Sonata
A multi-movement instrumental work — not the same as "sonata form"
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A sonata is a multi-movement instrumental work, usually for one solo instrument with piano, or for piano alone: the piano sonatas of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven are the core repertoire. It is not the same as sonata form: sonata is a genre, sonata form a structure; a movement in a sonata may use sonata form, or a rondo, or variations.
The word comes from Italian sonare, "to sound, to play", and once meant any played instrumental music, as opposed to cantata, "sung". When you hear "sonata", first ask: for what forces, and how many movements?
Read deeper → Sonata Form
Sources
- 奏鸣曲作为多乐章器乐体裁的历史与用法，参 The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, "Sonata"；本文为原创表述
Used for fact-checking only; all prose is original.