Sonata (; Italian: , pl. ''sonate''; from Latin and Italian: ''sonare'' rchaic Italian; replaced in the modern language by ''suonare'' "to sound"), in

music Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspe ...

, literally means a piece ''played'' as opposed to a

cantata A cantata (; ; literally "sung", past participle feminine singular of the Italian verb ''cantare'', "to sing") is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir. The meaning o ...

(Latin and Italian ''cantare'', "to sing"), a piece ''sung''. The term evolved through the history of music, designating a variety of forms until the Classical era, when it took on increasing importance. Sonata is a vague term, with varying meanings depending on the context and time period. By the early 19th century, it came to represent a principle of composing large-scale works. It was applied to most instrumental genres and regarded—alongside the

fugue In music, a fugue () is a contrapuntal compositional technique in two or more voices, built on a subject (a musical theme) that is introduced at the beginning in imitation (repetition at different pitches) and which recurs frequently in the co ...

—as one of two fundamental methods of organizing, interpreting and analyzing concert music. Though the musical style of sonatas has changed since the Classical era, most 20th- and 21st-century sonatas still maintain the same structure. The term

sonatina A sonatina is a small sonata. As a musical term, sonatina has no single strict definition; it is rather a title applied by the composer to a piece that is in basic sonata form, but is shorter and lighter in character, or technically more elementa ...

, pl. ''sonatine'', the

diminutive A diminutive is a root word that has been modified to convey a slighter degree of its root meaning, either to convey the smallness of the object or quality named, or to convey a sense of intimacy or endearment. A ( abbreviated ) is a word-form ...

form of sonata, is often used for a short or technically easy sonata.

Instrumentation

In the

Baroque period The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires includin ...

, a sonata was for one or more instruments almost always with continuo. After the Baroque period most works designated as sonatas specifically are performed by a solo instrument, most often a keyboard instrument, or by a solo instrument accompanied by a keyboard instrument. Sonatas for a solo instrument other than keyboard have been composed, as have sonatas for other combinations of instruments.

History

Baroque

In the works of Arcangelo Corelli and his contemporaries, two broad classes of sonata were established, and were first described by

Sébastien de Brossard Sébastien de Brossard, pronounced e.bɑs.tjẽ də brɔ.saːr (12 September 1655 – 10 August 1730) was a French music theorist, composer and collector. Life Brossard was born in Dompierre, Orne. After studying philosophy and theology at ...

in his ''Dictionaire de musique'' (third edition, Amsterdam, ca. 1710): the

sonata da chiesa Sonata da chiesa (Italian: "church sonata") is a 17th-century genre of musical composition for one or more melody instruments and is regarded an antecedent of later forms of 18th century instrumental music. It generally comprises four movements, t ...

(that is, suitable for use in church), which was the type "rightly known as ''Sonatas''", and the

sonata da camera Sonata da camera is a 17th-century genre of musical composition for one or more melody instruments and basso continuo. It generally comprises a suite of several small pieces in the same mode or key that are suitable for dancing. A significant numbe ...

(proper for use at court), which consists of a prelude followed by a succession of dances, all in the same key. Although the four, five, or six movements of the sonata da chiesa are also most often in one key, one or two of the internal movements are sometimes in a contrasting tonality. The sonata da chiesa, generally for one or more

violin The violin, sometimes known as a '' fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone ( string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument ( soprano) in the family in regu ...

s and

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass gui ...

, consisted normally of a slow introduction, a loosely fugued

allegro Allegro may refer to: Common meanings * Allegro (music), a tempo marking indicate to play fast, quickly and bright * Allegro (ballet), brisk and lively movement Artistic works * L'Allegro (1645), a poem by John Milton * ''Allegro'' (Satie), an ...

