Chapter I: Foreword

The present manual treats of the structural designs of musical composition, not of the styles or species of music. Read our AFTERWORD.

It undertakes the thorough explanation of each design or form, from the smallest to the largest; and such comparison as serves to demonstrate the principle of natural evolution, in the operation of which the entire system originates.

This explanation--be it well understood--is conducted solely with a view to the _Analysis_ of musical works, and is not calculated to prepare the student for the application of form in practical composition. For the exhaustive exposition of the technical apparatus, the student must be referred to my "Homophonic Forms."

The present aim is to enable the student to recognize and trace the mental process of the composer in executing his task; to define each factor of the structural design, and its relation to every other factor and to the whole; to determine thus the synthetic meaning of the work, and thereby to increase not only his own appreciation, interest, and enjoyment of the very real beauties of good music, but also his power to _interpret_, intelligently and adequately, the works that engage his attention.

* * * * * *

The choice of classic literature to which most frequent reference is made, and which the student is therefore expected to procure before beginning his lessons, includes:--

The Songs Without Words of Mendelssohn; the _Jugend Album_, Op. 68, of Schumann; the pianoforte sonatas of Mozart (Peters edition); the pianoforte sonatas of Beethoven.

Besides these, incidental reference is made to the symphonies of Beethoven, the sonatas of Schubert, the mazurkas of Chopin, and other pianoforte compositions of Mendelssohn, Beethoven, Chopin, and Brahms.

PERCY GOETSCHIUS.

BOSTON, MASS., Sept., 1904.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.--INTRODUCTION.

THE NECESSITY OF FORM IN MUSIC
THE EVIDENCES OF FORM IN MUSIC
UNITY AND VARIETY

CHAPTER II.--FUNDAMENTAL DETAILS.

TIME
TEMPO
BEATS
MEASURES
RHYTHM
MELODY

CHAPTER III.--FIGURE AND MOTIVE.

THE MELODIC FIGURE
DEFINING THE FIGURES
THE MELODIC MOTIVE, OR PHRASE-MEMBER
PRELIMINARY TONES

CHAPTER IV.--THE PHRASE.

THE PHRASE
LENGTH OF THE REGULAR PHRASE
EXCEPTIONS
CONTENTS OF THE PHRASE

CHAPTER V.--CADENCES.

CADENCES IN GENERAL
MODIFICATION, OR DISGUISING OF THE CADENCE
THE ELISION
SPECIES OF CADENCE
PERFECT CADENCE
SEMICADENCE
LOCATING THE CADENCES

CHAPTER VI.--IRREGULAR PHRASES.

CAUSES OF IRREGULARITY
THE SMALL AND LARGE PHRASES
THE PRINCIPLE OF EXTENSION
INHERENT IRREGULARITY

CHAPTER VII.--THE PERIOD-FORM.

PHRASE-ADDITION
THE PERIOD

CHAPTER VIII.--ENLARGEMENT OF THE PERIOD-FORM.

ENLARGEMENT BY REPETITION
THE PHRASE-GROUP
THE DOUBLE-PERIOD

CHAPTER IX.--THE TWO-PART SONG-FORM.

THE SONG-FORM, OR PART-FORM
THE PARTS
THE FIRST PART
THE SECOND PART

CHAPTER X.--THE THREE-PART SONG-FORM.

DISTINCTION BETWEEN BIPARTITE AND TRIPARTITE FORMS
PART I
PART II
PART III

CHAPTER XI.--ENLARGEMENT OF THE THREE-PART SONG-FORM.

REPETITION OF THE PARTS
EXACT REPETITIONS
MODIFIED REPETITIONS
THE FIVE-PART FORM
GROUP OF PARTS

CHAPTER XII.--THE SONG-FORM WITH TRIO.

THE PRINCIPAL SONG
THE TRIO, OR SUBORDINATE SONG
THE "DA CAPO"

CHAPTER XIII.--THE FIRST RONDO-FORM.

EVOLUTION
THE RONDO-FORMS
THE FIRST RONDO-FORM

CHAPTER XIV.--THE SECOND RONDO-FORM.

DETAILS

CHAPTER XV.--THE THIRD RONDO-FORM.

THE EXPOSITION
THE MIDDLE DIVISION
THE RECAPITULATION

CHAPTER XVI.--THE SONATINE-FORM.

CLASSIFICATION OF THE LARGER FORMS
THE SONATINE-FORM

CHAPTER XVII.--THE SONATA-ALLEGRO FORM.

ORIGIN OF THE NAME
THE SONATA-ALLEGRO FORM
THE EXPOSITION
THE DEVELOPMENT, OR MIDDLE DIVISION
THE RECAPITULATION
DISSOLUTION
RELATION TO THE THREE-PART SONG-FORM

CHAPTER XVIII.--IRREGULAR FORMS.

CAUSES
AUGMENTATION OF THE REGULAR FORM
ABBREVIATION OF THE REGULAR FORM
DISLOCATION OF THEMATIC MEMBERS
MIXTURE OF CHARACTERISTIC TRAITS

CHAPTER XIX.--APPLICATION OF THE FORMS.

APPLICATION OF THE SEVERAL DESIGNS IN PRACTICAL COMPOSITION
AFTERWORD

LESSONS IN MUSIC FORM.