The Sonata

Thomas Schmidt-Beste (University of Wales, Bangor)

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German

Cambridge University Press
10 March 2011

Music reviews & criticism; Western "classical" music

Series: Cambridge Introductions to Music

What is a sonata? Literally translated, it simply means 'instrumental piece'. It is the epitome of instrumental music, and is certainly the oldest and most enduring form of 'pure' and independent instrumental composition, beginning around 1600 and lasting to the present day. Schmidt-Beste analyses key aspects of the genre including form, scoring and its social context - who composed, played and listened to sonatas? In giving a comprehensive overview of all forms of music which were called 'sonatas' at some point in musical history, this book is more about change than about consistency - an ensemble sonata by Gabrieli appears to share little with a Beethoven sonata, or a trio sonata by Corelli with one of Boulez's piano sonatas, apart from the generic designation. However, common features do emerge, and the look across the centuries - never before addressed in a single-volume survey - opens up new and significant perspectives.

By: Thomas Schmidt-Beste (University of Wales Bangor)
Imprint: Cambridge University Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 252mm, Width: 182mm, Spine: 17mm
Weight: 700g
ISBN: 9780521762540
ISBN 10: 0521762545
Series: Cambridge Introductions to Music
Pages: 278
Publication Date: 10 March 2011
Audience: College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , Primary , Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Part I. Definitions: 1. Sonata and canzona; 2. Sonata and sinfonia; 3. Sonata and concerto; 4. Sonata and suite/partita; 5. The sonata and free instrumental genres: toccata - ricercar - capriccio - fantasia; Part II. Form: 6. The 'free' sonata in the seventeenth century; 7. Corelli and his legacy; 8. Sonata cycles and 'sonata form' after 1750; 9. Beethoven's sonatas - consummating or transcending Classical form?; 10. The cycle; 11. The sonata after Beethoven; 12. Sonata composition in the twentieth century; Part III. Functions and Aesthetics: 13. Locations and occasions; 14. Target groups: professionals, connoisseurs and amateurs; 15. Learned style; 16. Virtuosity; 17. Sonata form as an aesthetic paradigm; 18. Absolute music? On meaning and programmaticism; Part IV. Scoring and Texture: 19. Developments in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries; 20. The paradigm shift of c.1750; 21. The age of the piano sonata; 22. Piano and others; 23. The sonata for unaccompanied solo instrument; 24. The organ sonata; Bibliography.

Thomas Schmidt-Beste is Professor and Head of Music at Bangor University, North Wales.

Reviews for The Sonata

'This book packs a lot in and is highly recommended for the careful reader.' Music Teacher 'This volume seems particularly relevant to first-year undergraduates, who will surely fall upon its jargon-free vocabulary and crystal-clear layout with delight … as a history of works called sonatas, this keenly-focused study is essential reading.' The Musical Times '5 stars: In this outstanding book Schmidt-Beste covers every conceivable aspect of sonata history.' Classical Music