what is the difference between a sonata an overture and a suite?

Question

all these terms confuzzle me :(

Answer 1

A sonata is usually a piece in several movements (sections) for a solo instrument (most commonly piano) or solo instrument with piano accompaniment (most commonly violin and cello, but can be any instrument). Sonatas are nearly always for one or two instruments.



An overture started off as an introductory piece of music played before an opera. Operatic overtures sometimes (but not always) contain tunes which will be heard later in the course of the opera. Most (but not all) operas have an overture (sometimes called a 'prelude'). Examples:



Beethoven - 'Leonora' and 'Fidelio' overtures

Mozart - overtures 'The Marriage of Figaro', 'The Magic Flute', 'Don Giovanni', 'Il seraglio'.

Smetana - overture 'The Bartered Bride'

Wagner - overtures/preludes 'Lohengrin', 'Tannhäuser', 'The Flying Dutchman'

Weber - overtures 'Oberon', 'Der Freischütz', 'Euryanthe'



There is another kind of overture - the 'concert overture' - which is a stand-alone piece usually of a programmatic nature (ie it relates some kind of narrative, story or theme). Examples:



Beethoven - 'Namensfeier', 'The Consecration of the House'

Dvořák - overtures 'Carnival', 'Othello'

Mendelssohn - 'The Hebrides (Fingal's Cave)', 'Buy Blas'

Tchaikovsky - '1812'



Overtures are written for and played by an orchestra.



A 'suite' is a selection of 3-5 (sometimes more) sections of music linked by a common programmatic (usually) theme. Composers sometimes extract suites from operas and ballets so some of the music from a much longer piece can be included in a concert (eg Tchaikovsky's 'Nutcracker' suite - a 20-minute suite extracted from a ballet lasting nearly an hour and a half or Grieg's 'Peer Gynt' suites - extracted from a two-hour play with incidental music).



Sometimes suites can be stand-alone works too, but nearly always have a narrative theme linking all the movements.



Suites started-out as collections of stylised dances in the 18th century with an overture (remember that?) preceding them (eg the Orchestral Suites by JS Bach), but these soon evolved into something more colourful and programmatic.



Does this help?

Answer 2

There is little similarity between the three terms mentioned in your question other than the fact that they are all instrumental forms rather than vocal forms.



The sonata is a compositional form consisting of three parts...exposition, development and recapitulation. It is a form that is found in symphonies, concertos and keyboard and instrumental sonatas. In the latter, the sonata form is usually present in the first movement while the second and third movements may be a slow AB form and the third in a rondo form.In a four movement symphony form, the extra movement is usually a scherzo (ABCAB) which is sandwiched between the second and third movements found in sonatas.



An overture serves as an opening for a stage work or orchestral concert. It sets the mood for what is to follow when accompanying an opera or ballet or musical and in a concert hall setting draws the attention of the audience to the fact that the concert is starting.



A suite can be one of two types...either a set of dances in different tempos (Lady Radnor Suite or the William Byrd Suite) or selections taken from a larger work such as The Nutcracker Suite (seven dances derived from the entire Nutcracker Ballet), The Rosenkavalier Suite (several orchestrated arias, trios, etc from the opera of the same name) or L'arlesienne Suite (incidental music to accompany the play L'arlesienne)

Answer 3

In Layman's Terms, a Sonata is a piece in 3 parts for a solo instrument (Piano most frequently).

An Overture is a piece (Usually orchestral) with several distinct parts that have moods and themes of their own, and are usually a shorter version of a ballet or a much longer work.

A Suite is a set of several pieces for any instruments which are usually tied together by a musical theme, motif, or a real life concept or idea.

Answer 4

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