Sonata Form and Sonata Cycle in Guitar Music (1780-1830) is an unpublished Ph.D dissertation (in Polish) by Krzysztof Komarnicki (presented in 2002). The dissertation is divided into two parts. In the first part author deals with history of theory of sonata form from the second half of 18th century to our times. Different approaches to the problem of sonata form are thoroughly analysed and sometimes criticised. On the basis of the large amount of guitar works analysed (both solo and chamber music) and with the help of early theories of the form by Heinrich Christoph Koch, Francesco Galeazzi, Carlo Gervasoni and Anton Reicha, Komarnicki presents own theory of sonata form. This one is built on axioms. There are three of them: binary concept, specific tonal plan and motivic treatment. Contrary to 19th- and 20th-century approaches of German musicology, the new theory does not overestimate the compositional strategies used in so-called development section, as development is not necessary for sonata form to occur. From the other hand it is on the basis of compositional strategies used in development that Komarnicki differentiates between Viennese and Italian type of sonata form.
After stating axioms author carefuly put forward definitions of components of the sonata form: parts (first and second), sections (obligatory ones: exposition and recapitulation; and optional ones: introduction, development and coda), theme and musical idea. The importance of repetition is taken into careful consideration.
In the second part analysis of choosen works is provided. At the end of the dissertation there is a chapter that deals with sonata cycle (i.e. the cycle that contains at least one movement in sonata form). This time the approach is of statistical nature.
The advantage of the presented approach to sonata form is clear definition of what is actually a sonata form. The components of the forma are also clearly defined. There are various possibilities of practical implemetation of this theory. It is a tool of analysis of music from mid- to late- Classical period (that author puts in years 1780 to 1830), and, what is of particular importance, of the works composed in Vienna (the centre that took scholars'' attention for many years) as well as from Italy and France (that was neglected for far too long). The important factor of new theory is its objective character, it is a tool of analysis of music, not that of validation of music.
The copy of the dissertation is preserved in the LIbrary of Institute of Musicology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.