So-nă'tă, n.

n. [It., from It. & Lat. sonare, to sound.] (Mus.) An extended composition for one or two instruments, consisting usually of three or four movements; as, Beethoven's sonatas for the piano, for the violin and piano, &c.

☞ The sonata, in the modern sense, is a composition for piano, organ, or other instrument, usually of three or four distinct movements, each with a unity of its own, yet all related so as to form one varied but consistent whole. It commonly begins with an allegro, sometimes preceded by a slow introduction. Then come the andante, adagio, or largo; then the lively and playful minuet and trio; and lastly, the finale, in quick time. Moore.