Research Point: Classical Forms of Composition

Given the changing scientific ‘enlightenment’ during the Classical period, it is not surprising that this era saw the birth of the strict musical forms, such as the sonata and concerto.  These compositional formats provided composers with guidelines or templates on which to base their compositions.  The main compositional formats listed within my course material are described by O’Rourke Jones & Summers (2013) below.

The Sonata

O’Rourke Jones & Summers (2013) write that whilst the word ‘sonata’ had been used in previous centuries, the sonata form was ‘born’ in the 19^th Century, from the growing middle classes desire to gain a better understanding of music.  Created for a solo or small ensemble, almost always featuring the piano, the sonata was meticulously designed and used originally by composers such as Handel and Carl Phillip Emanuel Bach as a tool to sustain the attention of the audience during long compositions without requiring too much repetition.   

Below is a diagram that attempts to outline the different ‘parts’ of the sonata’s structure:

Usually based in three parts with a tempo pattern of fast – slow – fast, the exposition section offers the listener an introduction to two contrasting musical themes (red & green).  These would usually be composed using key signatures closely linked in tonal intervals (e.g. if the ‘home key’ is C major [red], the secondary theme [green] might become G major - fifth interval).  A transition section (yellow) would be designed to provide a segue between these two themes, with the closing section (codetta) written in the same key as the second theme (orange).

In layman’s terms, the exposition section ‘lays out’ clearly to the audience the musical themes that will be modulated and manipulated in previous sections.  In many ways this provides the listener with a sense of familiarity throughout, presumably aiding the sonata’s ability to ‘hold’ an audience. 

The development section provides both new material and manipulates the themes heard in the opening section.   O’Rourke & Summers (2013:121) write that these themes would be ‘broken up’ and transposed into different keys to create a range of moods, especially tension. 

The recapitulation section provides a form of ‘reprise’ of the material written in the exposition section, but this time the secondary theme (green), would be composed in the home key to create a resolve to the piece. 

Given the growing scientific understanding in the 19^th century, it is interesting to see how medicine was clearly being applied to musical form.  The sonata was not only a feat of musical engineering, its use of psychology should also be noted.   The notion that repetition aids attention span has been widely known for many years and is seen in video games, pop music and in earlier times, rote learning.   However, it seems that it was during the Classical era that this psychology was applied to music.  By creating three clear sections, with a varied yet repetitive nature, the sonata enabled composers to experiment with a range of moods and emotions, at substantial length, without boring or isolating the audience. 

The Concerto

O’Rourke & Summers (2013: 140), describe the concerto’s popularity in the latter half of the 18^th century, featuring a solo instrument, backed-up and ‘complimented’ by an orchestra.  This form provides an interesting opportunity to explore the individual characters of the orchestra family, whilst still providing a variety of texture and moods.  A diagram of the concerto structure can be found below:

O’Rourke & Summers (2013) describe how the opening movement is the most musically substantial, the second provides a tender and expressive mood, whilst the closing movement is a display of the instrumentalists’ skill and virtuosity.  Much like the sonata, it appears that the concerto was designed to be a ‘crowd-pleaser’.

The cadenza in the first movement would provide the instrumentalist with the opportunity to improvise within given parameters.  However, my previous studies during the OCA Music Composition course, lead to me to discover that certain composers, especially Beethoven, held a particular dislike of this style.  In fact Beethoven was known to meticulously write out his cadenzas for the instrumentalists to perform.

It is interesting to see how repetition was a strong feature when creating these musical forms.  As discussed in my research into the sonata, I can once again see the link between the psychological capabilities of this form, in particular its ability to ‘hold’ the audience with familiar themes throughout. 

The Symphony

The word ‘Symphony’ has existed throughout musical history as a term for a collection of music, but it was the classical era that saw the creation of the 4-part Sonata.  O’Rourke & Summers (2013:126), describe how the German city of Mannheim played host to a group of musicians, lead by Johann Stamitz, who developed the Symphony’s most ‘important’ form for orchestras or large instrumental chamber ensembles.   Below is a diagram outlining the main points of the Symphony form:

Presented in fast – slow – dance – fast format, this Symphony form provides the opportunity for variety of feelings and moods throughout the piece.   The first movement would normally present several different musical ideas, developing them in different keys, before returning to the home key.   The second movement would typically be a simpler, slower and more lyrical composition demonstrating a great range of mood and expression.  The dance feel of the third movement in many ways pays homage to the Baroque period, using a simple A-B-A ternary form to represent the traditional 17^th century dance.  The final movement offers a wide variety of musical ideas adopting many different sections.

The String Quartet

Franz Joseph Haydn was believed to be one of the most influential composers for the string quartet.  Raptus (1998) describes how the string quartet grew as a chamber ensemble during the 18^th century, due to the harmonic ability of the strings to blend seamlessly.    The course material writes that a string quartet would normally comprise of two violins, viola and cello and that scores would often include a variety of styles from homophony to counterpoint throughout. 

Although the form of the quartet remained fluid, by the end of the 18^th century, the course material describes how the String quartet form generally took on an average of four movements.