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While listening to Alan Baer's CD, I have found that my favorite tracks are probablly the James Woodward Tuba Concerto.

A friend tells me that four movements means sonata.

I believe it is a concerto, but of course my definition of a concerto isn't yet developed. So i thought i would ask

Do you think it is a concerto?
why it is,

or

Do you think that four movements means it is a Sonata?

or what makes it different from a sonata?

Albertibass wrote:what makes it different from a sonata?

ccero vrs. saa

In regards to your friend's comments.

The piece is a Concerto, not a Sonata. Why? Because that's what James Woodward called it. Also because it was written for Tuba and Orchestra or Wind Band.

The version on Alan Baer's CD is with piano, this doesn't make it a Sonata. David Zerkel's CD has the piece with Wind Band.

Conversely, Bruce Broughton and Eric Ewazen both composed Sonata's for Tuba and Piano. I don't know if the composers orchestrated the pieces or someone else did at their request, but both pieces were orchestrated and now are known as Sonata's/Concerto's, or a Sonerto or Cornata.

Perhaps in the 18th Cen. the number of movement's of a piece meant a certain title, but this is no longer the case in the 20th or 21st Century. The only requirement for a Concerto, as I know it, is for there to be accompaniment other than piano.

Sonata = work originally intended to be performed with piano accompaniment

Concerto = work originally intended to be performed with something other than piano accompaniment

The Broughton was intended for both, at least to the point where the title is listed as a Sonata (when done with piano accompaniment) and a Concerto (when done with wind ensemble)

DaTubaKid wrote:Sonata = work originally intended to be performed with piano accompaniment

Concerto = work originally intended to be performed with something other than piano accompaniment

The Broughton was intended for both, at least to the point where the title is listed as a Sonata (when done with piano accompaniment) and a Concerto (when done with wind ensemble)

That sounds like it makes sense, but what about Lebedev's Concerto Allegro? That was originally written for Piano, or are there just exceptions to every rule?

Every rule is made to be broken, especially in music composition. And we didn't have to wait for the 20th century...

From the 19th century:

Liszt's Sonata in b minor is one extended movement.

Brahms' Piano Concerto #2 is in 4 movements.

Berlioz' Symphonie fantastique is in 5 movements.

These works are monumental, but do not conform to a convention or rule about the quantity of movements.

Then, talk about breaking rules and conventions, who better than Beethoven...