Sonata form was the most popular structure in the Classical Period for composing the first and final movements of sonatas, chamber works (trios, quartets, quintets), concertos, and symphonies. Every sonata form composition comprises three large sections: (1) exposition, (2) development, and (3) recapitulation. In the last post, I focused on the exposition. In this post, I will skip to the recapitulation, saving the development for my final post on this topic.

What better way to introduce sonata form recapitulation than with a brief “recap” of my previous post.

Every sonata form composition includes three large sections.

Previously, we focused on the exposition section, which comprises four essential musical units.

Occasionally, composers present these units clearly, but more often they alter the units in clever ways to play with our expectations.

Having learned how to listen to the exposition, we’re primed for the recapitulation. Put simply, the recapitulation “recaps” all the material heard in the exposition. It occurs right after the development section, which I cover in the next post. Since it recaps the material heard in the exposition, the listening guide matches the exposition exactly:

Although recapitulations include the same musical units as expositions, composers offer a few tweaks for excitement. As the great Austrian music scholar Heinrich Schenker put it: “Semper idem sed non eodem modo” (“Always the same but never in the same way”).¹

Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 in C minor, Op. 67 exemplifies Schenker’s motto perfectly. The exposition and recapitulation from the first movement of the symphony are presented below. Take a listen, and don’t worry about perfectly identifying individual musical units (theme 1, transition, etc.). Instead, listen for a few of Beethoven’s tweaks in the recapitulation—you’ll be amazed just how good your listening skills are!

Beethoven, Symphony 5 - Exposition

Beethoven, Symphony No 5, Op 67, I - Exposition by E.J. Farnsworth E.J. Farnsworth

Beethoven, Symphony 5 - Recapitulation

Beethoven, Symphony No 5, Op 67, I - Recapitulation by E.J. Farnsworth E.J. Farnsworth

Breaking it Down

Below, I’ve divided the musical units in the exposition and recapitulation for more direct comparison. We learned how to identify individual units (theme 1, transition, etc.) in the previous post, so I avoid commenting on the divisions here. Instead, I focus on Beethoven’s tweaks in the recapitulation. Hopefully you can follow along as I move back and forth between exposition and recapitulation versions of the same material. I highly recommend listening to the complete exposition and recapitulation when you finish this section.

Exposition and Recapitulation - Theme 1

Exposition Version

Beethoven composes theme 1 as a sentence, which he precedes with two thunderous descending gestures. These famous thunderous chords act like a very brief “intro” before Beethoven states his sentence theme proper—the chords are not part of the sentence theme itself, which begins right after.

Beethoven, Symphony No 5, Op 67, I - Exposition (Theme 1) by E.J. Farnsworth E.J. Farnsworth

Recapitulation Version

Besides a little more emphasis on the intro chords, Beethoven’s main tweak to theme 1 in the recapitulation comes at the end. A solo oboe lingers on the final note. Slowly, almost sorrowfully, the oboe attempts to tell us something. But just as we lean in to hear the oboe’s plea, Beethoven launches into the transition. (The transition isn’t included in this audio example, as I discuss it below).

Beethoven, Symphony No 5, Op 67, I - Recapitulation (Theme 1) by E.J. Farnsworth E.J. Farnsworth

Exposition and Recapitulation - Transition

Exposition Version

Beethoven begins his exposition transition by restating the thunderous intro chords. Following these chords, he leads us into a wild storm, thrashing our ship about on the ocean. Finally, the storm breaks, and the horns recall the intro music for a brief moment before Beethoven begins theme 2.

Beethoven, Symphony No 5, Op 67, I - Exposition (Transition) by E.J. Farnsworth E.J. Farnsworth

Recapitulation Version

After the pleading solo oboe that ends theme 1 in the recapitulation, Beethoven decides not to repeat the intro chords to begin his transition (as he did in the exposition). Aside from this small change, the transition is nearly identical.

Beethoven, Symphony No 5, Op 67, I - Recapitulation (Transition) by E.J. Farnsworth E.J. Farnsworth

Exposition and Recapitulation - Theme 2

Exposition Version

Beethoven composes theme 2 as an expanded sentence theme. It’s breadth nicely contrasts with theme 1. (This expanded sentence is a little tough to hear, so don’t worry if it’s a bit difficult. The goal here is comparison with the recapitulation, not the specifics of hearing the theme type.)

