Piano Symphony vs. Sonata?!
Question: But I was wondering...What classifies a Symphony and a Sonata, what is the difference?
I know that their are Solo Piano Symphonies out there, but why are these classified as Symphonies, not Sonatas?
Any clues?
The reason why I'm asking is that I have this piano piece in the works, currently in my head.
And today when I was writing it into my notebook of Opuses completed, I was thinking 'Is this a Sonata, or Symphony?' I tried searching online, but only got video clips of people playing excerpts of said classifications.
Bottom line is:
What do you think marks the difference between a Solo Piano Symphony, and a Solo Piano Sonata?
Thanks
-m?tt
Answers: But I was wondering...What classifies a Symphony and a Sonata, what is the difference?
I know that their are Solo Piano Symphonies out there, but why are these classified as Symphonies, not Sonatas?
Any clues?
The reason why I'm asking is that I have this piano piece in the works, currently in my head.
And today when I was writing it into my notebook of Opuses completed, I was thinking 'Is this a Sonata, or Symphony?' I tried searching online, but only got video clips of people playing excerpts of said classifications.
Bottom line is:
What do you think marks the difference between a Solo Piano Symphony, and a Solo Piano Sonata?
Thanks
-m?tt
Those who say that there is no such thing as a 'Symphony for Solo Piano' clearly do not know the works of the great French composer, Charles-Victor Alkan. He wrote both a symphony and concerto for solo piano and they are fantastic works - and very difficult to play.(Op39, 4-7, symphony, Op 39, 8-10, concerto). Those are the only original works that I know of that were actually written as solo piano works. Liszt, of course, prepared piano transcriptions of all the Beethoven symphonies and of Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique. Brahms prepared piano transcriptions of his symphonies. The answer to your question, however, is that if the work - as by far the largest proportion will be - is called sonata then it is a sonata. And, of course, a sonata is usually in 3 movements only.
You asked a similar question yesterday, about Beethoven's 7th symphony, with piano. I answered it, as did others. If you read and comprehended, understood our responses, you wouldn't be asking this question.
Recommendation: take a course in "Music Appreciation".
Alberich
You are mistaken ; there is no such thing as a "piano symphony". There is a "piano concerto" where the piano plays with an orchestra and there is a "piano sonata" which is a solo piece for the piano.
PS I see what you mean.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles-Val...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony
No such thing as a Solo Piano Symphony are you refering to a Piano Concerto? Sonata is a form of music. It's fairly complicated (but not even close to as complicated as form gets). A Piano Sonata has come to mean work for a solo Piano but orginally it was given the title because in a Piano Sonata the first movement is always (until the 19th century) in Sonata Form. Symphony means work for Orchestra (and while I'm sure there is a symphony with Piano in it it's not typical for there to be a Piano in any Symphony). The First movements of Symphony were typically in Sonata form until the 19th century also. Now though a Piano Sonata would rarely be in Sonata form (I really like Sonata form but modern composers usally don't well unless it's some neo-classical thing) so if its a three or more movement work for Piano it would probaly be a Piano Sonata.