Composer Profile - Activefolio

62 Chapter 6
A. (statement) Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are.
B. (contrast) Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.
A. (restatement) Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are.
In order for a tune to be classified as ternary, the final “A” phrase must be an exact,
or nearly exact, restatement of the first phrase. If only a partial restatement of the first
phrase is written, the form is usually called a rounded binary form. Its structure will
look like this: A-B-a’. The old folk tune The Camptown Races is an example of rounded
binary form. The most pure two-part song form is simply called binary form, with a
pattern A-B. Either the “A” or the “B” section may or may not be repeated; the form is
still considered to be binary. America the Beautiful is an example of pure binary form,
since the second half of the tune is equal in length with the first half, but contains totally
new melodic material.
The concepts of binary and ternary structures, along with the principles of proportion
and symmetry, serve as the foundations for the larger forms that were developed
during the Classical period.
The Classical Sonata
The term sonata had been around for generations before the Classical period, and the
meaning of the word evolved over the years. In its earliest usage, a sonata meant literally
“sound-piece,” implying an instrumental composition to be played. During the Baroque
period, the sonata was an instrumental composition in three or four sections or
movements, each of which had a clearly defined tempo structure. By the Classical period,
most sonatas were three movements only. The first movement was a lively piece marked
allegro, and adhered to a specific formal structure (see sonata-allegro form below). The
second movement was slower, usually marked Andante or Adagio, and could incorporate
various forms, from a simple ternary song form to a theme and variations. The final
movement was again a fast movement, usually marked Allegro, and was typically either a
sonata-allegro form or a rondo.
The Classical sonata was a solo composition for piano, unless otherwise indicated.
Normally, a work that mentioned another instrument, such as “violin sonata,” was designed
for that instrument with piano accompaniment. If no instrument was mentioned,
it was assumed that the piece was a piano solo. Sonatas were composed for most orchestral
instruments, and one can assume that they are solo works for that instrument, along
with the piano as accompaniment. Some composers, particularly Haydn, composed trio
sonatas. These were three-movement works, like any other Classical sonata, for two solo
orchestral instruments, usually violin and cello, along with the piano. The important
points to remember are that the sonata was usually a three-movement work during the
Classical period, with a specific tempo structure as mentioned above, for one, two, or
sometimes three instruments.
The Symphony and String Quartet
The greatest orchestral achievement of the early Classical period was the development of
the symphony as a form. As shown in the diagram below, the symphony is a fourmovement
structure, as developed in the Mannheim school and other music centers
throughout Europe. The tempo scheme was set, and was followed fairly consistently.