The Sonata for piano No. 3 by Norman Dello Joio (born 1913) is the best-known piano work by the composer and is among the finest American piano sonatas, particularly of the first half of the twentieth century. It is a tonal work in a strongly American style, full of exuberance and invention and moments of calm beauty, as well. Dello Joio came from an Italian family with three generations of church organists. The family name, by the way, was originally Ioio. Dello Joio held down the job of church organist from the age of 14, started playing jazz professionally by the time he was 20, loved Italian opera, and was attracted to American popular song. All of these musical elements had an influence on his style, while his professional expertise was shaped by Dutch composer/teacher Bernard Wagenaar and he received final polishing by the newly arrived German master Paul Hindemith (who advised Dello Joio to be his American self). This sonata is 17 or 18 minutes long and is in four movements. The first is a formal set of Theme and Variations, with the variations being separate and discrete mini-movements, each in a different mood and texture. The theme is essentially original with Dello Joio, although it ultimately derives from a Gregorian chant. Dello Joio adapted it to serve as the melodic basis of the Kyrie movement of his Mass of Angels. Later, he derived the theme of another variation-form work, Variations, Chaconne and Finale, from the Kyrie theme. The main theme of this variations set is related to that theme. Dello Joio introduces the theme, which is an innocent song, at the outset, then gives it simple elaborations. Five variations follow, including some that test the pianist's technique. The final variation begins to return to the mood of the opening, and there is a coda or epilogue that is essentially a short restatement of the original form of the theme. The second movement, Presto e leggiero (Fast and Light), is a short movement with a strong jazz flavor, an equivalent in Dello Joio's own personal voice of the kind of rapid, irregular-meter pieces Leonard Bernstein sometimes wrote during this period. The slow movement, Adagio, is nearly as long as the Theme and Variations. It is a masterful movement and contains a Dello Joio trademark: outstanding control of a long crescendo. The main motive of the movement is a short statement appearing at the outset that is ceaselessly developed. The mood of the movement is thoughtful and it ends in a beautiful hush. The finale, Allegro vivo et ritmico, is delightful, with a chiming pair of rhythmic themes that are yet another change on the Variations, Chaconne and Finale. Dello Joio's typical jazz-derived broken rhythms propel this work through several episodes, including a charming tune that (except for the rhythmic dislocations) could be a pop tune. Everything is beautifully timed, including an ending that arrives at the perfect moment.

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