Random thoughts on sonata form

Just like the Rondo form, the Sonata allegro form also supports memorable themes well. It is presented with a binary form superstructure, where the first and second halves are of the form A B—A being the principle theme, and B being the secondary theme. And on its return in the second half, the B section is in the tonic key. While many contemporary musicians object to the strictness of this setup, I believe that a composer has the capabaility to make some "contemporary" modifications to obscure the strictness. As in the first movement of Schoenberg's third string quartet, we can mask the sonata form by treating the recapitulation differently, whether by varying:

• the vertical configuration of voices,
• The overall musical texture of the passage, or
• even the lengths of sections by adding or subtracting parts from the melody.

While these variations may not be very novel, I believe they can too be considered as "contemporary" influences, as we are changing the form of what was once traditional, and instead using it as a vague basis for new innovations.