The Sonata
Published on 10. March 2011
Book
Paperback/Softback
278 pages
978-0-521-75631-0 (ISBN)
Description
What is a sonata? Literally translated, it simply means 'instrumental piece'. It is the epitome of instrumental music, and is certainly the oldest and most enduring form of 'pure' and independent instrumental composition, beginning around 1600 and lasting to the present day. Schmidt-Beste analyses key aspects of the genre including form, scoring and its social context - who composed, played and listened to sonatas? In giving a comprehensive overview of all forms of music which were called 'sonatas' at some point in musical history, this book is more about change than about consistency - an ensemble sonata by Gabrieli appears to share little with a Beethoven sonata, or a trio sonata by Corelli with one of Boulez's piano sonatas, apart from the generic designation. However, common features do emerge, and the look across the centuries - never before addressed in a single-volume survey - opens up new and significant perspectives.
Reviews / Votes
'This book packs a lot in and is highly recommended for the careful reader.' Music Teacher 'This volume seems particularly relevant to first-year undergraduates, who will surely fall upon its jargon-free vocabulary and crystal-clear layout with delight ... as a history of works called sonatas, this keenly-focused study is essential reading.' The Musical Times '5 stars: In this outstanding book Schmidt-Beste covers every conceivable aspect of sonata history.' Classical MusicMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
45 Printed music items; 12 Tables, black and white
Dimensions
Height: 244 mm
Width: 170 mm
Thickness: 15 mm
Weight
485 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-521-75631-0 (9780521756310)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Thomas Schmidt-Beste
The Sonata
E-Book
02/2013
Cambridge University Press
€17.49
Available for download
Thomas Schmidt-Beste
The Sonata
Book
03/2011
Cambridge University Press
€93.30
Shipment within 15-20 days
Person
Thomas Schmidt-Beste is Professor and Head of Music at Bangor University, North Wales.
Content
Part I. Definitions: 1. Sonata and canzona; 2. Sonata and sinfonia; 3. Sonata and concerto; 4. Sonata and suite/partita; 5. The sonata and free instrumental genres: toccata - ricercar - capriccio - fantasia; Part II. Form: 6. The 'free' sonata in the seventeenth century; 7. Corelli and his legacy; 8. Sonata cycles and 'sonata form' after 1750; 9. Beethoven's sonatas - consummating or transcending Classical form?; 10. The cycle; 11. The sonata after Beethoven; 12. Sonata composition in the twentieth century; Part III. Functions and Aesthetics: 13. Locations and occasions; 14. Target groups: professionals, connoisseurs and amateurs; 15. Learned style; 16. Virtuosity; 17. Sonata form as an aesthetic paradigm; 18. Absolute music? On meaning and programmaticism; Part IV. Scoring and Texture: 19. Developments in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries; 20. The paradigm shift of c.1750; 21. The age of the piano sonata; 22. Piano and others; 23. The sonata for unaccompanied solo instrument; 24. The organ sonata; Bibliography.