, a cantabile slow movement, and a lively finale in some

binary form Binary form is a musical form in 2 related sections, both of which are usually repeated. Binary is also a structure used to choreograph dance. In music this is usually performed as A-A-B-B. Binary form was popular during the Baroque period, of ...

suggesting affinity with the dance-tunes of the

suite Suite may refer to: Arts and entertainment *Suite (music), a set of musical pieces considered as one composition ** Suite (Bach), a list of suites composed by J. S. Bach ** Suite (Cassadó), a mid-1920s composition by Gaspar Cassadó ** ''Suite ...

. This scheme, however, was not very clearly defined, until the works of Arcangelo Corelli when it became the essential sonata and persisted as a tradition of Italian violin music. The sonata da camera consisted almost entirely of idealized dance-tunes. On the other hand, the features of ''sonata da chiesa'' and ''sonata da camera'' then tended to be freely intermixed. Although nearly half of Bach's 1,100 surviving compositions, arrangements, and transcriptions are instrumental works, only about 4% are sonatas. The term ''sonata'' is also applied to the series of over 500 works for

harpsichord A harpsichord ( it, clavicembalo; french: clavecin; german: Cembalo; es, clavecín; pt, cravo; nl, klavecimbel; pl, klawesyn) is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. This activates a row of levers that turn a trigger mechanism ...

solo, or sometimes for other keyboard instruments, by

Domenico Scarlatti Giuseppe Domenico Scarlatti, also known as Domingo or Doménico Scarlatti (26 October 1685-23 July 1757), was an Italian composer. He is classified primarily as a Baroque composer chronologically, although his music was influential in the devel ...

, originally published under the name ''Essercizi per il gravicembalo'' (Exercises for the Harpsichord). Most of these pieces are in one binary-form movement only, with two parts that are in the same tempo and use the same thematic material, though occasionally there will be changes in tempo within the sections. They are frequently virtuosic, and use more distant harmonic transitions and modulations than were common for other works of the time. They were admired for their great variety and invention. Both the solo and trio sonatas of

Vivaldi Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (4 March 1678 – 28 July 1741) was an Italian composer, virtuoso violinist and impresario of Baroque music. Regarded as one of the greatest Baroque composers, Vivaldi's influence during his lifetime was widesprea ...

show parallels with the concerti he was writing at the same time. He composed over 70 sonatas, the great majority of which are of the solo type; most of the rest are trio sonatas, and a very small number are of the multivoice type. The sonatas of Domenico Paradies are mild and elongated works with a graceful and melodious little second movement included.

Classical period

The practice of the Classical period would become decisive for the sonata; the term moved from being one of many terms indicating genres or forms, to designating the fundamental form of organization for large-scale works. This evolution stretched over fifty years. The term came to apply both to the structure of individual movements (see Sonata form and History of sonata form) and to the layout of the movements in a multi-movement work. In the transition to the Classical period there were several names given to multimovement works, including divertimento,

serenade In music, a serenade (; also sometimes called a serenata, from the Italian) is a musical composition or performance delivered in honor of someone or something. Serenades are typically calm, light pieces of music. The term comes from the Itali ...

, and partita, many of which are now regarded effectively as sonatas. The usage of ''sonata'' as the standard term for such works began somewhere in the 1770s. Haydn labels his first piano sonata as such in 1771, after which the term ''divertimento'' is used sparingly in his output. The term ''sonata'' was increasingly applied to either a work for keyboard alone (see piano sonata), or for keyboard and one other instrument, often the violin or cello. It was less and less frequently applied to works with more than two instrumentalists; for example, piano trios were not often labelled ''sonata for piano, violin, and cello.'' Initially the most common layout of movements was: # Allegro, which at the time was understood to mean not only a tempo, but also some degree of "working out", or development, of the theme. # A middle movement, most frequently a

slow movement Slow movement may refer to: * Slow movement (music) *Slow movement (culture) *Bradykinesia Hypokinesia is one of the classifications of movement disorders, and refers to decreased bodily movement. Hypokinesia is characterized by a partial or com ...

