Sonata form

[littletune]

I have been deciding for a long time if I should post this question or not. Because this is my music theory assignment and I don't want people to think that I'm just waiting for others to do things for me. But I really don't know enough about this and it would be great if anyone had some suggestions.

So I have to write the most important things about Sonata movement (I guess it's called Sonata form). I also have to talk about it in music theory class so others will understand it too. And I wanted to give some examples. Like show parts of the sheet music and play some Sonata movements that would be the most typical examples of how sonata form usually looks/sounds like.
It says that Sonata form usually has two themes in the Exposition (that are contrasting to each other), it also says that if the first one is in a major key the other one is usually in the dominant key and if the first one is in minor key, the second one is in the relative major. What is relative major? Is it like: d minor/ F major? (just want to make sure, we don't say it like that in my language).
So I was wondering if someone could tell me about some Sonatas that would be good examples of that (for both cases, major and minor) and that I could also get at least parts of the sheet music for that.
I don't know maybe that's asking too much but I just thought I would try.    Thank you for reading!   

[lelle]

It says that Sonata form usually has two themes in the Exposition (that are contrasting to each other), it also says that if the first one is in a major key the other one is usually in the dominant key and if the first one is in minor key, the second one is in the relative major. What is relative major? Is it like: d minor/ F major? (just want to make sure, we don't say it like that in my language).

That is correct. It is the major key that has the same key signature as the minor key, which is always located a minor third above the tonic. f minor -> A flat for example.

So I was wondering if someone could tell me about some Sonatas that would be good examples of that (for both cases, major and minor) and that I could also get at least parts of the sheet music for that.

Try Beethoven op. 2 no 1 first movement, the second theme is in the relative major A flat and is usually viewed as the one starting in measure 20 with the broken octaves on the dominant, E flat.

Often beethoven sonatas can have more than one theme in the second group so it can sometimes be difficult to decide which one is the "true" 2nd theme.

Try Beethoven op 22 first movement for a major sonata. Second theme in the dominant F major starts measure 30 and comes back in varied form in measure 38. It's common that the second theme is played twice in a row and varied slightly the second time.

A third example is the third movement of the moonlight sonata but here the second theme is on the dominant in minor, G sharp minor.

[Bob]

It's been a long time, and my brain is rusty...  We learned this evolving from AB form though I think.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonata_allegro_form
Hm... Redirects...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonata_form


If these help, haven't looked at them...
https://ask.metafilter.com/82580/Which-symphonic-movements-are-clear-examples-of-sonataallegro-form
https://oyc.yale.edu/music/musi-112/lecture-9
https://oyc.yale.edu/music/musi-112/lecture-9#ch3

Piano music would be easier...  I'm trying to find something that's a cookie-cutter....

So says a random internet person...
"The generally accepted 'perfect' examples are Beethoven's Sonata No. 1, the first of Clementi's Opus 36 Sonatina No. 1"
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20101214045806AAU8Cvj



"Early Beethoven Sonatas is good to start,Also the Violin Sonatas, , , then Haydn Piano Sonatas, things are clear, precise, He does take some liberties, but not many, This is real music now, so it's difficult to find something in a pure state;
Mozart Sonatas are very nice examples of Sonata-Allegro form;and Brahms First Piano Sonata.. . . but if you really want boredom, tepid examples of strict Sonata,try pre-Mozart Sonatas, Telemann, C.P.E Bach. . ."
https://www.amazon.com/forum/classical%20music?_encoding=UTF8&cdForum=Fx2O5YQ79OVJBUQ&cdThread=TxFHTBL8QYL17


Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
I'd pick that since it's well-known.  Not piano though.  Full score should be available somewhere online.


From music theory classes, this stuff can get complicated quick for how detailed the analysis is, what the teacher wants, etc.  Piano music is going to be easier to keep it all on two staves, no transposition, etc.  Plus formatting for papers, citations, oi... I remember all that shhhtuff now....  

If I were you I'd get more ideas on piano pieces.  Maybe the Beethoven op. 2, no. 1 though, except that's minor....  And just focus on analyzing one piece.  "Most important elements of sonata form, as seen in composer's x-piece."  Then you've analyzed one whole movement for form.  And if it's basic Beethoven, you might be playing it one day.

The Yale presentation is good.  That's aimed at college students who don't know anything about music.  

I'd just focus on identifying the themes ("theme" might not mean what you think anymore either.  I think it's  theme=key, but usually has the same melody with it).  Identify themes and key centers.  You should be able to see (and hear) the key center in the bass notes.  And then it should generally follow the sonata form.  Being able to hear the pull is good though -- When it's sitting in a dominant section, tonic, etc. 

And if you print it out, you can color code everything.    Good times....


And beware of the idea that composer's are purposely, consciously following a template.    I remember a professor ranting a bit about that.  Composers are writing with the flow of music in mind, not following a cookie cutter approach.  Even though they all seemed to end up with similar ideas....

And I remember one prof saying you could just about take sections of Mozart and splice them together and it still all worked.  The melodic lines weren't always related to each other.  Haha.


Eine Kleine.... Six minutes.  Nice and workable.  


The thing I really didn't like about theory classes was "Here's the standard/template.... And here are 20 examples of how that got varied!"  So your first introduction to something gets the standard model given as much attention as all the variations on that, ie It gets blurred.

[littletune]

Lelle and Bob! Thank you, thank you sooo much! This really helped me a lot!!!     It went really well! 
(If there's anything I can help you with, just tell me!    )