sonata Allegro Form is also considered to be the standard form for the first movement of any important work of instrumental music e.g. symphony, concerti, sonata and strings quartets etc. Therefore, Sonata Allegro Form is also known as the First Movement Form or Compound Binary Form. Basically, Sonata Allegro Form consists of a total of three sections which musicians describe this stricture as an “ABA” format. Essentially, Section A is the **Exposition** while Section B is the **Development** that is after the Exposition. In Deevelopment, composers use some materials from the Exposition but in a radically altered way. Finally, the last Section A is the **Recapitulation** which basically repeats Section A – Exposition.

= // __Outline of Sonata Allegro Form__  //  = =Exposition - = = = =Sonata Allegro Form starts off with Exposition – Section A which usually states the main thematic material of the music piece. This section typically establishes the music’s tonic key which will then modulates to another key and eventually ends with the dominant of the tonic key. In addition, exposition can be divided into four sub- sections. They include First Subject Group, Transition, Second Subject Group and Codetta. = = = = =

=  **__First Subject Group: __****First subject Group** consists of one or more themes which are all in the tonic/ home key. For instance, if the piece is in C major, all of the music in the First Subject Group will be in C major  = = = = = = **__Transition:__**  = **Transition ** followed after the First Subject Group. In this sub- section, composers modulate the tonic key (the key of the First Subject Group) to the key of the second. But, most classical era works move straight from First Subject Group to Second Subject Group without any Transition.

 **__Second Subject Group:__**

**<span style="color: #336600; font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Second Subject Group **<span style="color: #336600; font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"> is the third sub- section in the Exposition of the Sonata Allegro Form. It consists of one or more themes in a different key from the First Subject Group. For instance, if the First Subject Group is in a major key, the Second Subject Group will usually be in its dominant (perfect 5th) e.g. C major <span style="color: #336600; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Garamond; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Garamond; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings; msoasciifontfamily: Garamond; msochartype: symbol; msohansifontfamily: Garamond; msosymbolfontfamily: Wingdings;">à <span style="color: #336600; font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"> G major. If the First Subject group is in a minor key, the Second Subject Group will be in its relative major e.g. C minor <span style="color: #336600; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ascii-font-family: Garamond; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Garamond; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings; msoasciifontfamily: Garamond; msochartype: symbol; msohansifontfamily: Garamond; msosymbolfontfamily: Wingdings;">à <span style="color: #336600; font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"> E flat major. Moreover, the materials found in the Second Subject Group are often different in rhythm or mood from that of the First Subject group.

<span style="color: #000066; font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 15pt; line-height: 115%;">**__Codetta:__**

<span style="color: #990099; font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Finally, the last sub-section – **Codetta** ends the Exposition Section in a Sonata Allegro Form. Typically, it brings the Exposition Section to a close with a **__perfect cadence__** in the same key as the Second Subject Group. It consists of a sequence of themes and each of which arrives at a perfect authentic cadence.

media type="file" key="example of exposition ~.wmv" width="300" height="300" <span style="color: #76923c; font-family: Biondi; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%; mso-themecolor: accent3; mso-themeshade: 191; msothemecolor: accent3; msothemeshade: 191;">Example of the exposition from Eien Kleine Nachtmusik(1st movementment)

<span style="color: #948a54; font-family: Jokewood; font-size: 15pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; mso-themecolor: background2; mso-themeshade: 128;"><span style="color: #948a54; font-family: Jokewood; font-size: 16.5pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; mso-themecolor: background2; mso-themeshade: 128;">Development -

<span style="color: #6666ff; font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Followed by Exposition is the Development – Section B. It generally starts in the same key of which the Exposition ends but may move through many different keys during its course. Typically, it consists one or more themes from the Exposition but is altered and may also include new materials or themes.

<span style="font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"> The Development section varies greatly in length from piece to piece. Sometimes it can be relatively short compare to the exposition e.g. First movement of Eine Kleine Nachtmusick by Mozart. Whereas, some pieces can have long and detailed development sections e.g. the first movement of the “Eroica” symphony by Beethoven. In addition, the Development Section shows the greatest degree of tonal, harmonic and rhythmic instability than the other sections in the Sonata Allegro Form. It is because it explores a wide variety of keys by means of harmonic sequences. Moreover, at the end of the Development Section, the music will return to its dominant key in preparation for the Recapitulation but usually through a grand __**prolongation of the dominant seventh**__ that creates comic and dramatic effects.

media type="file" key="Example of Development.wmv" width="300" height="300" <span style="color: #b2a1c7; font-family: Biondi; font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-themecolor: accent4; mso-themetint: 153;">Example of the development from Eine Kleine Nachtmisk（1st movement）

