This document discusses classical music forms such as sonata form, rondo form, and theme and variations. It notes that classical music featured elegance, symmetry, and homophonic textures. Sonata form involved an exposition with themes, a development section, and recapitulation. Rondo form had a recurring theme between contrasting sections. Multimovement forms like the symphony typically included four movements in prescribed tempos and forms.

1. Classical Form

2. Baroque to Classical
 Artists react to Baroque grandiosity
 Polyphony gives way to homophony
(again)
 Enlightenment ideals influence society and
its music

3. The Enlightenment
 The Age of Reason
 Era of scientific discovery
 Rise of democratic ideals
 Conflict with old societal structures
 Church
 Nobility
 Eventually conflicting ideals lead to
revolution (American and French)

4. Classicism in Music
 Elegance and symmetry
 Lyrical melody
 Homophonic texture
 Frequent repetition
 Dominance of the Viennese School
 Haydn
 Mozart
 Beethoven

5. Dramatic Quality
 Classical music exhibits rapid change
 No longer restricted to a single emotion
 The mood of a piece changes frequently
 Textures and tempos fluctuate
 More frequent and gradual dynamic change

6. Form
 Form is very important in absolute music
 Form refers to the structure or organization
of a piece of music
 Important formal elements
 Themes
 Thematic Development
 Sonata-Allegro form

7. Absolute Music
 Music with no literary or pictorial
references – music for its own sake
 Form organizes absolute music
 Absolute music is often organized into
contrasting sections
 AB – binary form
 ABA – ternary form

8. Theme
 A theme is a melodic idea
 Themes are musical building blocks
 They help organize melodic structure
 The unify a lengthy composition
 A theme usually made up of two phrases –
antecedent and consequent

9. Thematic Development
 Often referred to just as “development”
 Development provides interest as a piece’s
thematic material is varied in different
ways:
 Melodic
 Rhythmic
 Harmonic

10. Sonata-Allegro Form
 Sonata form is ABA form on grand scale
 Three overall sections:
 Exposition
 Development
 Recapitulation

11. Exposition
 Themes are presented or “exposed”
 Themes are presented in the home key and
then in contrasting key
 2 – 4 themes common for Classical period

12. Development
 Thematic development occurs here:
 Variation, expansion, contraction
 The development provides drama
 Frequent modulation creates tension

13. Recapitulation
 Often called “Recap”
 The recap is essentially a restatement of the
exposition
 Tension is released by return to tonic key

14. Listening Example
 Title: Overture to Don Giovanni
 Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
 Genre: Opera

15. Notes on Overture to Don Gio.
 Slow sinister introduction presents music
from the dark ending of the opera
 Change to fast tempo marks beginning of
exposition – two themes
 Recapitulation “fades” as music moves
directly into opening vocal ensemble

16. Theme and Variations
 Form based on a theme that is presented
and then repeatedly changed (variations)
 Two kinds of variation:
 Changing the melody itself
 Changing the accompaniment to that melody
 Haydn was first to use this form in a
symphonic movement

17. Rondo Form
 ABACABA (common example of rondo)
 Minimum of three repeated refrains and
two contrasting sections
 Rondo is a very old form
 From Medieval rondeau (poetic form)
 Baroque ritornello form
 Easy to hear – repeated opening material

18. Listening Example
 Title: Horn Concerto in Eb major, III
 Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
 Genre: Concerto

19. Notes on Horn Concerto, III
 Rondo form - ABACABA
 Listen for returning A section
 Horn plays A first, orchestra repeats theme
 Listen for instrumentation: horn vs. orch.
 Lively triple meter

20. Multimovement Cycle
 Used in various genres:
 Symphony
 Concerto
 Sonata
 String quartet
 Usually 3 or 4 movements in prescribed
forms and tempos

21. Symphonic Movements
 1st movement
 Fast (i.e. Allegro)
 Sonata form
 2-4 Themes
 2nd movement
 Slow (i.e. Adagio)
 Possible forms:
 ABA
 Theme and Variations
 Modified Sonata form
 More lyrical
 3rd movement
 Moderate tempo
 Minuet & Trio (ABA)
 Triple meter
 4th movement
 Very Fast (i.e. Presto)
 Generally lighter mood
 Finale
 Triumphant (Beethoven)