Sonata
Also known as sonata form
A concise classical-music entry that keeps the genre broad while grounding it in documented European art-music history and well-known Beethoven examples.
Origins and context
Documented in European art-music practice, especially the late Baroque and Classical traditions.
History
The sonata grew out of late 17th-century instrumental writing in Europe and became one of the central genres of the Classical period. By the time of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven, the sonata had become a major testing ground for formal balance, harmonic surprise, and expressive contrast; Beethoven’s catalog alone includes 32 piano sonatas, a reminder of how fully the genre came to shape the era’s musical imagination. (beethoven.de)
Notable artists
Essential listening
- 1
Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, Op. 27 No. 2 “Moonlight”: I. Adagio sostenuto
Ludwig van Beethoven
- 2
Sonata No. 23 in F minor, Op. 57 “Appassionata”: III. Allegro ma non troppo - Presto
Ludwig van Beethoven
- 3
