Sonata in B minor (1st movement)

Hello, 

In January I posted an incomplete Piano Concerto. I decided to create a Sonata based on that material. It is kind of finished although there are several places I am not totally satisfied with. I would like to hear from anyone about the form of the piece and whether I have successfully demonstrated a coherent sonata form (as this is for an assignment that is to compose a piece in sonata form). Also if you have any specific ideas i.e a better pianistic idea or a change to the harmony I would very grateful. 

Thank you,

Louis

Sonata_in_B_minor_final_.pdfSonata_in_B_minor_final_.pdf 

Hello @Louisf,

Finally you finish the sonata movement!

Regarding the form, you are using a more expanded version of it. In the early sonata form, the second subject returns to the tonic minor key when the tonic is a minor. You replace that with a tonic major key as in later usage of that form like Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. This adds extra drama to the music and need more passages for it and I think you can be extend the passages more!

I can analyze the form of the music:

B.1-8 First Subject, Exposition

B.9-16 Transition

B.17-34/35 Second Subject, in relative major

B.36-60 Development

B. 61-68 First Subject, Recapitulation

B. 69-75 Transition

B.  76-88 Second Subject, Recapitulation, in tonic major

B.  89-98 Coda, base on first subject

I will recommend you to use tonic minor instead in the second subject of the recapitulation since the length here is not enough to create the drama needed for the extra modulation from tonic major to minor. This will also make the task easier for you to handle!

In the exposition 2nd subject, you reach the codetta in b.30. I will probably add one more secondary theme to reach the codetta and PAC for the exposition.

In the development b.36-43 is great with left hand crossing! However I would not use tremolo marking for piano in b.36-42 as it's not idiomatic to piano! You develop the first subject here. That modulation in b.57 and 58 is great through G major to B minor. I wish you have also developed the second subject in the development as well and making it longer! 

I really wish the second subject in the recapitulation much longer to create climax for the return of tonic minor at the end of the sonata proper. if not I would just want a typical tonic minor second subject there!

For the coda it's quite exciting! I would like to have b.89 and b.95 onward to have the semiquaver accompaniment as in Beethoven's Pathetique!

Nice job and thanks for sharing!

Henry

Dear @Henry Ng Tsz Kiu ,

thank you so much for the reply, this is very useful for me as I have a composition deadline in 15 days for school. I will give a more detailed response on the weekend, and may get round to making some alterations.

Thanks again,

Louis

22 minutes ago, Louisf said:

this is very useful for me as I have a composition deadline in 15 days for school

Wow you are lucky to have schools for teaching you how to use Sonata Form! I remebered I could only learn it by myself as those lessons (I have never attended serious composition lessons btw, or they aren't serious at all despite in an academic setting) only suggested you to compose freely without telling you how to do so or resources to rely on. I just love musical form so much so I self-studied it when I was 12 by reading those books concerning forms and tried using sonata form myself bit by bit in my works. There would be a learning process and progress to master the forms but I am sure you can do it! Good luck on your assignment!

Henry

@Henry Ng Tsz Kiu Yes I am lucky to have a very good music department at the school I go to.

On 3/14/2023 at 4:32 AM, Henry Ng Tsz Kiu said:

I will recommend you to use tonic minor instead in the second subject of the recapitulation since the length here is not enough to create the drama needed for the extra modulation from tonic major to minor. This will also make the task easier for you to handle!

I definitely see your point about the 2nd subject recapitulation being in the tonic major may not be appropriate given the scale of the piece whereas in Beethoven's 5th it makes sense. I think as you have said, I will probably have to choose between extending the 2nd subject or having it in the tonic minor. I am leaning towards just putting it in the tonic minor.

On 3/14/2023 at 4:32 AM, Henry Ng Tsz Kiu said:

In the development b.36-43 is great with left hand crossing! However I would not use tremolo marking for piano in b.36-42 as it's not idiomatic to piano! You develop the first subject here. That modulation in b.57 and 58 is great through G major to B minor. I wish you have also developed the second subject in the development as well and making it longer! 

-Will change the tremolo markings, and good to know for the future. Is it tremolos in general that are not idiomatic to the piano or is it just the fact that it is quaver tremolos?

-I think if I have the 2nd subject come back in tonic minor, then I think an undeveloped 2nd subject would not be inappropriate.  

Thank you again for the help,

Louis

25 minutes ago, Louisf said:

Will change the tremolo markings, and good to know for the future. Is it tremolos in general that are not idiomatic to the piano or is it just the fact that it is quaver tremolos?

It is in general since using tremolo is quite unusual in piano and at least I have never seen it.

On 3/19/2023 at 10:20 AM, Henry Ng Tsz Kiu said:

It is in general since using tremolo is quite unusual in piano and at least I have never seen it.

 

I have only seen that kind of tremolo in old editions of scores. Personally, I like how it looks better than writing out all the notes, though it's far from standard today; my piano teacher didn't even recognise them in her old clementi sonatina book.