Musical Form (Part I)

By Merryn Brose

Every creation, whether it is a building, a novel, a report or a work of art, begins with a basic plan. So it is with music. Musical form is the structure of a musical composition. The perception of music depends on the listener being able to associate what is happening in the present with what has happened in the past and with an expectation of what will happen in the future. In other words, understanding and enjoyment of music stems from what is heard, remembered, and anticipated. Therefore two essential characteristics of musical form are repetition and contrast, or variety and unity. Without the juxtaposition of these two fundamental elements, the recognition of the past combined with the adventure of something new, a composer can easily bore and fatigue his listeners. So you could conclude that a composer uses form to avert boredom and mental fatigue in his audience.

There are many plans a composer may use --- depending on the sort of composition. Whether it is a simple song, a march for brass band, a chamber music work or a large symphonic work, a composer decides which plan to use as a basic framework and then decides if and how he/she will adapt it for his/her own particular purposes, always keeping in mind the two essentials; repetition and contrast.

There are basically six forms:

• Simple Binary - A two section form,
• Simple Ternary - A three section form,
• Rondo - an elaboration of Ternary
• Sonata Form - also called First Movement Form
  or Compound Binary
• Air with Variations
• Fugue

Simple Binary Form

A very simple explanation is a piece that falls into two major sections; for example, the melody of 'God Save the Queen' has two contrasting sections (one beginning 'God, save our gracious queen...' and the other 'Send her victorious...'. This form can be represented by the letters A & B. In more extended works the piece still falls into two sections, the first begins in the main key of the piece (tonic) and finishes in a key related to the main key usually a fifth above (dominant). The second section begins in the related key and gradually returns to the main key. This form was used for all the dance movements; (allemands, courants, sarabands, gavottes, bourrées, minuets, gigues etc.) of the 17th and 18th century suites, the suites of Bach and Handel being the finest examples. The movements were all written in the same key.

Ternary Form

This form is one of the most commonly used forms for single, short compositions. A simple example of ternary form is the nursery rhyme 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star'. It has three sections; the first and last ('Twinkle, twinkle...', at the beginning and end) are the same, but they contrast with the middle section ('Up above the world so high..."). This form can be represented by the letters A B A.

A more extended example of ternary form can be seen in the third movement (usually) of the larger works of Haydn and Mozart. The minuet in the days of Bach developed from a stately, courtly dance in triple time to a standard movement in symphonies, string quartets and sonatas. The movement was called Minuet and Trio with the trio simply a name for the contrasting middle section.

Rondo Form

In this form there is one main theme ( tune) that constantly comes around again and again. The main tune is called A, and the others B, C, D, etc., the plan of a rondo is A B A C A D A and so on. It can be as short or as long as you like, provided that the A or main theme keeps on coming back.

Kreisler's 'Rondino on a Theme of Beethoven' is a clear example of a rondo. Kreisler used a tune ('A') by Beethoven and then wrote B, C, and D to produce the Rondino, in which the tunes are arranged: A A B A C A D A A' (Coda).

(A' means 'A' slightly altered)

Yet another rondo is the last movement of the Mozart Clarinet Concerto. Here the arrangement is a little unusual: A A' A B A C B A A'A Coda (A).

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Merryn Brose is a presenter on 5MBS.