=<span style="color: #948a54; font-family: Jokewood; font-weight: normal; mso-themecolor: background2; mso-themeshade: 128;"><span style="color: #948a54; font-family: Jokewood; font-size: 16.5pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; mso-themecolor: background2; mso-themeshade: 128;">Recapitulation - = = = =<span style="color: #948a54; font-family: Jokewood; font-weight: normal; mso-themecolor: background2; mso-themeshade: 128;"><span style="color: #ff0066; font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 13.5pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; msobidifontfamily: Arial; msobidithemefont: minor-bidi; msofareastfontfamily: SimSun; msofareastthemefont: minor-fareast;">Recapitulation – Section A occurs after the Development Section and is usually the last section in most Sonata Allegro Form pieces. It typically presents once more the musical themes as well as the straight- forward image from the movement’s Exposition. This material is most often recapitulated in the tonic key of the movement to reaffirm that key as the movement’s tonic key. In addition, similar to the section of Exposition, the Recapitulation also consists of 4 sub parts. They include First Subject Group, transition, Second Subject Group and Codetta. =  **__Format of the recapitulation:__

<span style="color: #e36c0a; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191; msothemecolor: accent6; msothemeshade: 191;">First Subject Group: <span style="color: #3333cc; font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">The First Subject Group is usually the highlights of the recapitulation and is exactly in the same key as in the first subject group of the exposition section. **

<span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">**__ Transition: __** <span style="color: #009900; font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">**Transition** that follows the First Subject Group is usually altered but the key is not changed and the piece remains in its tonic key. In addition, it is also carried out by introducing the novel material which is a kind of brief additional Development Section.

<span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">**__ Second Subject Group __** <span style="color: #cc9900; font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">**Second Subject Group** is roughly in same as it is in the Exposition Section which means it consist of one or more themes in a different key from the First Subject Group. However, the home/tonic key is unlike in the Exposition Section. It is because in this sub-section, there is transformation of different key from major to minor or vice versa

<span style="color: #e36c0a; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%; mso-themecolor: accent6; mso-themeshade: 191;">**__ Codetta __** <span style="color: #0099cc; font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;">Finally, Recapitulation Section ends with the **Codetta** sub-section which is the same as the one in the Exposition Section. However, since this sub –section usually ends the whole sonata, the key typically ends with a perfect cadence (perfect 5th).

media type="file" key="example of recapitulation.wmv" width="300" height="300" <span style="color: #943634; font-family: Biondi; font-size: 12.5pt; line-height: 115%; mso-themecolor: accent2; mso-themeshade: 191;">Example of the recapitulation from Eine Kleine Nachtmusik(1st movement)


 * <span style="color: #666699; font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Nevertheless, not all sonatas ends with a Recapitulation Sections, many composers during the classical era love to add in the Coda part to continue with the movement. **



<span style="color: #948a54; font-family: Jokewood; font-weight: normal; mso-themecolor: background2; mso-themeshade: 128;"><span style="color: #948a54; font-family: Jokewood; font-size: 18pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%; mso-themecolor: background2; mso-themeshade: 128;">Coda -

<span style="color: #ff6600; font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Coda is usually after the final perfect cadence of the recapitulation section which brings the piece into a conclusion. It was very commonly used during the classical era in the sonata allegro form. The coda always ends with a perfect cadence in the original key and it varies in length. It can be a few bars of cadence confirmation or a large section with new musical ideas which can be often found in mature work of Beethoven.

= = =<span style="color: #996633; font-family: Jokewood; font-size: 21pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;">Famous music pieces in sonata allegro form - =

<span style="color: #000000; font: 7pt 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;"> Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony in C minor <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;"> Eine Kleine Nachtmusik by Mozart <span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; msobidifontfamily: Symbol; msofareastfontfamily: Symbol; msolist: Ignore;"> 1st movement of the “Eroica” symphony by Beethoven

<span style="color: #4f6228; font-family: 'Garamond','serif'; font-size: 13pt; line-height: 115%; mso-themecolor: accent3; mso-themeshade: 128;">EAKLE, K. “Sonata Allegro Form.” //Virtual Music Classroom//. n.d. Web. 17 Apr. 2010. “Sonata Form.” //Wikipedia.// 2010. Web. 18 Apr. 2010. Tucker, M. G. “Sonata Form//.” Classical Expression, Form and Style.// 1980. Web. 18 Apr. 2010. “Sonata Form.” //Wikimedia//. 2010. Web. 18 Apr. 2010.
 * __ Reference: __**