View source for Sonata

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{|align="right" width=250px
|[[Image:Beethoven opus 101 manuscript.jpg|right|thumb|250px|[[Ludwig van Beethoven]]'s  manuscript sketch for [[Piano Sonata No. 28 (Beethoven)|Piano Sonata No. 28]], Movement IV, ''Geschwind, doch nicht zu sehr und mit Entschlossenheit'' ([[Tempo|Allegro]]), in his own handwriting. The piece was completed in 1816.]]
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|{{listen
 | filename     = Beethoven - Piano Sonata No. 28 in A Major, Op. 101 - I. Etwas lebhaft, und mit der innigsten Empfindung.ogg
 | title        = Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 28 in A Major, Op. 101, Movement I
 | description  = 
 | format       = 
 | filename2    = Beethoven - Piano Sonata No. 28 in A Major, Op. 101 - II. Lebhaft. Marschmäßig.ogg
 | title2       = Piano Sonata No. 28 in A Major, Op. 101, Movement II
 | description2 = 
 | format2      = 
 | filename3    = Beethoven - Piano Sonata No. 28 in A Major, Op. 101 - III. Langsam und sehnsuchtsvoll and IV. Geschwind, doch nicht zu sehr und mit Entschlossenheit.ogg
 | title3       = Piano Sonata No. 28 in A Major, Op. 101, Movements III and IV
 | description3 = Performed by Daniel Veesey. From [http://www.musopen.com/view.php?type=piece&id=292 Musopen.com].
 | format3      = 
}}
|}A '''sonata''' is a piece of [[music]] for one instrument or one instrument with another instrument accompanying.  The word comes from the [[Italy|Italian]] “sonare” which means “to sound”.

A [[composer]] could call any solo instrumental piece “sonata” if he or she wants to, but usually a sonata is quite a long piece with several movements.  A '''sonatina''' is a simple and short sonata.

==History==
The term "sonata" was used in the 16th century to mean anything that was not sung.

In the [[Baroque music|Baroque]] period (17th and early 18th centuries) many composers like [[Arcangelo Corelli]] wrote sonatas with several movements.  There were two types: “sonata da camera” (“room sonata” i.e. “chamber sonata”) which were for playing in people’s homes, and “sonata da chiesa” (“church sonata”) which were for being played in churches.  The first type would have [[harpsichord]] [[accompaniment (music)|accompaniment]] and the second type [[Organ (music)|organ]] accompaniment.  There would also be a cello playing the bass line.  The solo instrument might be a [[violin]], [[flute]], [[recorder]] or [[oboe]].

At the end of the Baroque period [[Domenico Scarlatti]] wrote over 500 sonatas for harpsichord.  These are all short pieces in binary form (two sections).

By the time we come to the [[Classical music period|Classical period]] sonatas have become longer pieces with three or four movements.  They would usually start with a fast movement, then a slow one, and then a fast one at the end.  If there were four movements the extra one would be a [[minuet]] and trio or a [[scherzo]], either before or after the slow movement.  The first movement would be in [[sonata form]].  The most important composers of sonatas at this time were [[Joseph Haydn|Haydn]], [[Mozart]] and [[Beethoven]]

Many composers in the [[Romantic music|Romantic period]] wrote sonatas, for example: [[Johannes Brahms|Brahms]] wrote piano sonatas as well as sonatas for violin and piano, [[cello]] and piano, and [[clarinet]] and piano.

In the [[20th century]] composers who have written sonatas include [[Bela Bartok|Bartok]], [[Michael Tippett|Tippett]] and William Walton.

==Related pages==
*[[Piano sonata]]
*[[Sonata form]]

[[Category:Sonatas| ]]
[[Category:Classical music]]
[[Category:Musical forms]]