: an Andante, an

Adagio Adagio (Italian for 'slowly', ) may refer to: Music * Adagio, a tempo marking, indicating that music is to be played slowly, or a composition intended to be played in this manner * Adagio (band), a French progressive metal band Albums * ''Adag ...

or a Largo; or less frequently a

Minuet A minuet (; also spelled menuet) is a social dance of French origin for two people, usually in time. The English word was adapted from the Italian ''minuetto'' and the French ''menuet''. The term also describes the musical form that accomp ...

Theme and Variations In music, variation is a formal technique where material is repeated in an altered form. The changes may involve melody, rhythm, harmony, counterpoint, timbre, orchestration or any combination of these. Variation techniques Mozart's Twelve ...

form. # A closing movement was generally an Allegro or a Presto, often labeled ''Finale''. The form was often a Rondo or Minuet. However, two-movement layouts also occur, a practice Haydn uses as late as the 1790s. There was also in the early Classical period the possibility of using four movements, with a dance movement inserted before the slow movement, as in Haydn's Piano sonatas No. 6 and No. 8.

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...

's sonatas were also primarily in three movements. Of the works that Haydn labelled ''piano sonata'', ''divertimento'', or ''partita'' in Hob XIV, seven are in two movements, thirty-five are in three, and three are in four; and there are several in three or four movements whose authenticity is listed as "doubtful." Composers such as Boccherini would publish sonatas for piano and obbligato instrument with an optional third movement—–in Boccherini's case, 28 cello sonatas. But increasingly instrumental works were laid out in four, not three movements, a practice seen first in

string quartet The term string quartet can refer to either a type of musical composition or a group of four people who play them. Many composers from the mid-18th century onwards wrote string quartets. The associated musical ensemble consists of two violinist ...

s and

symphonies A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, most often for orchestra. Although the term has had many meanings from its origins in the ancient Greek era, by the late 18th century the word had taken on the meaning co ...

, and reaching the sonata proper in the early sonatas of

Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classic ...

. However, two- and three-movement sonatas continued to be written throughout the Classical period: Beethoven's opus 102 pair has a two-movement C major sonata and a three-movement D major sonata. Nevertheless, works with fewer or more than four movements were increasingly felt to be exceptions; they were labelled as having movements "omitted," or as having "extra" movements. Thus, the four-movement layout was by this point standard for the string quartet, and overwhelmingly the most common for the

symphony A symphony is an extended musical composition in Western classical music, most often for orchestra. Although the term has had many meanings from its origins in the ancient Greek era, by the late 18th century the word had taken on the meaning c ...

. The usual order of the four movements was: # An allegro, which by this point was in what is called sonata form, complete with exposition, development, and recapitulation. # A

, an Andante, an Adagio or a Largo. # A dance movement, frequently Minuet and trio or—especially later in the classical period—a Scherzo and trio. # A finale in faster tempo, often in a sonata–rondo form. When movements appeared out of this order they would be described as "reversed", such as the scherzo coming before the slow movement in Beethoven's 9th Symphony. This usage would be noted by critics in the early 19th century, and it was codified into teaching soon thereafter. It is difficult to overstate the importance of Beethoven's output of sonatas: 32 piano sonatas, plus sonatas for cello and piano or violin and piano, forming a large body of music that would over time increasingly be thought essential for any serious instrumentalist to master.

Romantic period

In the early 19th century, the current usage of the term ''sonata'' was established, both as regards form ''per se'', and in the sense that a fully elaborated sonata serves as a norm for concert music in general, which other forms are seen in relation to. From this point forward, the word ''sonata'' in music theory labels as much the abstract musical form as particular works. Hence there are references to a symphony as a ''sonata for orchestra''. This is referred to by William Newman as the ''sonata idea''. Among works expressly labeled ''sonata'' for the piano, there are the three of

Frédéric Chopin Frédéric François Chopin (born Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin; 1 March 181017 October 1849) was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic period, who wrote primarily for solo piano. He has maintained worldwide renown as a leadin ...

, those of

Felix Mendelssohn Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (3 February 18094 November 1847), born and widely known as Felix Mendelssohn, was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period. Mendelssohn's compositions include sym ...

