奏鸣曲(sonata)

由一件或几件乐器演奏的音乐作品的曲式，通常包含三或四个乐章。在义大利语中，这个名称指「来自乐器的声音」，原意仅仅是指非声乐的音乐，在17世纪晚期用於不同的音乐类型。1650年代两种奏鸣曲合奏--教堂奏鸣曲（sonata da chiesa）和室内奏鸣曲（sonata da camera）得到确认。前者用於教堂表演，通常包含四个乐章，其中两个为慢节奏；後者通常是舞曲组曲。所谓独奏的奏鸣曲（独奏--通常是小提琴，以及持续低音）和三重奏鸣曲（两个独奏和持续低音）成为标准。1740年代开始编写独奏键盘奏鸣曲。巴哈创立了三个乐章的器乐奏鸣曲作为标准，在经典时代一直保持其标准地位。二重唱也是同样的形式，通常用於小提琴和键盘，渐渐变得非常流行。键盘奏鸣曲和二重唱直到今天都是标准形式。从巴哈的时代开始，第一个乐章的速度渐快，并采用奏鸣曲式。第二个乐章的速度通常较慢。最後一个乐章通常是小步舞、轮旋曲和主题和变奏。在一个四乐章的奏鸣曲中，第三个乐章一般是小步舞或诙谐曲。在这些方面，奏鸣曲和交响曲、弦乐四重奏很相似。

English version：

sonata

Musical form for one or more instruments, usually consisting of three or four movements. The name, Italian for “sounded (on an instrument),” originally simply indicated nonvocal music, and was used for a confusing variety of genres into the late 17th century. In the 1650s two types of ensemble sonatas began to be codified, the sonata da chiesa (church sonata) and sonata da camera (chamber sonata). The former, intended for church performance, was generally in four movements, two of them slow; the latter was usually a suite of dances. The so-called solo sonata (for soloist—usually violin—and continuo) and the trio sonata (for two soloists and continuo) became standard. In the 1740s solo keyboard sonatas began to be written. C.P.E. Bach established the three-movement keyboard sonata as the norm, a status it would retain through the Classical era. Duo sonatas in the same form, usually for violin and keyboard, simultaneously became highly popular. Keyboard and duo sonatas have remained the standard types to the present day. From Bach's time onward, the first movement was generally in allegro tempo and in sonata form. The second movement was usually slow. The last movement was generally a minuet, rondo, or theme and variations. In a four-movement sonata, the third was usually a minuet or scherzo. In these respects the sonata paralleled such genres as the symphony and the string quartet.