Sonata Form: An Introduction

Ann Turner is Financial and Budget Manager at the University of British
Columbia Library.

Do not be misled by the title of this book. An introduction it may be, but it is an introduction for the serious student of music, not the casual listener. Cecil Hill is an established musicologist and professor, and this book developed from his lectures to university-level music students. It assumes the ability to read music comfortably, including orchestral score, and a working knowledge of basic harmony. It expects that the student will have access to a library of works from the “classical” period of musical development in Europe, the late seventeenth to early nineteenth centuries.

This is an in-depth analysis of that hallmark of the period, sonata form, and the elements of its style. The discussion is heavily illustrated with excerpts from works that will be familiar to serious music lovers, drawn largely from the piano and symphonic repertoires. Beethoven, Haydn, and Mozart figure prominently. To help the student learn to apply the analytical techniques, to better understand and appreciate how the composers achieve the effects they do, the text includes 35 practice exercises. These are far from trivial, frequently including examination of major portions of a work on comparative analysis of several works. There is no “answer key” for the exercises; they are open-ended. Many of them allow the student to choose the work or works for study. In a classroom setting, the student would benefit from an instructor’s guidance in the exercises and peer discussions. On an individual basis, the exercises provide a framework for critical listening and study that could last a lifetime.