, the three of

Robert Schumann Robert Schumann (; 8 June 181029 July 1856) was a German composer, pianist, and influential music critic. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers of the Romantic era. Schumann left the study of law, intending to pursue a career a ...

Franz Liszt Franz Liszt, in modern usage ''Liszt Ferenc'' . Liszt's Hungarian passport spelled his given name as "Ferencz". An orthographic reform of the Hungarian language in 1922 (which was 36 years after Liszt's death) changed the letter "cz" to simpl ...

's Sonata in B minor, and later the sonatas of

Johannes Brahms Johannes Brahms (; 7 May 1833 – 3 April 1897) was a German composer, pianist, and conductor of the mid-Romantic period. Born in Hamburg into a Lutheran family, he spent much of his professional life in Vienna. He is sometimes grouped wit ...

and

Sergei Rachmaninoff Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff; in Russian pre-revolutionary script. (28 March 1943) was a Russian composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one o ...

. In the early 19th century, the sonata form was defined, from a combination of previous practice and the works of important Classical composers, particularly Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, but composers such as Clementi also. It is during this period that the differences between the three- and the four-movement layouts became a subject of commentary, with emphasis on the concerto being laid out in three movements, and the symphony in four.

Ernest Newman Ernest Newman (30 November 1868 – 7 July 1959) was an English music critic and musicologist. ''Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians'' describes him as "the most celebrated British music critic in the first half of the 20th century." His ...

wrote in the essay "Brahms and the Serpent": :That, perhaps, will be the ideal of the instrumental music of the future; the way to it, indeed, seems at last to be opening out before modern composers in proportion as they discard the last tiresome vestiges of sonata form. This, from being what it was originally, the natural mode of expression of a certain eighteenth century way of thinking in music, became in the nineteenth century a drag upon both individual thinking and the free unfolding of the inner vital force of an idea, and is now simply a shop device by which a bad composer may persuade himself and the innocent reader of textbooks that he is a good one.

After the Romantic period

The role of the sonata as an extremely important form of extended musical argument would inspire composers such as Hindemith, Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Tailleferre, Ustvolskaya, and Williams to compose in sonata form, and works with traditional sonata structures continue to be composed and performed.

Scholarship and musicology

Sonata idea or principle

Research into the practice and meaning of sonata form, style, and structure has been the motivation for important theoretical works by Heinrich Schenker,

Arnold Schoenberg Arnold Schoenberg or Schönberg (, ; ; 13 September 187413 July 1951) was an Austrian-American composer, music theorist, teacher, writer, and painter. He is widely considered one of the most influential composers of the 20th century. He was as ...

, and Charles Rosen among others; and the pedagogy of music continued to rest on an understanding and application of the rules of sonata form as almost two centuries of development in practice and theory had codified it. The development of the classical style and its norms of composition formed the basis for much of the music theory of the 19th and 20th centuries. As an overarching formal principle, sonata was accorded the same central status as Baroque

; generations of composers, instrumentalists, and audiences were guided by this understanding of sonata as an enduring and dominant principle in Western music. The sonata idea begins before the term had taken on its present importance, along with the evolution of the Classical period's changing norms. The reasons for these changes, and how they relate to the evolving sense of a new formal order in music, is a matter to which research is devoted. Some common factors which were pointed to include: the shift of focus from vocal music to instrumental music; changes in performance practice, including the loss of the continuo. Crucial to most interpretations of the sonata form is the idea of a tonal center; and, as the ''Grove Concise Dictionary of Music'' puts it: "The main form of the group embodying the 'sonata principle', the most important principle of musical structure from the Classical period to the 20th century: that material first stated in a complementary key be restated in the home key".( The sonata idea has been thoroughly explored by William Newman in his monumental three-volume work ''Sonata in the Classic Era (A History of the Sonata Idea)'', begun in the 1950s and published in what has become the standard edition of all three volumes in 1972.

