You may have spotted the word ‘sonata’ in the title of many famous pieces of classical music, but what does ‘sonata’ actually mean? We explain <\/p>
From works by Beethoven<\/a> and Mozart<\/a> to Haydn<\/a> and Schubert<\/a>, you may have spotted the word \u2018sonata\u2019 in the title of many famous pieces of classical music, but what does \u2018sonata\u2019 mean?<\/strong><\/p>\n The word \u2018sonata\u2019 itself comes from the Italian \u2018sonare\u2019, meaning \u2018sound\u2019. In relation to classical music, sonata means the piece is performed by an instrument typically a piano or another instrument accompanied by a piano\u00a0\u2013 rather than being something that is performed vocally (the term \u2018cantata<\/a><\/strong>\u2018 is used to describe a piece that is sung).<\/p>\n While a sonata is performed by a single instrument with either piano accompaniment or no accompaniment at all, a concerto<\/a> refers to a performance with a lead instrument accompanied by a range of other instruments.<\/p>\n <\/p><\/div> <\/section> Typically on a grander scale than sonatas or concertos, symphonies refer to more-complex compositions that have been written for an entire orchestra. Symphonies are usually arranged into four movements, often with at least one movement being in\u00a0sonata form<\/a>.<\/strong>\u00a0\u200b<\/p>\n While sonatas usually include three or four movements, some have been written to feature just one, such as Liszt\u2019s single-movement Piano Sonata in B Minor, or two, such as Beethoven\u2019s Piano Sonata Number 24.<\/p>\n Among the most well-known sonatas is Beethoven\u2019s Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp Minor, which is also known as the Moonlight Sonata<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n Written at the turn of the 19th century, the piece didn\u2019t acquire its nickname until decades later, when a music critic wrote that the first movement brought to mind the image of moonlight on a lake. The name stuck and the piece is still commonly known as Beethoven\u2019s Moonlight Sonata to this day.<\/p>\nWhat is a sonata?<\/h2>\n
Sonata vs concerto: what\u2019s the difference?<\/h2>\n
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Sonata vs symphony: what\u2019s the difference?<\/h2>\n
\u00a0How many movements in a sonata?<\/h2>\n
Which sonata is called Moonlight?<\/h2>\n