ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses cadential process, developmental process, exposition, tonic-dominant polarity, transition and retransition, recapitulation and coda. The origins of sonata form can be traced to Baroque dance movements, especially the rounded binary form. Musicians began to observe consistencies in the compositions that led to the theoretical description of sonata form. The exposition involves the establishment of two tonal areas, tonic and dominant, that consist of primary thematic material and secondary thematic material respectively. The primary thematic area is usually followed by a transition, characterized by an increase in rhythmic activity and tonal instability. The transition typically involves a modulation to the dominant, or in minor keys, to the relative major. The developmental process involves the manipulation of musical ideas. These ideas may be combined contrapuntally. Thematic fragmentation, unstable harmonies, rapid modulation, and increased textural complexity are common. The most significant aspect of a recapitulation is the re-establishment of the tonic.
