sonata

[ suh-nah-tuh ]

noun

, Music.

1. a composition for one or two instruments, typically in three or four movements in contrasted forms and keys.

sonata

/ səˈnɑːtə /

noun

1. an instrumental composition, usually in three or more movements, for piano alone ( piano sonata ) or for any other instrument with or without piano accompaniment ( violin sonata , cello sonata , etc) See also sonata form symphony concerto
2. a one-movement keyboard composition of the baroque period

sonata

1. A musical composition for one or two instruments, usually in three or four movements . The sonata of the classic era in music had a definite arrangement for its movements: the first and fourth had a fast tempo , the second had a slow tempo, and the third was in either playful style (a “scherzo”) or in dance form (a “minuet”).

Word History and Origins

Origin of sonata¹

1685–95; < Italian < Latin sonāta, feminine of sonātus (past participle of sonāre to sound ¹ ). See sonant, -ate ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of sonata¹

C17: from Italian, from sonare to sound, from Latin

Example Sentences

By the mid-1960s he had begun composing sonatas for the mandolin and arranging classical pieces for traditional bluegrass ensembles.

From New York Times

He was an architect in sound who made sonic edifices of a Beethoven sonata, or a Boulez one, that left you in awe.

From Los Angeles Times

A Beethoven piano sonata is a string quartet as much as it’s a symphony.

From New York Times

One of the marketing hooks for this pianist and composer’s latest release is that it contains the first piano sonata ever released on the storied jazz label Blue Note.

From New York Times

In our pitch analogy, they are separated by as little as three octaves—suggesting a cosmic sonata easily performed on a piano.

From Scientific American