The Development of Sonata Cycle

Sonata cycle emerged in the Classical era and occurs in symphony, sonata, and concerto. The original meaning of sonata is to sound on a instrument from the Italian word suonare. This form is derived from rounded binary form in the early 18th century.

CPE Bach (1714-1788), son of the famous JS Bach, was surprising more famous than his father in his time. CPE Bach contributed to the development of sonata form. He established the formal structure of Exposition, Development, and Recapitulation.

The Mannheim School was a group of composers active at the court of Mannheim, Germany, in the later half of the 18th century. The leading figures included Karl Stamitz and Christian Cannabich.  They developed the orchestral crescendo and rocket theme.

Franz Joseph Haydn, often considered  as the “father of the string quartet” and “father of Classical style” due to his large contributions to them. He often used a monothematic exposition in his sonata-form movements. Haydn contributed to the development of sonata form and often included dramatic slow introductions. He is fond of using a slow introduction in the first movement.

W. A. Mozart, one of the Viennese School composers, used sonata form not only in symphony, piano concerto, chamber music, and instrumental sonata, bust also in genres such as overture to his operas as well as aria and vocal ensemble.

Beethoven’s “Piano Sonata in C minor, op 13” is a piano sonata. The exposition of the first movement is in sonata form. He also uses a slow introduction in his pieces. He developed and expanded classical forms, such as sonata and concerto.

Schubert had approaches to formal structures, for example, sonata form with repeated exposition. The phrasing structure is symmetrical, which is a Classical trademark The sonata cycle remained common through the early Romantic era.