Sonata da camera
Encyclopedia
Sonata da camera is literally translated to mean 'chamber sonata' and is used to describe a group of instrumental
pieces set into three or four different movements
, beginning with a prelude
, or small sonata, acting as an introduction for the following movements.
The term sonata da camera originated from Rome
in the late 17th century from when Arcangelo Corelli
was composing two different variations of sonata. These became known as sonata da camera and sonata da chiesa
. Richard Taruskin
describes sonata da camera very well in his 'Oxford History of Western Music'; sonata da camera "… was essentially a dance suite, which Corelli adapted to the prevailing four-movement format (a "preludio" and three dances or connecting movements). The following "dance" style movements were usually given names referring to the style, e.g., partita, suite, ordre, ouverture and air (as in English reprints of Corelli's chamber sonatas). The most frequent instrumentation in sonata da camera was two violins and a bass. Most harmonies were completed in the bass part whilst the two treble instruments played above. This was also known as a trio sonata, as this consisted of three major parts. But sometimes, a fourth player (usually a cellist) was required to double on the basso continuo line.
[material deleted due to copyright infringement; plagiarized from the New Grove Dictionary of Music]
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
pieces set into three or four different movements
Movement (music)
A movement is a self-contained part of a musical composition or musical form. While individual or selected movements from a composition are sometimes performed separately, a performance of the complete work requires all the movements to be performed in succession...
, beginning with a prelude
Prelude (music)
A prelude is a short piece of music, the form of which may vary from piece to piece. The prelude can be thought of as a preface. It may stand on its own or introduce another work...
, or small sonata, acting as an introduction for the following movements.
The term sonata da camera originated from Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
in the late 17th century from when Arcangelo Corelli
Arcangelo Corelli
Arcangelo Corelli was an Italian violinist and composer of Baroque music.-Biography:Corelli was born at Fusignano, in the current-day province of Ravenna, although at the time it was in the province of Ferrara. Little is known about his early life...
was composing two different variations of sonata. These became known as sonata da camera and sonata da chiesa
Sonata da chiesa
Sonata da chiesa is an instrumental composition dating from the Baroque period, generally consisting of four movements. More than one melody was often used, and the movements were ordered slow–fast–slow–fast with respect to tempo...
. Richard Taruskin
Richard Taruskin
Richard Taruskin is an American-Russian musicologist, music historian, and critic who has written about the theory of performance, Russian music, fifteenth-century music, twentieth-century music, nationalism, the theory of modernism, and analysis. As a choral conductor he directed the Columbia...
describes sonata da camera very well in his 'Oxford History of Western Music'; sonata da camera "… was essentially a dance suite, which Corelli adapted to the prevailing four-movement format (a "preludio" and three dances or connecting movements). The following "dance" style movements were usually given names referring to the style, e.g., partita, suite, ordre, ouverture and air (as in English reprints of Corelli's chamber sonatas). The most frequent instrumentation in sonata da camera was two violins and a bass. Most harmonies were completed in the bass part whilst the two treble instruments played above. This was also known as a trio sonata, as this consisted of three major parts. But sometimes, a fourth player (usually a cellist) was required to double on the basso continuo line.
[material deleted due to copyright infringement; plagiarized from the New Grove Dictionary of Music]