SONATA, so-na'ta, a piece of instrumental music intended to express various feelings in different passages, according to the variety of expression of which the instrument is sus ceptible. The sonata usually begins with an allegro or lively passage, followed by an andante or adagio ,• then a minuet with a trio, or a scherzo, and lastly a rondo or presto. Instead of the second, third or last division, variations are also made use of. The older forms of sonata, the word signifying an in strumental composition as distinguished from cantata, were written in two or more divisions and like the modern sonata constituted a com plete musical piece — the passages connected by a common character—and exposition, de velopment and restatement with a conclusion artistically worked out. The sonata was orig inally designed for one instrument only, prin cipally for the violin; afterward for the piano almost exclusively. Subsequently sonatas or
double sonatas were composed in which the piano or harpsichord is accompanied by other instruments; for instance, the violin or flute, horn, clarinet. The expression of the sonata is to he determined by the character of the instrument — a circumstance which modern composers have not sufficiently observed. In sonatas for several instruments the principal instrument is either only assisted (as is the case, for instance, with many sonatas for the pianoforte accompanied by the violincello), or the instruments alternate, so as to make the sonata a dialogue of instruments. An easy or short sonata is called sonatina. The most dis tinguished composers of sonatas are Haydn, Beethoven, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Clementi, Cramer, Hummel, Weber, Moscheles, Kalk brenner, Field and Brahms.