19 RONDO FORMS

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Rondo vs. Sonata. Though related in many ways through their use of the same basic phrase and thematic formal functions, the classical rondo and the classical sonata derive from completely different sources in the Baroque era.

The rondo originates largely in France from an instrumental genre (called rondeau ) that features an alternation of refrains closing with authentic cadences in the home key and contrasting couplets.

The sonata originates (mostly in Italy) out of Baroque binary dance movements. Each part of the binary is repeated. The two parts of the binary, however, do not relate to each other as refrain and couplet: the fi rst part normally closes in a related tonal region (or else on dominant harmony of the home key), and the second part closes with a PAC in the home key.

The binary repetition scheme of the sonata continued to fi nd expres-sion through most of the classical period (with at least the fi rst part, the exposition, required to be repeated). The rondo forms have no such repeti-tion requirements and especially do not repeat expositional material.

Hint : a quick way to determine whether a movement is a sonata form or rondo is to look for an internal repeat sign that divides the movement into two large blocks. If the sign is present, the movement is probably in sonata form. If it is not, the movement is likely a rondo.

SOME HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

repeated. Th e third refrain and couplet constitute a complete recapitu-lation of the prior exposition.

When couplet 2 is organized as an interior theme, rather than as a development, the overall form is considerably more like a rondo than a sonata.

Unlike a regular sonata, the coda is a required element of sonata-rondo, because that section includes the fi nal return of the main theme.

EXAMPLE 19.1 Mozart, Piano Sonata in C, K. 545, iii, 922

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