Beethoven, Symphony No 5, Op 67, I - Exposition (Theme 2) by E.J. Farnsworth E.J. Farnsworth

Recapitulation Version

The astute listener might notice that theme 2 in the recapitulation sounds like it’s lower in pitch level than theme 2 in the exposition. Beethoven has “transposed” it downward—this is a topic covered in my next post, so let’s not dwell on it now. Instead, notice that Beethoven changes very little of his theme 2 music in the recapitulation. The theme builds a little more energetically in the middle, but that’s about it.

Beethoven, Symphony No 5, Op 67, I - Recapitulation (Theme 2) by E.J. Farnsworth E.J. Farnsworth

Exposition and Recapitulation - Closing Section

Exposition Version

Beethoven’s exposition closing section is short and sweet. He fires off a couple cadences in a row with a descending fanfare type gesture to let us know the exposition has come to a close.

Beethoven, Symphony No 5, Op 67, I - Exposition (Closing Section) by E.J. Farnsworth E.J. Farnsworth

Recapitulation Version

Similar to the recapitulation theme 2, Beethoven’s closing section is lower in pitch level in the recapitulation compared to the exposition. Again, we will discuss “transposition” next time. For now, simply note that Beethoven repeats the same musical material as the exposition closing section.

Beethoven, Symphony No 5, Op 67, I - Recapitulation (Closing Section) by E.J. Farnsworth E.J. Farnsworth

Am I Supposed to Hear All That?

I absolutely cannot hear all the tweaks composers make to the recapitulation in a single listening. Even after multiple listenings it’s tough to hear every single tweak. And that’s okay!

The takeaway of this post is that a recapitulation simply restates the exposition material with a few tweaks.

Great music has depth—you’ll hear new things every time you listen. You should never feel like you need to hear everything.

I Do Say, Herr Beethoven, Is That a Tail?

In my previous post, I explained how expositions end with closing sections, which convincingly conclude the overall exposition with back-to-back cadences. For recapitulations, composers usually repeat this closing section, as Beethoven did. But there’s a problem: closing sections sound much less impressive the second time around. Consequently, composers adopt two strategies to end their overall sonata form more convincingly: (1) slightly expand the recapitulation closing section, or (2) add a coda. Since Beethoven opts for a coda, let’s begin there.

The word coda comes from the Latin word cauda, or “tail” in English. A coda, which comes after the recapitulation, is like a closing section on steroids. It comprises numerous cadences, like a closing section, but they are twice as grandiose—think finale of your all-time favorite fireworks show kind of grandiose. Then double it!

Beethoven was the master of codas—a reflection of improvisatory prowess. He always had more to add, and ever more emphatically. (This reminds me of a good comedy skit I’ll mention at the end of this post). Let’s hear Beethoven’s coda following his recapitulation closing section.

The audio below contains the very end of Beethoven’s recapitulation closing section so you can hear how he seamlessly connects this section to his coda. The coda launches us headlong into the heart of a storm. Wild and angry cadences smash our boat, nearly capsizing us. Suddenly, two moments of pause leave us desperately wondering if the storm has subsided. But Beethoven has much more to say. Each new musical idea feels more conclusive than the last. There can be no doubt, the sonata form has come to an end.

Beethoven, Symphony No 5, Op 67, I - Recapitulation (Coda) by E.J. Farnsworth E.J. Farnsworth

Since codas are so common, we’ll add a special coda box to our sonata form diagram at the end like a tail:

Now, I don’t want to give the wrong impression: composers include codas about 90% of the time; for the other 10%, they simply tweak their recapitulation closing section so it sounds more final. I cover this approach at the very end of the post as part of the bonus listening challenge.

Take away: to create a more definitive conclusion to a sonata form piece, composers frequently (90% of the time) add a coda after their recapitulation.

Let’s Recapitulate

Just like that, this post has come to an end. The recapitulation simply restates the same material heard in the exposition with a few tweaks. To convincingly end the overall sonata form, composers often tag on a coda—speaking of which…

I was reminded above of a Beethoven-inspired comedy routine, written and performed by Dudley Moore. Taking advantage of Beethoven’s propensity for grandiose codas, Moore composes a Beethoven parody piece with an indulgent coda that never seems to end. (The parody coda begins around the 3:00min mark). After enjoying Moore’s performance, put your new recapitulation listening skills to the test with the bonus challenge at the end of this post. Next time we’ll tackle the development section. Happy listening!

