Research Article

AN EXAMPLE OF A SONATA ALLEGRO FROM THE EARLY CLASSICAL PERIOD: HARMONY AND FORM ANALYSIS OF THE ALLEGRO MOVEMENT FROM FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN'S HOB. XVI NO.1 IN C MAJOR SONATA

Volume: 9 Number: 1 March 16, 2026
EN TR

AN EXAMPLE OF A SONATA ALLEGRO FROM THE EARLY CLASSICAL PERIOD: HARMONY AND FORM ANALYSIS OF THE ALLEGRO MOVEMENT FROM FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN'S HOB. XVI NO.1 IN C MAJOR SONATA

Abstract

The Classical Period occupies a central position in musical history, witnessing significant stylistic and formal transformations. Unlike the ornate, rhetorically complex language of the Baroque era, classical music favoured clarity, balance, and formal coherence. Alongside genres such as the symphony and string quartet, the sonata allegro form emerged as one of the period's most prominent formal structures. This form was employed to great effect by Viennese classical composers such as Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven, and forms the basis of much of their instrumental output. This study focuses on the allegro movement of Franz Joseph Haydn’s Sonata No. 16 in C major, Hob. VI/1, examining its harmonic and formal organisation. Content analysis is employed to conduct this analysis, supported by the theoretical frameworks of sonata theory (Hepokoski & Darcy) and formal function theory (Caplin). Rather than treating harmony and form as separate parameters, the study evaluates their interaction to gain insight into the characteristics of the sonata allegro form during the early classical period. The findings suggest that this early phase features asymmetrical sentence structures and tonic-centred harmonic organisation, as well as stylistic remnants of Baroque figurative writing. This reflects a transitional aesthetic between the Baroque and Classical styles. The formal components of the sonata allegro form, as well as the tonal regions and scale degrees employed in the piece, were identified and quantified as a percentage. These results were then interpreted in the context of the broader stylistic practices of the Classical Period.

Keywords

References

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  4. Caplin, W. E. (1998). Classical form: A theory of formal functions for the instrumental music of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. Oxford University Press.
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  6. Harutunian, V. L. (1989). Haydn, Mozart, and the tonic. Journal of Music Theory, 33(2), 229–247.
  7. Hepokoski, J., & Darcy, W. (2006). Elements of sonata theory: Norms, types, and deformations in the late-eighteenth-century sonata. Oxford University Press.
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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Composition in Western Classical Music, Theories of Music

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

March 16, 2026

Submission Date

January 15, 2026

Acceptance Date

March 12, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 9 Number: 1

APA
Açıkgöz, M. G., & Karabüber, E. (2026). AN EXAMPLE OF A SONATA ALLEGRO FROM THE EARLY CLASSICAL PERIOD: HARMONY AND FORM ANALYSIS OF THE ALLEGRO MOVEMENT FROM FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN’S HOB. XVI NO.1 IN C MAJOR SONATA. Yegah Musicology Journal, 9(1), 760-780. https://doi.org/10.51576/ymd.1864286
AMA
1.Açıkgöz MG, Karabüber E. AN EXAMPLE OF A SONATA ALLEGRO FROM THE EARLY CLASSICAL PERIOD: HARMONY AND FORM ANALYSIS OF THE ALLEGRO MOVEMENT FROM FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN’S HOB. XVI NO.1 IN C MAJOR SONATA. YMJ. 2026;9(1):760-780. doi:10.51576/ymd.1864286
Chicago
Açıkgöz, Mehmet Güneş, and Emirhan Karabüber. 2026. “AN EXAMPLE OF A SONATA ALLEGRO FROM THE EARLY CLASSICAL PERIOD: HARMONY AND FORM ANALYSIS OF THE ALLEGRO MOVEMENT FROM FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN’S HOB. XVI NO.1 IN C MAJOR SONATA”. Yegah Musicology Journal 9 (1): 760-80. https://doi.org/10.51576/ymd.1864286.
EndNote
Açıkgöz MG, Karabüber E (March 1, 2026) AN EXAMPLE OF A SONATA ALLEGRO FROM THE EARLY CLASSICAL PERIOD: HARMONY AND FORM ANALYSIS OF THE ALLEGRO MOVEMENT FROM FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN’S HOB. XVI NO.1 IN C MAJOR SONATA. Yegah Musicology Journal 9 1 760–780.
IEEE
[1]M. G. Açıkgöz and E. Karabüber, “AN EXAMPLE OF A SONATA ALLEGRO FROM THE EARLY CLASSICAL PERIOD: HARMONY AND FORM ANALYSIS OF THE ALLEGRO MOVEMENT FROM FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN’S HOB. XVI NO.1 IN C MAJOR SONATA”, YMJ, vol. 9, no. 1, pp. 760–780, Mar. 2026, doi: 10.51576/ymd.1864286.
ISNAD
Açıkgöz, Mehmet Güneş - Karabüber, Emirhan. “AN EXAMPLE OF A SONATA ALLEGRO FROM THE EARLY CLASSICAL PERIOD: HARMONY AND FORM ANALYSIS OF THE ALLEGRO MOVEMENT FROM FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN’S HOB. XVI NO.1 IN C MAJOR SONATA”. Yegah Musicology Journal 9/1 (March 1, 2026): 760-780. https://doi.org/10.51576/ymd.1864286.
JAMA
1.Açıkgöz MG, Karabüber E. AN EXAMPLE OF A SONATA ALLEGRO FROM THE EARLY CLASSICAL PERIOD: HARMONY AND FORM ANALYSIS OF THE ALLEGRO MOVEMENT FROM FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN’S HOB. XVI NO.1 IN C MAJOR SONATA. YMJ. 2026;9:760–780.
MLA
Açıkgöz, Mehmet Güneş, and Emirhan Karabüber. “AN EXAMPLE OF A SONATA ALLEGRO FROM THE EARLY CLASSICAL PERIOD: HARMONY AND FORM ANALYSIS OF THE ALLEGRO MOVEMENT FROM FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN’S HOB. XVI NO.1 IN C MAJOR SONATA”. Yegah Musicology Journal, vol. 9, no. 1, Mar. 2026, pp. 760-8, doi:10.51576/ymd.1864286.
Vancouver
1.Mehmet Güneş Açıkgöz, Emirhan Karabüber. AN EXAMPLE OF A SONATA ALLEGRO FROM THE EARLY CLASSICAL PERIOD: HARMONY AND FORM ANALYSIS OF THE ALLEGRO MOVEMENT FROM FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN’S HOB. XVI NO.1 IN C MAJOR SONATA. YMJ. 2026 Mar. 1;9(1):760-8. doi:10.51576/ymd.1864286

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