William Strother wrote:

>And I still believe that, especially in sonata form music, repeats were a
>convenience to listeners.

I don't know that it's presumptuous, but I disagree with it.  There are
other possibilities; it could, for example, be an atavistic (is that the
right word? always liked that word...) holdover from binary form as used in
dance suite, which is in itself a holdover from the structure of the dance
itself.  But it is really necessary in most cases for balance and correct
perception of the development section.  When the development digresses
harmonically, it has the effect of doing something different the THIRD
time around, not the second.  The purpose of the SECOND time around is to
reaffirm what was heard in the first place.  I think that has psychological
significance that is more than just convenience.  Many composers exploited
the repeat in quite wonderful ways.  One that stands out in my memory is
the Schubert "Unfinished," first movement.  When the repeat is taken, one
gets an entirely different impression of the opening cello-bass theme.
Rather than sounding like an introduction to the violin tremolos in the
9th measure, these measures in repeat sound like a winding-down that has
continued since the last FF at the end of the exposition.  In any case, if
a composer writes different music for first and second endings, I believe
those measures should be played.  (The counter argument is that the
composer just had to write a convincing turnaround, and so it could be
considered unessential if you don't take the repeat.)

I have more trouble understanding the relatively small number of works
in bona fide sonata form that purposely omit the repeat.  Beethoven's 9th
comes to mind.  I haven't studied the first movement from the standpoint of
why it doesn't seem necessary in that movement, but I'm guessing there's a
reason.  And it's not just length, because I think even the Eroica benefits
from taking the repeat.  I think rather it's because Beethoven perhaps saw
himself moving away from certain aspects of sonata-form.  But I"m not
completely sold on that either...

As regards sectional repetition in general, there are many structures in
which it plays a very fundamental role, from da capo aria, to minuet and
trio form (how do people feel about observing the minuet repeats in the da
capo, which the HIPsters are doing now?) to rondo to concerto ritornello.
Speaking of the latter, if there ever were a contrived structure, that's
it!  A little parade of themes, all in the same key, before the solo comes
in.  A composer has to be a master to make that sort of thing come off!

Chris Bonds