What are the 3 forms of classical music?

Classical Music Forms: Symphonic, Sonata, Theme and Variation & Rondo Forms.

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Common Forms in Classical Music

Some forms have become so common that they are a way to identify a type of song. This is particularly the case in classical music, where many songs are named or referred to by their form. Some examples are the theme and variation, the rondo, the sonata, the concerto and the symphony. Many of these became popular during the Classical Period and have continued to be used ever since.

Theme and Variations

Theme and variations is one of the most simple forms to follow since the entire piece is based on one theme. A theme can be thought of as a small group of phrases that make up a complete musical idea. It's like the topic paragraph of an essay. As you can probably figure out from its name, the theme and variations form first presents a theme, then several altered or modified versions of the theme. Say, for example, our theme is a mustache. We can then explore a number of variations, like the handlebar, the pencil, the walrus or even the Fu Manchu. In each case, we still have a mustache, but the length, width or shape of the hair is changed or varied. Variations in a musical context are similar. The general music idea is manipulated by ways to vary music: changing tempo, pitch, tonality, meter, texture, rhythm or overall emotional expression. The composer can choose to apply one or several of these manipulations. In an example from Mozart's 12 Variations on 'Ah vous dirai-je, Maman,' we can hear the theme, then a variation of the rhythm through added notes (2:22 in the video). In a more complex example from Brahms: 'Variations On a Theme' by Joseph Haydn, we can hear the theme, then a variation of the tempo, tonality and emotional expression (2:45 in the video).

Rondo Form

Another form, called rondo form, sometimes spelled with the French spelling (rondeau), is like an extension of ternary form. You may remember that ternary form is when the structure of the song is A-B-A, as in 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.' Instead of only having two different sections - A and B, like the ternary form - rondo form typically has three sections, A, B, C, or four sections, A, B, C, D. The full rondo form alternates between the A section and each of the other sections. So a three section rondo form would be A-B-A-C-A, and a four section rondo form would be A-B-A-C-A-D-A. The rondo is not specifically limited to four different sections, but it should continually alternate between the A section and all repeated sections. The B, C, D and any other sections sound different from A by changing either the key, tonality, texture or the overall style. The composer will often vary the A section just slightly too, but because it's basically still the same, it still counts as an A section. Let's listen to a short example and identify the sections as we go (4:35 in the video). Hopefully, you noticed that the B section changed tonality from major to minor, and the C section changed style.

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Sonata Form

A slightly more intricate form is the sonata form. Structurally, sonata form is like a complex version of ternary form. By the Classical Period, composers grew bored of being locked into such a small structure, so they expanded it to include room for experimentation. Each section has a specific name and purpose. The first A section is called the exposition. The exposition is the section where the composer presents two melodic themes. These themes are important because they set the musical topic for the rest of the piece. The themes are always the same tonality, either major or minor. Let's hear an excerpt from Beethoven (6:09 in the video).

study.com - Classical Music Forms: Symphonic, Sonata, Theme and Variation ...

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