20th-century theory

Heinrich Schenker argued that there was an ''Urlinie'' or basic tonal melody, and a basic bass figuration. He held that when these two were present, there was basic structure, and that the sonata represented this basic structure in a whole work with a process known as ''interruption''. As a practical matter, Schenker applied his ideas to the editing of the piano sonatas of Beethoven, using original manuscripts and his own theories to "correct" the available sources. The basic procedure was the use of tonal theory to infer meaning from available sources as part of the critical process, even to the extent of completing works left unfinished by their composers. While many of these changes were and are controversial, that procedure has a central role today in music theory, and is an essential part of the theory of sonata structure as taught in most music schools.

Notable sonatas

Baroque (c. 1600 – c. 1760)

Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard wo ...

** Sonatas for solo violin (BWV 1001, 1003 and 1005) **Sonatas for flute and continuo ( BWV 1034,

1035 Year 1035 ( MXXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * c. July 3 – 8-year-old William I becomes duke of Normandy after his father Robert ...

) **

Trio sonatas The trio sonata is a genre, typically consisting of several movements, with two melody instruments and basso continuo. Originating in the early 17th century, the trio sonata was a favorite chamber ensemble combination in the Baroque era. Basic s ...

: for organ (BWV 525–530); for violin and harpsichord (BWV 1014–1019); for viola da gamba and harpsichord (BWV 1027–1029); for flute and harpsichord ( BWV 1030,

1032 Year 1032 ( MXXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * Spring – Emperor Romanos III (Argyros) sends a Byzantine expeditionary ar ...

); for flute, violin and continuo (''Sonata sopr'il Soggetto Reale'' included in ''

The Musical Offering ''The Musical Offering'' (German: or ), Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis, BWV 1079, is a collection of keyboard canon (music), canons and fugues and other pieces of music by Johann Sebastian Bach, all based on a single musical Subject (music), theme given ...

'') *

Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber ( bapt. 12 August 1644, Stráž pod Ralskem – 3 May 1704, Salzburg) was a Bohemian-Austrian composer and violinist. Biber worked in Graz and Kroměříž before he illegally left his employer, Prince-Bishop Karl L ...

** Rosary Sonatas *

George Frideric Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel (; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque music, Baroque composer well known for his opera#Baroque era, operas, oratorios, anthems, concerto grosso, concerti grossi, ...

** Sonata for Violin and Continuo in D major (HWV 371) *

Giuseppe Tartini Giuseppe Tartini (8 April 1692 – 26 February 1770) was an Italian composer and violinist of the Baroque era born in the Republic of Venice. Tartini was a prolific composer, composing over a hundred of pieces for the violin with the majority of ...

** Devil's Trill Sonata *

** List of solo keyboard sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti

Classical (c. 1760 – c. 1830)

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition r ...

** Piano Sonata No. 8 in A minor (K. 310) ** Piano Sonata No. 11 in A major (K. 331/300i) ** Piano Sonata No. 12 in F major (K. 332) ** Piano Sonata No. 13 in B-flat major (K. 333) ** Piano Sonata No. 14 in C minor (K. 457) ** Piano Sonata No. 15 in F major (K. 533/494) ** Piano Sonata No. 16 in C major (K. 545) ** Sonata in A for Violin and Keyboard (K. 526) *

Franz Joseph Haydn Franz Joseph Haydn ( , ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions to musical form have led ...

**Sonata No. 1 in C major, Hob. XVI:1 – Piano Sonata No. 62, Hob.XVI:52 *

Franz Schubert Franz Peter Schubert (; 31 January 179719 November 1828) was an Austrian composer of the late Classical and early Romantic eras. Despite his short lifetime, Schubert left behind a vast ''oeuvre'', including more than 600 secular vocal wo ...

** Sonata in C minor, D. 958 ** Sonata in A major, D. 959 ** Sonata in B major, D. 960

Romantic (c. 1795 – c. 1900)

Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classic ...

