 thumb|400px|simplest sonata form pattern and its relation to binary form.white, john d. (1976). the analysis of music, p. 57. isbn 0-13-033233-x. thumb|400px|classical sonata form in minor.white, john d. (1994). comprehensive musical analysis, p.101. scarecrow press. isbn 9781461657668. thumb|400px|"early examples of sonata form resemble two-reprise continuous ternary form."kostka, stefan and payne, dorothy (1995). tonal harmony, p.346. 3rd edition, mcgraw-hill. isbn 0-07-300056-6. sonata form (also sonata-allegro form or first movement form) is a large-scale musical structure used widely since the middle of the 18th century (the early classical period). while it is typically used in the first movement of multi-movement pieces, it is sometimes used in subsequent movements as wellâparticularly the final movement. the teaching of sonata form in music theory rests on a standard definition and a series of hypotheses about the underlying reasons for the durability and variety of the formâa definition that arose in the second quarter of the 19th century.rosen, c (1980) sonata forms (revised ed. 1988), new york, norton, p. 1. there is little disagreement that on the largest level, the form consists of three main sections: an exposition, a development, and a recapitulation;benward & saker (2009). music in theory and practice: volume ii, p. 359. eighth edition. isbn 978-0-07-310188-0. however, beneath this, sonata form is difficult to pin down in a single model. the standard definition focuses on the thematic and harmonic organization of tonal materials that are presented in an exposition, elaborated and contrasted in a development and then resolved harmonically and thematically in a recapitulation. in addition, the standard definition recognizes that an introduction and a coda may be present. each of the sections is often further divided or characterized by the particular means by which it accomplishes its function in the form. since its establishment, the sonata form became the most common form in the first movement of works entitled "sonata", as well as other long works of classical music, including the symphony, concerto, string quartet, and so on. accordingly, there is a large body of theory on what unifies and distinguishes practice in the sonata form, both within eras and between eras. even works that do not adhere to the standard description of a sonata form often present analogous structures or can be analyzed as elaborations or expans
Musical_development Musical_form Tonality