How do you learn a sonata?

[frederic]

Hi everyone,

So whos learnt a lot of Sonatas?
If you have then you must have a way of learning them.
So whats your method of learning a Sonata?
I'm talking more about the first movement when the Sonata form is involved. How do you go about learning the recapitulation?

[rachfan]

In the macroview, I first break the sonata, say a three-movement sonata, into three separate smaller pieces.  Those are usually marked at different tempi like largo, adagio, and vivace.   I learn the movements in the same order that they appear.

Within any movement there a sub-sections.  For example, in the first movement there might be an introduction,  always a development, one or more recapitulations, and perhaps a coda or codetta.  Or in the middle movement there might be a trio or a sudden storm marked fuoco.  There can also be associated tempo changes along the way too.  So I work methodically through those sub-sections.  

Of course, within sub-sections, there are trouble spots, or hidden beasts.  I form mini-exercises out of those and practice them intensively to iron them out and to meld them into the whole.  You ask about recapitulations.  They vary.  Some are identical to the first appearance of the thematic material.  Some are written in a different key which might call for different fingerings.  Some are instantly recognizable, but others might have some variation to add interest to the music.  But they most often don't present a special difficulty in my opinion.    

The character of the middle movement might be of an entirely different character, and I look to see how I might practice it differently in certain ways.  Same with the third.  

Having learned this myriad of pieces and sections, the next challenge is to unify all of the sonata components into one perfect and related whole, so that in performance it is seamless, not fragmented, even though it was learned in chunks.  That is only way to successfully put the sonata over to the audience.

In thinking about this, I don't really take a radically different approach in learning a sonata as I do a simple character piece, a prelude, an etude, or other form.  Yes, the sonata is longer, takes more effort and time to learn, and it must be carefully integrated into a unified listening experience, but intelligent practicing and critical listening are the same no mater what musical form is sitting on the music desk at the moment  It is still intelligent practicing and critical listening.  

[tosca1]

David has given a very sensible approach in tackling a sonata. If I may add that understanding the "classical" sonata form of exposition, development and recapitulation can be helpful in handling key and thematic contrasts of a first movement

For example, the second subject that appears in the exposition in a key related to the tonic, returns in the tonic in the recapitulation.

This simple outline is of course only relevant to first movements in the classical sonata form which includes the sonatas of Mozart, Haydn and  Beethoven and some later composers.  

The sonata form evolved and even as early as Liszt there is  a  single movement sonata written in cyclical form exempified by his great B minor sonata.

Musical creativity can never be restrained by rigid formulae of structure and convention and as David has said, it is ultimately our critical ear and musical insight that we must apply whatever we are learning.
Robert.

[dan101]

Your already getting plenty of information. Here's a bit more. Try subdividing the exposition into two sections (first and second theme). Then tackle the development section. As for the recap, look for similarities to the exposition in order to help you memorize (i.e. mark in your score where the recap becomes different note-wise, in comparision with the expo).

If you're not familiar wih sonata form, become familiar by asking a teacher or visiting a website or book of merit. Good luck!

[franzliszt2]

I start at the start and work.

If I have a short space of time, I learn all the hard bits first, them lean the easier bits

[invictious]

begin from the beginning.
Learn the main theme first, then go through the sonata and learn the variations in the theme provided at the outset.

Then learn the rest.


of course, hard bits first, like franzliszt2 said.