** Piano Sonata No. 8 "Pathétique" ** Piano Sonata No. 14 "Moonlight" (''Sonata quasi una fantasia'') ** Piano Sonata No. 17 "Tempest" ** Piano Sonata No. 19 "Leichte" ** Piano Sonata No. 21 "Waldstein" ** Piano Sonata No. 23 "Appassionata" ** Piano Sonata No. 29 "Hammerklavier" ** Piano Sonata No. 32 in C minor, Op. 111 ** Violin Sonata No. 5 "Spring" ** Violin Sonata No. 9 "Kreutzer" ** Cello Sonata No. 1 in F major Op. 5 ** Cello Sonata No. 2 in G minor Op. 5 ** Cello Sonata No. 3 in A major Op. 69 *

** Cello Sonata No. 1 ** Cello Sonata No. 2 ** Clarinet Sonatas No. 1 and No.2 ** Violin Sonata No. 1 ** Violin Sonata No. 2 ** Violin Sonata No. 3 *

Albert Dietrich Albert Hermann Dietrich (28 August 182920 November 1908), was a German composer and conductor. In addition to his work, he is remembered for his friendship with Johannes Brahms. Dietrich was born at Golk, near Meissen. From 1851 he studied co ...

, and

'F-A-E' Sonata The ''F-A-E Sonata'', a four-movement work for violin and piano, is a collaborative musical work by three composers: Robert Schumann, the young Johannes Brahms, and Schumann's pupil Albert Dietrich. It was composed in Düsseldorf in October 1853 ...

** Piano Sonata No. 2 in B minor ** Piano Sonata No. 3 in B minor * Paul Dukas ** Piano Sonata in E-flat minor (1900) * George Enescu **Sonata No. 1 for violin and piano in D major, Op. 2 (1897) ** Sonata No. 2 for violin and piano in F minor, Op. 6 (1899) * Edvard Grieg ** Three sonatas for Violin and Piano *

** Sonata after a Reading of Dante (''Fantasia Quasi Sonata'') ** Sonata in B minor *

** Violin Sonata No. 1 in A minor, Op. 105

20th-century and contemporary (c. 1910–present)

Samuel Barber Samuel Osmond Barber II (March 9, 1910 – January 23, 1981) was an American composer, pianist, conductor, baritone, and music educator, and one of the most celebrated composers of the 20th century. The music critic Donal Henahan said, "Probab ...

Cello Sonata A cello sonata is usually a sonata written for solo cello with piano accompaniment. The most famous Romantic-era cello sonatas are those written by Johannes Brahms and Ludwig van Beethoven. Some of the earliest cello sonatas were written in the 1 ...

Op. 6 ** Piano Sonata Op. 26 (1949) * Jean Barraqué ** Piano Sonata (1950–52) *

Béla Bartók Béla Viktor János Bartók (; ; 25 March 1881 – 26 September 1945) was a Hungarian composer, pianist, and ethnomusicologist. He is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century; he and Franz Liszt are regarded as Hu ...

** Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion ** Sonata for Piano (1926) ** Sonata for Solo Violin **Sonata No. 1 for Violin and Piano **Sonata No. 2 for Violin and Piano *

Alban Berg Alban Maria Johannes Berg ( , ; 9 February 1885 – 24 December 1935) was an Austrian composer of the Second Viennese School. His compositional style combined Romantic lyricism with the twelve-tone technique. Although he left a relatively sm ...

** Sonata for Piano, Op. 1 *

Leonard Bernstein Leonard Bernstein ( ; August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, pianist, music educator, author, and humanitarian. Considered to be one of the most important conductors of his time, he was the first America ...

** Sonata for Clarinet and Piano *

Pierre Boulez Pierre Louis Joseph Boulez (; 26 March 1925 – 5 January 2016) was a French composer, conductor and writer, and the founder of several musical institutions. He was one of the dominant figures of post-war Western classical music. Born in Mo ...

** Piano Sonata No. 1 ** Piano Sonata No. 2 ** Piano Sonata No. 3 *

Benjamin Britten Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten (22 November 1913 – 4 December 1976, aged 63) was an English composer, conductor, and pianist. He was a central figure of 20th-century British music, with a range of works including opera, other ...

