Form and Analysis Dr Joyce Tang

Lecture 1

Form - “the shape or structure of something”

Musical forms
• organised sound that occurs in time
• large-scale design of a composition
• is determined by the similarity and contrast of musical material
• interaction of the various musical elements

Categories of musical form

Formal design
• Sectional formal design
• self-contained passages of music marked off by various degrees of closure
• de ned by thematic material, tonality, rhythm, and/or texture
• e.g. Section A, A’, B, etc.
• formal principals of similarity and contrast

4
&4 œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œœœœ œœ˙ œœœœ œœ˙ œœ˙
œœœœ œœ˙ œœœœ œœœœ œœ˙

13

& ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑
• Proportional durations
• length of phrases and sections of a form in relation to one another
• in terms of measure numbers or real time
29

& ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑
Formal structure
• the underlying formal processes and functional relations among segments at various levels of the
45
design
& ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑

61
Tonal processes harmonic and linear progressions
& ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑
process of modulation
con rmation of keys through cadences

Thematic
77 processes how themes (melodic ideas) generate phrases and sections of a design
∑ ∑ ∑ e.g.
∑ repetition,
∑ sequence,
∑ ∑ fragmentation,
∑ ∑ extension
∑ ∑ or introduction
∑ ∑ of ∑a contrasting
∑ ∑idea
&
Textural processes variation in the number and range of lines (voices)
or changes in the types of textures to shape and articulate phrases and sections
93

& ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑
Chopin, Prelude in C major, Op. 28

109

& ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑
Moulds?
• usual view: well-known formal moulds and demonstrate how composers write works within these
moulds
125

•&(they∑seldom
∑ t so∑ neatly
∑ as they
∑ are∑ supposed
∑ to
∑ into∑the exteriorized
∑ ∑ forms
∑ of∑ the textbooks!!!!)
∑ ∑ ∑
• musical content that determines the form

141

& ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑
1
fi
fi
fi
Form and Analysis Dr Joyce Tang
Lecture 1

J.S. Bach, Prelude in C Major, WTC, Book I

2
 Form and Analysis Dr Joyce Tang
Lecture 1

One-part form
• ow from beginning to end uninterrupted by any strong formal division
• AA’ structure (2nd half of the form is a varied repetition of the 1st)
• e.g. preludes, songs

Richard Strauss, “Morgen”, Op. 27, No. 4

Strauss: 4 Lieder, Op. 27
14

13
Strauss: 4 Lieder, Op. 27

3
fl
Form and Analysis Dr Joyce Tang
Lecture 1

Binary forms
• complete work that can be divided into two sections

Simple binary
• repeat signs almost always mark the two sections in binary form
• AABB
• common in dance movements and sonata movements in Baroque period
• minuets, trios, scherzos from Classical and Romantic periods

J. S. Bach,
Orchestral Suite
No. 3, Air

4
 that Hummel’s Bagatelle is in simple sectional binary form.

Form and Analysis Dr Joyce Tang

Lecture 1
EXAMPLE 20.1 Hummel, Bagatelle in C major, op. 107

Hummel, Bagatelle in C major, op. 107 STR EA MING AUDIO

W W W.OUP.COM/US/LAITZ

Allegretto
484 THE COMPLETE MUSICIAN

EXAMPLE 20.1 (continued)

C: (PAC)
5

cresc.

(PAC)

11

(HC) (PAC)

Simple Continuous Binary

Bar form Now listen to Example 20.2, which illustrates a different type of binary form. Identify
• from medievalhow the Weber piece is similar to and different from the Hummel. Melodically, this bi-
German Meistersingers verse form
nary form is simple. Harmonically, the tonicization of the dominant at the end of the first
• AAB section clearly presents a significant difference from the previous example. The dominant
• Common in Lutheran chorales,
continues after the doublee.g.
bar but is weakened by the addition of the seventh, which
by J. S. Bach forces it back into the orbit of G major. In cases like this, when the first section closes away
from the tonic, and the following section continues away from the tonic, the binary form’s
harmonic structure is called continuous. Thus, Weber’s piece is in a simple continuous
binary form.

EXAMPLE 20.2 von Weber, Six Ecossaises, no. 2, J. 30

J. S. Bach, chorale setting of “Brich an,
o schönes Morgenlicht” (“Break Forth, STR EA MING AUDIO
W W W.OUP.COM/US/LAITZ
Oh Beauteous
a Heavenly Light”)

G:
(PAC in V)

5
Form and Analysis Dr Joyce Tang
Lecture 1

Rounded binary
• The return of A (as A’) in a rounded binary sounds like a return to the beginning
• not enough for just the thematic materials of the A section to return
• only opening material

Mozart, Piano Sonata, K. 331, I.

6
Form and Analysis Dr Joyce Tang
Lecture 1

Class discussion
Identify its form and diagram its phrase structure

J.S. Bach, Badinerie from Orchestral Suite No. 2

7
Form and Analysis Dr Joyce Tang
Lecture 1