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Understanding First Rondo Structure

The document discusses the musical form known as the first rondo or ternary rondo form. It notes that this form was commonly used in slow movements of works by Haydn and Beethoven, as well as character pieces by later composers. The form has an A-B-A structure, where section A is usually a song form like ternary form, section B introduces a new theme in a contrasting key or mode, and section A returns modified as needed to end in the home key. Transitions between sections can vary in length and character.

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Radost Galonja Krtinić
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30 views22 pages

Understanding First Rondo Structure

The document discusses the musical form known as the first rondo or ternary rondo form. It notes that this form was commonly used in slow movements of works by Haydn and Beethoven, as well as character pieces by later composers. The form has an A-B-A structure, where section A is usually a song form like ternary form, section B introduces a new theme in a contrasting key or mode, and section A returns modified as needed to end in the home key. Transitions between sections can vary in length and character.

Uploaded by

Radost Galonja Krtinić
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

First Rondo

a.k.a. Slow-Movement Ternary


a.k.a. Three-Part Adagio
a.k.a. Full Sectional Ternary

Where
Typically slow movements
Sometimes final Tempo di Menuetto
movements in early Haydn piano trios

Haydn
Haydn is more inclined to use First Rondo

in piano trios and string quartets, much less


in other genres:

Only 3 times in the symphonies


Only 3 times in the piano sonatas

Beethoven
Piano Sonatas
6 times -- mostly early sonatas, although
Op. 31 No. 1 and Op. 79 contain
examples.

Some of the violin sonatas


Only once in a string quartet
Only once in a piano trio

Mozart

Tends not to use it.

Romantics
Character pieces by Schubert, Schumann,
Mendelssohn, Chopin, Brahms, etc.

Names can include bagatelle, nocturne,


prelude, fantasy, intermezzo

Also includes dances like waltzes,


mazurkas, polonaises, etc.

Little salon pieces are either 3PSF or First


Rondo.

General Form
A

transistion

transistion

Notes
A

transistion

transistion

Relation to 3PSF: in a First Rondo, at least one of the


parts is a song form into itself. Therefore, 3PSF can
occur within a First Rondo.

Notes
A

transistion

transistion

Relation to Compound Song Form: the difference lies in


the separateness of compound song form -- theres a
real sense of cadence and full closure before moving to
the Trio, and before the da capo. A First Rondo, on the
other hand, is a continuous whole.

Structure of A
A song form of some kind
Most often 3PSF, although other forms are
possible and not all that uncommon.

Even non-standard forms such as phrase

groups, or 1PSFs (like periods) can occur.

In the home key, and ends in some kind of


AC.

Structure of A

Example: Schubert Sonata Op. 147, II

Transition
Can be short, or quite expanded.
A transition isnt required, but theyre fairly
frequent.

Transition
Chopin Nocturne Op. 62 No. 2
Artur Rubinstein, piano

Structure of B
Interior Theme
(Dont use Secondary Theme, which can

be confused wiith the term in sonata form.)

Most typical is a striking change in

modality, using to the parallel minor (or


major.)

Structure of B
In addition to modal change, there will

usually be a change of style -- although the


interior theme is usually derived in some
way from the exterior theme.

Structure of B

Haydn: Quartet, Op. 74 No. 3 Rider,


second movement

Structure of A
If the original A stayed in I
The return to A is likely to be verbatim.
If the original A modulated
The return to A will be rewritten to
return to the tonic.

Structure of A
The repeat of A may well be ornamented
or re-orchestrated.

It also may be shortened or otherwise


varied.

Coda
It is fairly typical for First Rondo forms to
feature a coda.

The coda is typically sectional


Sections may dovetail into each other
Tremendous freedom
Each coda is a law unto itself

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