** Sonata for Cello and Piano, Op. 65 *

John Cage John Milton Cage Jr. (September 5, 1912 – August 12, 1992) was an American composer and music theorist. A pioneer of indeterminacy in music, electroacoustic music, and non-standard use of musical instruments, Cage was one of the leading f ...

** Sonata for Unaccompanied Clarinet ** Sonatas and Interludes for Prepared Piano (1946–48) *

Claude Debussy (Achille) Claude Debussy (; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionism in music, Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most infl ...

** Sonata No. 1, for cello and piano (1915) ** Sonata No. 2, for flute, viola and harp (1915) ** Sonata No. 3, for violin and piano (1916–1917) * George Enescu ** Sonata No. 3 for violin and piano, in A minor, ''dans le caractère populaire roumain'' Op. 25 (1926) ** Sonata No. 2 for cello and piano in C major, Op. 26, No. 2 (1935) ** Piano Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op. 24, No. 1 (1924) ** Piano Sonata No. 3 in D major, Op. 24, No. 3 (1933–1935) * Karel Goeyvaerts ** Sonata for Two Pianos, Op. 1 * Hans Werner Henze **''

Royal Winter Music ''Royal Winter Music'' is the name given to two solo works for classical guitar by the German composer Hans Werner Henze. Both works are inspired by characters from Shakespeare. The first work (described as a sonata) was completed in 1976, and i ...

'', Guitar Sonatas No. 1 and 2 *

Paul Hindemith Paul Hindemith (; 16 November 189528 December 1963) was a German composer, music theorist, teacher, violist and conductor. He founded the Amar Quartet in 1921, touring extensively in Europe. As a composer, he became a major advocate of the ' ...

** Sonata for Viola and Piano, Op. 11, No. 4 (1919) *

Charles Ives Charles Edward Ives (; October 20, 1874May 19, 1954) was an American modernist composer, one of the first American composers of international renown. His music was largely ignored during his early career, and many of his works went unperformed ...

** Piano Sonata No. 2, Concord, Mass., 1840–60 * Leoš Janáček ** 1. X. 1905 (Janáček's Sonata for Piano) *

Ben Johnston Ben Johnston may refer to: * Ben Johnston (rugby union) (born 1978), British rugby player * Ben Johnston (composer) (1926–2019), American contemporary composer of concert music * Bennett Johnston, Jr. (born 1932), Washington, D.C.-based lobbyist ...

** Sonata for Microtonal Piano *

György Ligeti György Sándor Ligeti (; ; 28 May 1923 – 12 June 2006) was a Hungarian-Austrian composer of contemporary classical music. He has been described as "one of the most important avant-garde composers in the latter half of the twentieth century ...

** Sonata, for solo cello (1948/1953) *

Nikolai Medtner Nikolai Karlovich Medtner (russian: Никола́й Ка́рлович Ме́тнер, ''Nikoláj Kárlovič Métner''; 13 November 1951) was a Russian composer and virtuoso pianist. After a period of comparative obscurity in the 25 years immed ...

**Piano Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op. 5 (1901-3) **Piano Sonata No. 2 in A, Op. 11 (1904-7) **Piano Sonata No. 3 in D minor, ''Sonate-Elegie'', Op. 11 (1904-7) **Piano Sonata No. 4 in C, Op. 11 (1904-7) **Piano Sonata No. 5 in G minor, Op. 22 (1909-10) **Piano Sonata No. 6 in C minor, ''Sonata-Skazka'', Op. 22 (1910-11) **Piano Sonata No. 7 in E minor, ''Night Wind'', Op. 22 (1910-11) **Piano Sonata No. 8 in F, ''Sonata-Ballade'', Op. 27 (1912-14) **Piano Sonata No. 9 in A minor, ''War Sonata'' , Op. 30 (1914-17) **Piano Sonata No. 10 in A minor, ''Sonata-reminiscenza'', Op. 38 No. 1 (1920) **Piano Sonata No. 11 in C minor, ''Sonata Tragica'', Op. 39, No. 5 (1920) **Piano Sonata No. 12 in B minor, ''Romantica'', Op. 53 No. 1 (1930) **Piano Sonata No. 13 in F minor, ''Minacciosa'', Op. 53, No. 2 (1930) **Piano Sonata No. 14 in G, ''Sonata-Idyll'', Op. 56 (1937) * Darius Milhaud ** Sonata for flute, oboe, clarinet, and piano, Op. 47 (1918) *

