Music Theory IV

Form & Analytical Structure

Materials
1. The basic building blocks of musical form.
a. Genre vs form.
b. Design plus tonal structure = form.
c. Motives: repetition, return, sequence, motivic variation, imitation.
d. Phrases: harmonic movement, cadences, phrase expansion, the period,
phrase group.
2. Small forms.
a. Binary: simple, rounded.
b. Sectional.
c. Ternary: simple, da capo, compound.
d. Canon.
e. Invention.
f. Miscelenaous part forms.
g. March.
h. Chorale prelude.
i. Overture.
j. 12-bar blues.
k. 32-bar pop song.
l. Unique forms.
m. Strophic.
n. Choral genres.
3. Multi-movement forms.
a. Baroque keyboard suite.
b. Sonata da camera.
c. Prelude and fugue.
d. Orchestral suite.
4. Variation forms.
a. Simple.
b. Double.
c. Monothematic.
d. Thematic transformation/Idee fixee.
e. Developing variations.
f. Arch form.
5. Rondo.
a. Ostinato.
b. Ritornello.
c. Small rondo.
d. Larger rondo.
e. Extended rondo: ABA-Dev-ABA.
f. Sonata rondo.
6. The sonata form.
 Introductory
1. Because music is a multi-dimensional, multimedia phenomenon, the design of a musical
composition can be described on several levels.

2. Elements of music: melody, harmony/texture, rhythm, form. So far, in theory and/or history,
we have learned:
a. The charming simplicity of melody – how it defines the beauty of music with its
conjunct and disjunct motion.
b. The evolution of harmonic language – how it defines the multilayer of coloristic
dimension by verticalization of pitch through consonance and dissonance.
c. The governing pulse of rhythm – how it should portray mostly dancing element.

3. Theory IV – Form/structure.
a. The large-scale form of a musical composition can be built from any combination of
musical elements.
b. Letters are used to designate musical divisions created by the repetition of material
or the presentation of newly contrasting material.
c. So, in this class, you will 1)evaluate music by thoroughly deconstructing the
repertoire, and determining the manipulation of, and relationships between,
identified musical elements and compositional devise, 2) and then communicating
detailed and substantiated judgments about how these relate to context and genre
and the expressed style.
d. Keywords: deconstruction and evaluation.
e. To deconstruct means:
i.To identify musical elements AND how they have been used.
ii.To identify compositional devices (repetition, sequence, serialism, others).
f. To evaluate means:
i.To make judgments about everything relates to the context
(time/place/history).
ii.To make judgments about everything relates to the genre.
iii.To make judgments about pieces or composers style.

4. Deconstruction (listen actively).

a. Usually when we listen to music, we listen passively. We are not listening for
anything in particular, just enjoying it. That is fine, but it will not help you understand
the whole construction. In order to understand, you need to deconstruct it by listening
actively – which means you need to know what you’re looking for before you begin
listening.
b. A good method is to pick one element at a time and just focus on that.
c. Start to write your opinions, which will be the basis for your evaluations.
d. A list of observations about the musical elements is not an essay. Do not simply
make lists of musical facts, e.g. the key is G, the melody is from G major, in 4/4. You
need to EXPLAIN 1)why those things are significant, 2)why they contribute to the artist’s
vision or the listener’s experience. If you do not explain, those elements will be
MEANINGLESS facts.
e. Always do it in deductive way – larger to smaller details.

5. Evaluation.
a. You need to have opinions and be able to justify them.
 b. No need to be worried about saying something and being wrong. The thing is. Being
right or wrong is not as important as justifying your opinion. Music is subjective, often
there is no such thing as right or wrong. So argue away to your heart’s content, as long
as you can back it up.

6. TWO different analyses:

a. Descriptive: insight into the past.
i.It describes, summarizes raw data and makes it something that is
interpretable by humans.
ii.They are analytics that describe the past.
iii.It is useful only to learn past writings, and understand how they might
influence future outcomes.
b. Prescriptive: advice on possible outcomes.
i.It prescribes a number of different possible actions to and guides them
towards a solution.
ii.It is all about providing advice.

7. The study of musical form, therefore:

a. Discover the larger structures that give specific moments meaning.
b. Understanding the interaction of musical elements, and therefore identifying the
musical drama.
c. Understanding that every piece of music creates its own form out of its individual
materials. For example: comparison of TWO sonatas by the same composer is likely to
reveal more significant differences than similarities.
d. Making decisions and judgments about larger dimensions, which make it possible to
categorize; but it is equally important that the individual differences, the unique
solutions, be specifically considered in the analysis as well.
e. Understanding the coherence of a piece through a systematic investigation.

8. So, what is form in music?

a. The summary of the qualities of musical elements in a piece of music that bind
together its parts.
b. It is the product of intellectual control over the musical ideas which bring a
composition into existence.
 Music Theory IV
Form & Analytical Structure Materials

Meeting #1-5
Vocal form: strophic, durchkomponiert, French fixed form, Italian trecento, isorhythmic, cyclic Mass,
recitative, da capo aria.
Instrumental form: motive, theme, period, binary (rounded binary), ternary (compound ternary),
rondo, ritornello, fugue, variations (theme & variations, monothematic, double variations, thematic
transformation, developing variation), ostinato, durchkomponiert, sonata, arch.

Week 1: Materi #1
Bach: Allemande, from French Suite no. 5
Mozart: Sonata in C major, K. 545
Haydn: Sonata in E-flat major, HOB. XVI/52

Week 2-4: Materi #2

Schubert: Das Wandern, from Die Schöne Müllerin
Tchaikovsky: Barcarolle (June), from Seasons, Op. 37A
Handel: Harmonious Blacksmith, from Suite No. 1
Bach: Allemande, from French Suite no. 5
Bach: Invention No. 1
Schubert: Das Wandern, from Die Schöne Müllerin
Handel: Fammi combattere, from Orlando
Bach: Fugue Book II no. 1
Bach: Chorale Prelude Christ, unser Herr zum Jordan kam, BWV 684-5
Parker: Au Privave
Parker: Moose the Mouche

Week 5-7: Materi #3

Bach: Fugue Book II no. 1
Bach: Fugue Book I no. 4
Bach: Air
Grieg: Air

Week 8: Holiday

Week 9-11: Materi #4

Haydn: Variations in F minor
Beethoven: 32 Variations in C minor
Haydn: Sonata in C major, HOB. XVI/50
Liszt: Sonata B minor
Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique
Brahms: Sonata F minor
Arch form:

Week 12: Materi #5

Bach: Italian Concerto
Schubert: Sonata in A major, D. 959 (4h mvt.)
Bach: Bradenburg Concerto 2
Chopin: Rondo Krakowiak, Op. 14
Weel 13-15: Materi #6
Mozart: Sonata F major, K. 332 (1st)
Beethoven: Sonata D minor, Op. 31/2 (1st)
Schubert: Sonata A major, D. 959 (1st)
Chopin: Sonata B minor, Op. 58 (1st)
Franck: Sonata Violin and Piano (2nd)