1. Chapter 11 Prelude: Music and the Enlightenment
Form in Classical Music

2. Key Terms Repetition Cadences Sonata form Minuet form Rondo
Theme and variations form

3. Form in Classical Music
How can you extend a musical work over a long time span when music must be “natural,” simple, & easy to understand?
A problem faced by Viennese Classical composers
The solution involved several elements
Repetition & return
Transitions between themes
Clear cadences

4. Repetitions and Cadences (1)
Repetition & return
The 1st theme repeats immediately
The 1st theme often returns later
Other main themes handled the same way
Repetition makes themes easier to remember
Return provides a familiar feel, like coming home
Especially appropriate near the work’s end

5. Repetitions and Cadences (2)
Transitions between themes
Themes are led into & connected with transitions
Transitions have distinctive features
Prominent–distinct from surrounding themes
Not very melodic–no clear tune & no repetition
A sense of urgency to get to the next theme
A transition makes the beginning of the next theme stronger, more important

6. Repetitions and Cadences (3)
Clear cadences
Themes are often closed off distinctively
They end with passages that repeat cadences two, three, or more times
The more important the theme, the longer & more emphatic the cadence repetitions
Clear cadences make the ending of a theme stronger, more important

7. Haydn, Symphony No. 95, II (1) Formal sounding, deliberate music
Four cadences in all
Haydn keeps the repetition interesting
Color changes–passed from violins & bassoons to French horns to full orchestra
Dynamics changes–gradual diminuendo with surprise ff at the end

8. Haydn, Symphony No. 95, II (2)
Haydn follows expected formulas, but in surprising ways
Everything contributes to a strong ending

9. Mozart, “Ho capito”
At the aria’s end, singer sings the same cadence over & over again
The singer (Masetto) is angry at Zerlina
His “over-the-top” repetition reflects anger, bluster, & sarcasm simultaneously
Follows formula, but in a revealing, comical manner

10. Classical Forms (1)
Classical composers & audiences relied on only a few forms
Sonata form, Minuet form, Rondo form, & Theme and variations form
These provided a common, well-understood frame of reference
Audiences could easily find their way around in new pieces
Repetitions, transitions, & cadences help clarify these forms & their themes

11. Classical Forms (2)
Forms provided framework that permits contrasts–“pleasing variety”
Classical composers filled their music with contrasts of all kinds
Seemingly inexhaustible emotional range
Forms control, even tame the contrasts
Contrasts always sound elegant, never excessive
Music, even in the most terrible situations, must never offend the ear, but must please the hearer, or in other words must never cease to be music. — Mozart, 1781