Sonata form is a musical structure generally consisting of three main sections:an exposition,a development,and a recapitulation. It has been used widely since the middle of the 18th century.
The Symphony No. 8 in F major,Op. 93 is a symphony in four movements composed by Ludwig van Beethoven in 1812. Beethoven fondly referred to it as "my little Symphony in F",distinguishing it from his Sixth Symphony,a longer work also in F.
The Piano Quintet in E-flat major,Op. 44,by Robert Schumann was composed in 1842 and received its first public performance the following year. Noted for its "extroverted,exuberant" character,Schumann's piano quintet is considered one of his finest compositions and a major work of nineteenth-century chamber music. Composed for piano and string quartet,the work revolutionized the instrumentation and musical character of the piano quintet and established it as a quintessentially Romantic genre.
Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 29 in B♭ major,Op. 106 is a piano sonata that is widely viewed as one of the most important works of the composer's third period and among the greatest piano sonatas of all time. Completed in 1818,it is often considered to be Beethoven's most technically challenging piano composition and one of the most demanding solo works in the classical piano repertoire. The first documented public performance was in 1836 by Franz Liszt in the Salle Erard in Paris to an enthusiastic review by Hector Berlioz.
Ludwig van Beethoven's String Quartet No. 11 in F minor,Op. 95,from 1810,was his last before his late string quartets. It is commonly referred to as the "Serioso," stemming from his title "Quartett[o] Serioso" at the beginning and the tempo designation for the third movement.
Sonata rondo form is a musical form often used during the Classical and Romantic music eras. As the name implies,it is a blend of sonata and rondo forms.
Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 3 in C major,Op. 2,No. 3,was written in 1795 and dedicated to Joseph Haydn. It was published simultaneously with his first and second sonatas in 1796.
Ludwig van Beethoven composed his Piano Sonata No. 12 in A♭ major,Op. 26,in 1800–1801,around the same time as he completed his First Symphony. He dedicated the sonata to Prince Karl von Lichnowsky,who had been his patron since 1792.
Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 1 in C major,Op. 15,was written in 1795,then revised in 1800. It was possibly first performed by Beethoven at his first public concert in Vienna on 29 March 1795. It was first published in 1801 in Vienna with dedication to his pupil Princess Anna Louise Barbara Odescalchi,known to her friends as "Babette".
The Piano Sonata No. 9 in E major,Op. 14,No. 1,is an early-period work by Ludwig van Beethoven,dedicated to Baroness Josefa von Braun,one of his patrons at that time. It was composed in 1798 and arranged for string quartet by the composer in 1801,the result containing more quartet-like passagework and in the more comfortable key of F major.
The Piano Sonata No. 18 in E♭ major,Op. 31,No. 3,is an 1802 sonata for solo piano by Ludwig van Beethoven. A third party gave the piece the nickname "The Hunt" due to one of its themes' resemblance to a horn call. Beethoven maintains a playful jocularity throughout much of the piece,but as in many of his early works,the jocular style can be heard as a facade,concealing profound ideas and depths of emotion.
Piano Sonata No. 15 in D major,Op. 28,is a piano sonata by Ludwig van Beethoven. The name Pastoral or Pastorale became known through A. Cranz publishing of Beethoven's work,but was first coined by a London publisher,Broderip &Wilkinson. While not as famous as its immediate predecessor,Piano Sonata No. 14,it is generally admired for its intricate technicality as well as for its beauty. The sonata takes roughly twenty-five minutes to play with its intended repeats.
Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 1 in F minor,Op. 2 No. 1,was written in 1795 and dedicated to Joseph Haydn. It was published simultaneously with his second and third piano sonatas in 1796.
The Piano Sonata No. 10 in G major,Op. 14,No. 2,composed in 1798–1799,is an early-period work by Ludwig van Beethoven,dedicated to Baroness Josefa von Braun. A typical performance lasts 15 minutes. While it is not as well known as some of the more original sonatas of Beethoven's youth,such as the Pathétique or Moonlight sonatas,Donald Francis Tovey described it as an 'exquisite little work.'
Piano Sonata No. 13 in E-flat major,Op. 27 No. 1,"Quasi una fantasia",is a sonata composed by Ludwig van Beethoven in 1800–1801.
Ludwig van Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 22 in F major,Op. 54,was written in 1804. It is contemporary to the first sketches of the Symphony No. 5 in C Minor. It is one of Beethoven's lesser known sonatas,overshadowed by its widely known neighbours,the Waldstein and the Appassionata.
The Piano Sonata No. 3 in F minor,Op. 5 of Johannes Brahms was written in 1853 and published the following year. The sonata is unusually large,consisting of five movements,as opposed to the traditional three or four. When he wrote this piano sonata,the genre was seen by many to be past its heyday. Brahms,enamored of Beethoven and the classical style,composed Piano Sonata No. 3 with a masterful combination of free Romantic spirit and strict classical architecture. As a further testament to Brahms' affinity for Beethoven,the Piano Sonata is infused with the instantly recognizable motive from Beethoven's Symphony No. 5 during the first,third,and fourth movements. Composed in Düsseldorf,it marks the end of his cycle of three sonatas,and was presented to Robert Schumann in November of that year;it was the last work that Brahms submitted to Schumann for commentary. Brahms was barely 20 years old at its composition. The piece is dedicated to Countess Ida von Hohenthal of Leipzig.
The six String Quartets,Op. 76,by Joseph Haydn were composed in 1797 or 1798 and dedicated to the Hungarian count Joseph Georg von Erdődy (1754–1824). They form the last complete set of string quartets that Haydn composed. At the time of the commission,Haydn was employed at the court of Prince Nicolaus Esterházy II and was composing the oratorio The Creation as well as Princess Maria Hermenegild Esterházy's annual mass.
Franz Schubert's Piano Sonata in D major D. 850,Op. 53,known as the Gasteiner,was written during August 1825 whilst the composer was staying in the spa town of Bad Gastein. A year later,it became only the second of his piano sonatas to be published.
Franz Schubert's last three piano sonatas,D 958,959 and 960,are his last major compositions for solo piano. They were written during the last months of his life,between the spring and autumn of 1828,but were not published until about ten years after his death,in 1838–39. Like the rest of Schubert's piano sonatas,they were mostly neglected in the 19th century. By the late 20th century,however,public and critical opinion had changed,and these sonatas are now considered among the most important of the composer's mature masterpieces. They are part of the core piano repertoire,appearing regularly on concert programs and recordings.
