The Sonata has come full circle: from describing a piece of music that was sounded (i.e. instrumental music, as opposed to "cantata" - which was sung), it came to mean a specific, formal arrangement of musical ideas. Recently, I think it has become acceptable to name any work for a solo instrument and piano "sonata"? I have long been fascinated with both ideas – to write a multi-movement recital piece for my own instrument, and to see if I could write in actual sonata form.