9/16/2018

Outline

• Musical forms Musical Form • Sonata allegro form • Example – Mozart Eine kleine Nachtmusik Module 2 of Music: Under the Hood

John Hooker Carnegie Mellon University

Osher Course September 2018

1 2

Musical Forms Musical Forms

• The main point is not the specific form • Most common musical structure – The main point is that the music must be intelligible – Exposition – The listener • Introduce the main musical ideas should not • Tonic key get lost – Development • Explore implications of main ideas • Other keys – Recapitulation • Return to original ideas with sense of closure • Tonic key

3 4

Musical Forms Musical Forms

• Some basic forms • Block structure common in “classical” period – Binary – AB • Haydn, Mozart, etc. • Common in dances, pop music (verse-chorus) • Organic development more common in “Baroque” period – Sonata allegro – AABA with B = development – Blocks correspond to keys • Best known form in Western music – Makes for easy listening • Chorus-verse-chorus in pop music • Still the standard today – Rondo – ABACA – Sonata Allegro form – Theme and variations is best known – Passacaglia/chaconne • 121 of Beatles’ 211 songs have more or less this form • Variations over repeating bass • For example, Richard Rogers’ Blue Moon

5 6

1 9/16/2018

Sonata Allegro Form Sonata Allegro Form

• AABA structure – AA: Exposition, repeated • Main theme in tonic • Secondary theme in dominant Diagram of sonata allegro form – B: Development • Multiple keys, usually minor – A: Recapitulation • Main theme returns in tonic • Secondary theme in dominant I VV Various I VII – Many variations! keys

7 8

Sonata Allegro Form Example

• Basic contradiction? • Mozart’s Eine kleine Nachtmusik (1787) – Secondary theme in recapitulation is in dominant key. – “A little serenade” st – How to return to tonic? – 1 movement (Allegro)

9 10

• Exposition (repeated) • Exposition (repeated) – Theme in tonic key – Theme in tonic key 0:00 Audio file – Modulate to dominant key – Modulate to dominant key – 2nd theme in dominant key – 2nd theme in dominant key • Development • Development – Variations in dominant key, etc. – Variations in dominant key, etc. • Recapitulation (repeated) • Recapitulation (repeated) – Theme in tonic key – Theme in tonic key – Modulate to dominant key… but end up in tonic! – Modulate to dominant key… but end up in tonic! – 2nd theme in tonic key – 2nd theme in tonic key – Closing section – Closing section

11 12

2 9/16/2018

• Exposition (repeated) • Exposition (repeated) – Theme in tonic key – Theme in tonic key – Modulate to dominant key 0:30 – Modulate to dominant key – 2nd theme in dominant key – 2nd theme in dominant key 0:48 • Development • Development – Variations in dominant key, etc. – Variations in dominant key, etc. • Recapitulation (repeated) • Recapitulation (repeated) – Theme in tonic key – Theme in tonic key – Modulate to dominant key… but end up in tonic! – Modulate to dominant key… but end up in tonic! – 2nd theme in tonic key – 2nd theme in tonic key – Closing section – Closing section

13 14

• Exposition (repeated) • Exposition (repeated) – Theme in tonic key 1:36 – Theme in tonic key – Modulate to dominant key – Modulate to dominant key 2:07 – 2nd theme in dominant key – 2nd theme in dominant key • Development • Development – Variations in dominant key, etc. – Variations in dominant key, etc. • Recapitulation (repeated) • Recapitulation (repeated) – Theme in tonic key – Theme in tonic key – Modulate to dominant key… but end up in tonic! – Modulate to dominant key… but end up in tonic! – 2nd theme in tonic key – 2nd theme in tonic key – Closing section – Closing section

15 16

• Exposition (repeated) • Exposition (repeated) – Theme in tonic key – Theme in tonic key – Modulate to dominant key – Modulate to dominant key – 2nd theme in dominant key 2:24 – 2nd theme in dominant key • Development • Development – Variations in dominant key, etc. – Variations in dominant key, etc. 3:12 • Recapitulation (repeated) • Recapitulation (repeated) – Theme in tonic key – Theme in tonic key – Modulate to dominant key… but end up in tonic! – Modulate to dominant key… but end up in tonic! – 2nd theme in tonic key – 2nd theme in tonic key – Closing section – Closing section

17 18

3 9/16/2018

• Exposition (repeated) • Exposition (repeated) – Theme in tonic key – Theme in tonic key – Modulate to dominant key – Modulate to dominant key – 2nd theme in dominant key – 2nd theme in dominant key • Development • Development – Variations in dominant key, etc. – Variations in dominant key, etc. • Recapitulation (repeated) • Recapitulation (repeated) – Theme in tonic key 3:47 – Theme in tonic key – Modulate to dominant key… but end up in tonic! – Modulate to dominant key… but end up in tonic! 4:17 – 2nd theme in tonic key – 2nd theme in tonic key – Closing section – Closing section

19 20

• Exposition (repeated) • Exposition (repeated) – Theme in tonic key – Theme in tonic key – Modulate to dominant key – Modulate to dominant key – 2nd theme in dominant key – 2nd theme in dominant key • Development • Development – Variations in dominant key, etc. – Variations in dominant key, etc. • Recapitulation (repeated) • Recapitulation (repeated) – Theme in tonic key – Theme in tonic key – Modulate to dominant key… but end up in tonic! – Modulate to dominant key… but end up in tonic! – 2nd theme in tonic key 4:31 – 2nd theme in tonic key – Closing section – Closing section 5:11

21 22

4