Recapitulation (music)

In music theory, the recapitulation is one of the sections of a movement written in sonata form.

The recapitulation occurs after the movement's development section, and typically presents once more the musical themes from the movement's exposition.

However, many sonata form movements, even early examples, depart from this simple procedure.

The composer of a sonata form movement may disguise the start of the recapitulation as an extension of the development section.

Conversely, the composer may write a "false recapitulation", which gives the listener the idea that the recapitulation has begun, but proves on further listening to be an extension of the development section.