This site introduces unknown Emanuel Bach (C. P. E. Bach).
I asked ChatGPT4o: "Who first used the term ʼsonata formʼ?"
It is difficult to clearly identify who first used the term "sonata form" in music history. However, the process by which this term became widely recognized and used from the 18th to the 19th century can be explained.
Background in the 18th Century
The concept of sonata form developed from the mid to late 18th century, but the term "sonata form" was not yet commonly used at that time. Composers and theorists did not have a specific term to clearly define musical structures when discussing form.
Early Theorists
Development in the 19th Century
In the 19th century, music theory became more systematized, and the term "sonata form" began to be more commonly used.
Summary
The term "sonata form" became widespread and established through the work of 19th-century music theorists. In particular, Adolf Bernhard Marx systematized and popularized the concept, leading to the establishment of the term "sonata form" as we know it today. Before that, in the 18th century, although the form itself existed, clear terminology and theoretical frameworks were still developing.
"If Heinrich Christoph Koch used the term ʼsonata form,ʼ would that be the earliest known usage?"
Whether Heinrich Christoph Koch used the term "sonata form" is not definitively clear. His works include detailed descriptions of the structure of sonata form, and his theories significantly contributed to the later-established concept of sonata form. However, there is debate over whether he actually used the specific term "sonata form."
Kochʼs Contribution
Heinrich Christoph Koch was one of the music theorists who laid the theoretical foundation for sonata form from the late 18th to the early 19th century. His works, such as Musikalisches Lexikon (1802) and Versuch einer Anleitung zur Composition, contain detailed explanations of sonata structure, but there is no conclusive evidence that he was the first to use the term "sonata form."
Spread of the Term
The term "sonata form" itself became popular in the 19th century through the work of Adolf Bernhard Marx and other music theorists. Marxʼs Die Lehre von der musikalischen Komposition (1837) offers a detailed explanation of sonata form, and during this period, the term "sonata form" was widely accepted.
Conclusion
Although it is not certain whether Koch was the first to use the term "sonata form," his theories undoubtedly made significant contributions to the understanding of sonata form. The actual term "sonata form" was likely established and popularized by 19th-century music theorists.