Sonata, revised by Gianna Macedon The genre of sonata, from the Italian word “sonare,”, which translates to English as “to sound,” the term “sonata” describes a musical piece composed for either a solo instrument or small ensemble of instruments. The typical sonata consists of several movements, often written in varying keys at various tempos, but revolving around a given theme or motif (Grove Online Music Dictionary) Sonatas as a musical genre came into their own during the late sixteenth century, most notably with the early-Baroque composers Andrea Gabrieli and his nephew Giovanni Gabrieli. Perhaps the most famous example of these early works is Giovanni Gabrieli’s Sonata Pian’e Forte of 1597, meaning “Soft and Loud Sonata.” It was written for two choirs of wind instruments: three trombones and cornett versus three trombones and viola da braccio (similar to the modern viola). Here, for the first time a polyphonic composition specified dynamics, specifically, “soft” and “loud,” alternating throughout the piece. Nearing the turn of the eighteenth century, the popularity of the sonata grew within domestic and ecclesiastical settings, so much so that sonatas were distinguished into two primary subdivisions: Sonata da Chiesa (Church sonata) and Sonata da Camera (Chamber Sonata). While both were composed of multiple sections with varying tempos, structure and intention tended to differ. The Sonata da Chiesa was written with the intent of accompanying the Mass and was additionally composed in the style of fugue, while the Sonata da Camera consisted of dance movements. Examples of the Sonata da Camera include Corelli’s Sonata da Camera, Op.4, No. 1, and Antonio Caldara’s Sonata da Camera in D major, while examples of a Sonata da Chiesa include Corelli’s Sonata da Chiesa, Op. 3, No.1. Note that a strict separation of “church” and “chamber” styles was sometimes not observed, with elements of each showing up in the other. Bach’s Violin Sonata for Unaccompanied Violin No. 1 in G minor, BWV 10001 (Adagio-Fuga-Siciliano-Presto) can be heard here. Bach’s Sonata a Cembalo obbligato e Viola da Gamba in G minor, BWV 1029 (Vivace-Adagio-Allegro) can be heard here. For Bach, “sonata” meant church sonata. He called a piece written in the French manner, e.g., a suite of dances, a “partita.” The cello suites, however, he did not call partitas, but rather “suites,” e.g., Cello Suite No. 1, BWV 1007 (Prélude, Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, Menuet I, Menuet II, Gigue). Around the middle of the eighteenth century, the focus of sonata composition shifted from chamber ensemble to keyboard and violin. Mozart wrote 18 piano sonatas and 36 violin sonatas, known primarily for the variety of their movements. Some examples are Mozart’s Piano Sonata No. 16 and Violin Sonata No. 21. Near the beginning of the nineteenth century, the keyboard sonatas began to dominate, though sonatas for solo violin or cello with piano continued to be important works for many composers. During this time, Beethoven wrote several famous works, such as his Sonata Pathétique in C minor, Op. 13 (1798) and his iconic Moonlight Sonata in C-sharp minor, Op. 27, No. 2 (1802). The idea of a large piece being subdivided into four different movements with varying moods and a slow-fast-slow-fast structure was further expanded into extensive orchestral arrangements by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, and others.