sonata
(soe-NAH-tah)


[It.] - [Sp.] - [Eng.]

An instrumental genre in several movements for a soloist or an ensemble. The original usage for the term "sonata" implied a composition that was to be played rather than sung. Later, the term "sonata" came to be understood as a four movement piece: slow, fast, slow, fast, as was used in the church sonata (sonata da chiesa), or allemande, courante, sarabande, and gigue, as was used in the chamber sonata (sonata da camera). As the sonata developed, it became longer and adopted the sonata-allegro form for the first movement, which was generally fast. The following movement was generally somewhat slower, and the number of movements varied, but was generally about three.

See also [Eng.] sonata; [Fr.] sonate (f); [Ger.] Sonate (f); [It.] sonata (f); [Sp.] sonata (f); [Rus.] cohata.

Table of musical translations

SUGGESTED LISTENING EXAMPLES:

Sonata, chamber, Baroque:
Corelli: Violin Sonata in A major, Op. 5, No. 9, "Gigue"
W. W. Norton - 4-CD Musical Example Bank -- Disc 2, Track 61
Bach: Flute Sonata No. 2 in E-flat major, BWV 1031, "Siciliano"
W. W. Norton - 4-CD Musical Example Bank -- Disc 2, Track 27

Sonata, duo:
Bach: Flute Sonata No. 2 in E-flat major, BWV 1031, "Siciliano"

W. W. Norton - 4-CD Musical Example Bank -- Disc 2, Track 27
Clarke: Sonata for Viola and Piano, II
W. W. Norton - 4-CD Musical Example Bank -- Disc 1, Track 60
Hindemith: Sonata for Bass, Tuba and Piano
W. W. Norton - 4-CD Musical Example Bank -- Disc 2, Track 13

Sonata, solo, Baroque:
Scarlatti: Sonata in E major, K. 20, "Capriccio"

W. W. Norton - 4-CD Musical Example Bank -- Disc 2, Track 64

Sonata, trio:
Bach: Trio Sonata in G major, I

W. W. Norton - 4-CD Musical Example Bank -- Disc 2, Track 66
Quantz: Trio Sonata in C major, I
W. W. Norton - 4-CD Musical Example Bank -- Disc 3, Track 1

Sonata, 20th century:
Hindemith: Sonata for Bass, Tuba, and Piano, III

W. W. Norton - 4-CD Musical Example Bank -- Disc 2, Track 13
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