Theme and Variations The theme and variations form continued in popularity from the Baroque era. In this form there is a principal theme, with at least a period structure (two phrases: the first usually ends on a half cadence. The second ends on a full cadence). The composer then does a series of variations on the theme, altering rhythms and textures, as well as mode and sometimes harmony. Some examples of pieces in the Theme and variations include Beethoven’s Diabelli variations and M

ozart’s The minuet and trio was made of two binary form dances | A | B| or rounded binary | A | B A|

Minuet

||: A :||: B :||

of which the first is played first with repeats after which the second dance (trio) is played

Trio ||: A :||: B :||

Followed once again by the first dance, this time without repeats.

Minuet

|| A || B ||

Minuet and Trio

Many m

ulti-movem

ent pieces w

ould have 3-4 movem

ents. The first and last w

ere likely to be in Sonata form

though they might

also be a theme and variations or

a Sonata Rondo, less likely a

fugato. The Slow m

ovement

would be free or A

BA

. The other m

ovement w

ould be a m

inuet and trio. The following is

a list of multi m

ovement w

orks. (those in italics norm

ally omit

the minuet and trio m

ove-m

ent)—C

oncerto, Piano Quin-

tet, Piano Sonata, Piano Trio, Sonata for solo instrum

ent and piano, String Q

uartet, String Q

uintet, String Trio, Symphony.

A Rondo consists of a main theme (A) in the tonic key that alternates with other themes. In the sonata rondo form the B musical theme takes the place of the second theme in the exposition. The C theme is the development section. Some examples of movements in the Rondo form include

R

ondo Form:

(W

hile there are many types of R

ondo forms, this is the m

ost classical. Note how

simi

lar it is to the sonata form

)

A B

A C

A B

A

I V

I ? I I I

(Sonata Form) (exposition) (developm

ent) (recapitulation)

A B

C A

B

I V

? I I

Sonata Form

Grew

out of the Baroque binary dance form

. •

Binary

|| A

|| B ||

I V V

I •

Rounded B

inary || A

|| B A

’ ||

I V V

I •

Sonata Form

|| A

B || developm

ent A B

||

I V ? I I

Typically, the sonata form has the follow

ing primary elem

ents: Exposition: This presents the opening ideas of the piece. The first them

e is usually in the home key. The second them

e is in another key, often the dom

inant or relative Major.

The exposition is followed by a developm

ent section which tends to

be more chrom

atic, and works w

ith the motivic elem

ents of the ex-position. The recapitulation brings back the them

es from the exposition.

How

ever, this time the second them

e is usually in the home key as

well.

Them

e and

Var

iation

s Th

e the

me an

d var

iation

s for

m co

ntinu

ed in

popu

larity

from

the B

aroq

ue er

a. In

this

form

ther

e is a

princ

ipal t

heme

, with

at le

ast a

perio

d str

uctu

re (t

wo ph

rase

s: th

e firs

t us

ually

ends

on a

half

cade

nce.

The s

econ

d end

s on a

full

cade

nce)

. The

comp

oser

then

do

es a

serie

s of v

ariat

ions o

n the

them

e, alt

ering

rhyt

hms a

nd te

xtur

es, a

s well

as m

ode

and s

omet

imes

harm

ony.

Some

exam

ples o

f piec

es in

the T

heme

and v

ariat

ions i

nclud

e Be

etho

ven’s

Diab

elli v

ariat

ions a

nd M

ozar

t’s pi

ano s

onat

a k28

4.

The m

inuet

and t

rio w

as m

ade

of tw

o bina

ry fo

rm da

nces

| A

| B|

or ro

unde

d bina

ry

| A |

B A|

Minu

et

||: A

:||:

B :||

of w

hich t

he fi

rst i

s play

ed

first

with

repe

ats af

ter w

hich

the s

econ

d dan

ce (t

rio) i

s pla

yed

Tr

io ||:

A :|

|: B

:||

Follo

wed o

nce a

gain

by th

e fir

st da

nce,

this

time w

ithou

t re

peats

.

Minu

et

|| A

|| B

||

Minu

et an

d Trio

The previous page shows the look of the fin-ished form chart. Copy each of these pages (they may be copied on white paper or on a light color for some variation). Cut out each of the squares. Each form has a cover page explaining the form followed by two pages with examples from the literature. Glue the second of these literature examples in the appropriate box on the chart. Glue the first page of these two pages to the form de-scription in such a way that when the page is folded up the printing will still be right side up. Glue this description page along the top only to the chart.

A Ro

ndo c

onsis

ts of

a ma

in th

eme (

A) in

the t

onic

key t

hat a

ltern

ates

with

othe

r the

mes.

In th

e son

ata r

ondo

form

the B

mus

ical t

heme

take

s the

plac

e of t

he se

cond

them

e in t

he

expo

sition

. The

C th

eme i

s the

deve

lopme

nt se

ction

. Som

e exa

mples

of m

ovem

ents

in th

e Ro

ndo f

orm

includ

e

R

ondo

For

m:

(W

hile

ther

e ar

e m

any

type

s of R

ondo

form

s, th

is is

the

mos

t cla

ssic

al. N

ote

how

sim

i

lar i

t is t

o th

e so

nata

form

)

A

B

A

C

A

B

A

I

V

I

?

I

I

I

(Son

ata

Form

) (e

xpos

ition

)

(dev

elop

men

t) (r

ecap

itula

tion)

A

B

C

A

B

I

V

?

I

I

Beethoven Sonata Rondo Pathetique Sonata in cm

Theme A cm

Measure 43 Theme B EbM

Measure 61 Theme A returns in cm

Exposition

Measure 120 A returns

Measure 154 B theme in cm

Measure 171 A theme in cm

Measure 79 Theme C

Development Section

Recapitulation

Sonata Form Grew out of the Baroque binary dance form. • Binary || A || B || I V V I

• Rounded Binary || A || B A’ || I V V I

• Sonata Form || A B || development A B || I V ? I I Typically, the sonata form has the following primary elements: Exposition: This presents the opening ideas of the piece. The first theme is usually in the home key. The second theme is in another key, often the dominant or relative Major. The exposition is followed by a development section which tends to be more chromatic, and works with the motivic elements of the ex-position. The recapitulation brings back the themes from the exposition. However, this time the second theme is usually in the home key as well.

Beethoven Minuet and Trio from Sonata fm Op. 2#1

Sonata Form Mozart Sonata in FM K280

Theme A in FM

Measure 27 Theme B in CM (Dominant)

Exposition

Mozart Piano Sonata in D Major K.284 movement 3

Development section (measure 57)

Measure 83 Theme A returns in F Major

Measure 109 Theme B returns in FM

Recapitulation

Rondo here

Theme and Variations here

Minuet and Trio here

Many m

ulti-movem

ent pieces w

ould have 3-4 movem

ents. The first and last w

ere likely to be in Sonata form

though they might

also be a theme and variations or

a Sonata Rondo, less likely a

fugato. The Slow m

ovement

would be free or A

BA

. The other m

ovement w

ould be a m

inuet and trio. The following is

a list of multi m

ovement w

orks. (those in italics norm

ally omit

the minuet and trio m

ove-m

ent)—C

oncerto, Piano Quin-

tet, Piano Sonata, Piano Trio, Sonata for solo instrum

ent and piano, String Q

uartet, String Q

uintet, String Trio, Symphony.

Sonata form here