To: Leif Jack
From: Madison Strasman
Date: June 10, 2022
Subject: Peer Review of “Three Definitions of Sonata Form”
I have reviewed “Three Definitions of ‘Sonata Form’” as posted on the ENGL 301 Blog page under Leif Jack’s Team. You have done an excellent job formatting the document and enlightening me on Sonata Form.
My initial impression from my first reading had provided me with an adequate understanding of Sonata Form. Your definitions were clear and concise in articulating the term to best fit the type of definition being used and therefore I was left with a limited number of questions regarding the content of your definition. I would suggest some minor revisions.
Purpose
The purpose of your definition is clearly stated, and I do not feel any part of the document strays away from your intended purpose.
Audience
I personally am not familiar with the term Sonata Form, and I am assuming your intended audience are beginner students in a classical music course as per your ‘Reading Situation’ on page 1. I believe you simplified this definition to best suit the needs of the intended audience. Your ‘Analysis of Parts’ was a definition that elaborated Sonata Form and worked well as a further elaboration of Sonata Form. The breakdown of the parts allowed me to grasp the term individually and provide an understanding of the components required for Sonata Form while maintaining simplicity and not overcomplicating the definition. I will assume the terminology used within the definitions such as ‘melody’ (2), ‘spliced’ (2), and ‘key change’ (2) as some examples are already known terms for the intended audience. If this is not the case, it would be beneficial to simplify these terms, or provide a very brief explanation of the terms however, this is not necessary to do so as these terms are not crucial to the definition. The use of references is also helpful in providing a thorough understanding of concepts.
Organization
The organization within this document is well done. The break down and subsections of the extended definitions is well organized and the chosen extended definition methods all assist in successfully defining your term. The introduction of the document provides an excellent foundation for the rest of the document in terms of understanding who the intended audience is and your objectives. The definitions provided additionally remain on track with the objective. I feel that the visual definition used clarified Sonata Form however, it could be beneficial to place the visual definition near the end of the document because the terms ‘exposition’, ‘development’ and ‘recapitulation’ have yet to be mentioned and therefore there is little context.
I think your document was well thought out and well-articulated. Some minor suggestions are to consider simpler terms in the ‘Analysis of Parts’ and to relocate the visual towards the end of the document. Very effective definitions used and good organization of the document. Overall, excellent work defining Sonata Form and clarifying the objective throughout.
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