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Bonus Listening Challenge

For our bonus challenge, let’s listen to Mozart’s String Quartet No. 18 in A Major, K. 464, i. Below are the exposition and recapitulation. While listening, try hearing some of the musical units: theme 1, transition, theme 2, closing section. When you listen to the recapitulation consider how Mozart tweaks some of these (hint—listen carefully to the closing section). Following the complete exposition and recapitulation examples, I break down the individual units for easier comparison.

Complete Exposition

Mozart, String Quartet No. 18 In A Major, K. 464, I - Exposition by E.J. Farnsworth E.J. Farnsworth

Complete Recapitulation

Mozart, String Quartet No. 18 In A Major, K. 464, I - Recapitulation by E.J. Farnsworth E.J. Farnsworth

Exposition and Recapitulation - Theme 1

Exposition Version

Mozart composes theme 1 as a straightforward sentence.

Mozart, String Quartet No. 18 In A Major, K. 464, I - Exposition (Theme 1) by E.J. Farnsworth E.J. Farnsworth

Recapitulation Version

Mozart recapitulates theme 1 identically to the exposition—no tweaks at all.

Mozart, String Quartet No. 18 In A Major, K. 464, I - Recapitulation (Theme 1) by E.J. Farnsworth E.J. Farnsworth

Exposition and Recapitulation - Transition

Exposition Version

Mozart begins his exposition transition similar to theme 1, but quickly veers away from this musical idea, leading us toward theme 2.

Mozart, String Quartet No. 18 In A Major, K. 464, I - Exposition (Transition) by E.J. Farnsworth E.J. Farnsworth

Recapitulation Version

Mozart begins his recapitulation transition at a lower pitch level (he “transposes” it—a topic covered in my next post). Beside this small change, the music remains unaltered.

Mozart, String Quartet No. 18 In A Major, K. 464, I - Recapitulation (Transition) by E.J. Farnsworth E.J. Farnsworth

Exposition and Recapitulation - Theme 2

Exposition Version

Mozart composes theme 2 as a very compact period.

Mozart, String Quartet No. 18 In A Major, K. 464, I - Exposition (Theme 2) by E.J. Farnsworth E.J. Farnsworth

Recapitulation Version

Although lower in pitch level, Mozart restates the same musical material for theme 2 in the recapitulation.

Mozart, String Quartet No. 18 In A Major, K. 464, I - Recapitulation (Theme 2) by E.J. Farnsworth E.J. Farnsworth

Exposition and Recapitulation - Closing Section

So far, Mozart has avoided tweaking any of his material. It turns out, he was waiting for the closing section. Instead of adding a coda, like Beethoven did, Mozart decides to slightly expand his recapitulation closing section. This brief expansion convincingly ends the overall sonata form—something a mere repetition of the exposition closing section would not do as effectively.

Exposition Version

Try to focus your listening near the end of the closing section, since this is where Mozart adds his expansion in the recapitulation.

Mozart, String Quartet No. 18 In A Major, K. 464, I - Exposition (Closing Section) by E.J. Farnsworth E.J. Farnsworth

Recapitulation Version

Mozart repeats the same material as the exposition until the end of the closing section, where he slightly expands the closing section to convincingly end the overall sonata form.

Mozart, String Quartet No. 18 In A Major, K. 464, I - Recapitulation (Closing Section) by E.J. Farnsworth E.J. Farnsworth

Hearing a Coda vs. Expanded Closing Section

Codas sound new. Expanding closing sections go almost unnoticed. So, if you feel like you’ve left recapitulation territory altogether and are exploring a new land, you’re likely in a coda. If you barely notice any change at the end of the recapitulation, you probably heard a slightly expanded closing section.

But, as always with these posts, don’t worry about hearing all the specifics right away. Remember that listening should be equal parts fun and challenging. When you truly love a piece, then you can listen multiple times and try to hear distinctions like coda vs. expanded closing section. If there’s one truth about great music, it’s that there is always more to hear.

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