From Deformation to Reformation: Sonata Failure and the Analysis of Nineteenth-century Form 

James Hepokoski and Warren Darcy’s Sonata Theory has been central to an analytical renaissance surrounding musical form—a movement that has become known as the ‘New Formenlehre’. However, questions remain about how this theory, established for eighteenth-century music, responds to nineteenth-century developments. For instance, consider the phenomenon of ‘sonata failure’, referring to sonatas whose recapitulations do not decisively cadence in the tonic. Sonata Theory’s idea of ‘deformation’ suggests that this subversion of typical expectations carries great expressive significance and hermeneutic implications. However, despite this interpretative potential, Sonata Theory has received significant criticism from the likes of Julian Horton, who contests the appropriateness of deformation for understanding nineteenth-century forms. Rather than being considered deformations of eighteenth-century precedents, Horton argues that nineteenth-century music should instead be understood in relation to contemporaneous practices. This critique raises important historical and interpretative questions surrounding Sonata Theory, foregrounding deeper questions confronting music analysis.  

This paper reconceptualises sonata failure and deformation to nuance nineteenth-century music’s ongoing dialogue with the past. Firstly, I reconstruct sonata failure by revisiting Hepokoski’s own formulation and its subsequent developments by Seth Monahan. This reconstruction reveals a more nuanced understanding of sonata failure, one that serves as the foundation for a broader consideration of deformation and Horton’s critiques. This discussion demonstrates how these concepts address fundamental concerns surrounding nineteenth-century form. Thus, this paper not only provides more robust theoretical accounts of sonata failure and deformation but also uses them as case studies for reflecting on the New Formenlehre and music analysis more broadly. 

Rafael (Ardi) Echevarria is a musicologist who researches music theory philosophically and teaches music history analytically. Ardi earned First Class Honours and Masters degrees from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, where he also taught as an undergraduate tutor for the musicology division. His research specialises in the long nineteenth century and its accompanying music theory, especially surrounding harmony and form. Ardi has presented at multiple national and international conferences, earning 2nd Prize at the Musicological Society of Australia’s 2019 Student Paper Awards. He currently serves as secretary for the MSA’s Sydney chapter and was part of the organising committee for its 2021 national conference. Later this year, Ardi will pursue a PhD in Musicology at Durham University.