Sergei Prokofiev Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev; alternative transliterations of his name include ''Sergey'' or ''Serge'', and ''Prokofief'', ''Prokofieff'', or ''Prokofyev''., group=n (27 April .S. 15 April1891 – 5 March 1953) was a Russian composer, ...

** Piano Sonatas—six juvenile (1904, 1907, 1907, 1907–08, 1908, 1908–09) ** Piano Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op. 1 (1907–09) ** Piano Sonata No. 2 in D minor, Op. 14 (1912) ** Piano Sonata No. 3 in A minor, Op. 28 (1907–17) ** Piano Sonata No. 4 in C minor, Op. 29 (1917) ** Piano Sonata No. 5 in C major (original version), Op. 38 (1923) ** Violin Sonata No. 1 in F minor, Op. 80 (1938–46) ** Piano Sonata No. 6 in A major, Op. 82 (1939–40) ** Piano Sonata No. 7 in B-flat major, ''Stalingrad'', Op. 83 (1939–42) ** Piano Sonata No. 8 in B-flat major, Op. 84 (1939–44) ** Flute Sonata in D major, Op. 94 (1943) ** Violin Sonata No. 2 in D major, Op. 94 bis (1943) ** Piano Sonata No. 9 in C major, Op. 103 (1947) ** Sonata for Solo Violin (Unison Violins) in D major, Op. 115 **

in C major, Op. 119 ** Sonata for Solo Cello in C-sharp minor, Op. 133 ** Piano Sonata No. 5 in C major (revised version), Op. 135 (1952–53) *

** Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat minor, Op. 36 (1913, revised in 1931) ** Sonata for Cello and Piano in G minor, Op. 19 (1901) *

Alexander Scriabin Alexander Nikolayevich Scriabin (; russian: Александр Николаевич Скрябин ; – ) was a Russian composer and virtuoso pianist. Before 1903, Scriabin was greatly influenced by the music of Frédéric Chopin and composed ...

** Piano Sonata No. 2 (Sonata-Fantasy) ** Piano Sonata No. 3 ** Piano Sonata No. 4 ** Piano Sonata No. 5 ** Piano Sonata No. 6 ** Piano Sonata No. 7 "White Mass" ** Piano Sonata No. 8 ** Piano Sonata No. 9 "Black Mass" ** Piano Sonata No. 10 *

Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji (born Leon Dudley Sorabji; 14 August 1892 – 15 October 1988) was an English composer, music critic, pianist and writer whose music, written over a period of seventy years, ranges from sets of miniatures to wor ...

**Piano Sonata No. 0 **Piano Sonata No. 1 **Piano Sonata No. 2 **Piano Sonata No. 3 **Piano Sonata No. 4 **Piano Sonata No. 5 "Opus Archimagicum" *

Igor Stravinsky Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (6 April 1971) was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor, later of French (from 1934) and American (from 1945) citizenship. He is widely considered one of the most important and influential 20th-century clas ...

** Sonata for Two Pianos (1943) *

Eugène Ysaÿe Eugène-Auguste Ysaÿe (; 16 July 185812 May 1931) was a Belgian virtuoso violinist, composer, and conductor. He was regarded as "The King of the Violin", or, as Nathan Milstein put it, the "tsar". Legend of the Ysaÿe violin Eugène Ysa ...

** Six Sonatas for solo violin (1923)

References

Sources * * * * * *