Beginning, Middle, End: Perception of Temporal Functions in Sonata Form

Research on the perception of musical form is characterized by strong inconsistencies between disciplines. While music theory traditionally emphasizes the importance of an entire work’s structural and formal unity, experimental research suggests that listeners have limited awareness of formal relationships over longer periods of time. This study critically comments on previous research and expands on it from a music-theoretical perspective. Laypeople and expert musicians listened to 90 sections from 15 first sonata movements from the Classical period. They categorized each excerpt as belonging to one of the three main temporal functions “beginning,” “middle,” or “end”, and rated its typicality for that function. Each temporal function was represented by two distinct positions within each movement (e.g., primary and secondary themes for the beginning). Participants were sensitive to these formal positions and identified transitions and overall endings well above chance level. Contrary to our hypothesis, transitions were identified most accurately, rather than endings. Endings and beginnings with characteristic transitional qualities were more often confused as middle parts, suggesting that participants focused on the processual, transitional qualities of music. Music-theoretical analyses of the stimuli strongly support our interpretation.