Post-Recapitulatory Organization in Beethoven’s Early Sonata-Rondo Finales

This paper proposes a new model of closure for Beethoven’s sonata-rondo finales that describes the wide variety of ways in which sonata and rondo elements can interact to create unexpected harmonic and formal possibilities after the recapitulation. The paper first considers what models of sonata form can and cannot tell us about sonata-rondo closure and develops a typology of constituent formal functions for sonata-rondo post-recapitulatory space. It then outlines how these formal functions combine to create a variety of post-recapitulatory prototypes in Beethoven’s early-period sonata rondos. Finally, it considers the analytical benefits of distinguishing between sonata and sonata-rondo modes of closure.