SONATA

one of the most important of the many forms of musical composition; indeed, it has been described as ‘the mainstay of instrumental music.’ The term is derived from the Ital. sonare, to sound. It was Emanuel Bach, 1714-88, who fixed the present form. Thes. has always been designed chiefly for a solo instrument. arlier writers, such as Corelli, favored the violin for this purpose; later came organ S's, such those of Mendel ohn. The invention as and perfection of the pianoforte, with all its variety of resources, led com more and more to favor it as the posers instrument par excellence of the s.; and the times of Haydn, Mozart, and from es a Beethoven (the supreme master of this form) the larger number of s’s have been written for pianoforte. A sonatina is a smaller and simpler form of s. town, Cremona, Italy. Pop. 6,300. E.), seaport, seaside resort, on island of A TE GREENS Pru ia. Pop. India, joins Ganges above Patna; length, 460 miles. town, on Adda, capital, Sondrio province, Italy; manufactures silk. Pop. 10,000; (province) 135,000.