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SymphoniesApr 13 '02 Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line The symphony as a musical form has exited for over 200 years.
The symphony as a musical form has exited for over 200 years. It is a piece of music for a large body of instruments and it usually consists of four different sections or movements. According to the book Classical Music for Dummies, composers wrote symphonies to demonstrate their mastery of the elements of music. Because of this the symphony become one of the most common musical forms. Almost every compose wrote a symphony. Beethoven wrote 9, Mozart wrote 41, and Joseph Haydn wrote 104. The parts of the symphony are usually free standing. This means that each movement has a short pause before the next movement begins. Each section is a part of the whole and each section relates to the other fitting together to form a pleasing whole. The four movements of a symphony conform to a standardized pattern. The more you understand this pattern, the more fun you will have listening to a symphony becomes. First Movement The first movement of a symphony is always brisk and lively. It is also written in sonata form. I have read in more than one book that understanding the sonata form will increase your appreciation of a piece. Once I figured out how the sonata form works, I found recognizing the form great fun. It isn't hard. A sonata consists of three main sections: the exposition, the development, and the recapitulation. In the exposition the themes are presented in the home or tonic key, let's say C major. After a little while there will be a bridge containing a modulation from the home key to a new key, say up to F major. The second theme will be in the new key. The first theme is the strong theme. It is loud and forceful. The second theme is quiet and lyrical. They are often referred to as the masculine and feminine melodies. The exposition will close in the key of the second theme. The second section is the development. You will find the themes from the first section developed hence the name. The themes will be expanded and some times the themes will be in different keys. There will be variations on the themes to make all kinds of interesting musical associations. Now want is a theme and its variations? "A musical theme is nothing more than a melody that appears at the beginning of the piece. After the composer finishes stating his musical theme, he goes on to state it again-and again and again-each time changing one little thing about it. One variation might change the theme's harmony; another might change the rhythm: still another might vary the melody by adding a lot of notes for embellishment. But when you hear each variation, you can usually hear the original theme in there in there somewhere." Classical Music for Dummies by David Pogue and Scott Speck page 102 Finally the recapitulation reintroduces the main ideas in the same order as at the beginning and in the home key. If the piece began in C major then it will return to C major no matter what happened to it in the development. The two themes are restated in a slightly different form but they are easy to recognize. Sometimes a sonata will have a coda in the home or tonic key. Coda is Italian for tail. A coda is the tail of a symphony. It is a concluding section. Remember all of these sections make up one movement of a symphony. Second Movement This movement is a slow and lyrical movement. It can be in sonata form also. The structure can be looser than in the first movement. In this movement you will find broad songlike melodies. This movement is not in the tonic or home key. Again if the symphony began in C major, then this movement may be F major. This is a time to set back and relax after the intensity of the first movement. Sometimes an audience could get a little too relaxed as members of the audience dropped off to sleep. Haydn's Surprise Symphony N0. 94 was written with just that in mind. Listen to the second movement of that symphony and see it you aren't surprised. Third Movement The third movement is either a minuet, a trio, or a scherzo. A scherzo is a quick lighthearted tune. This movement is a dancelike movement. This movement is written in three-quarter time. This movement varies in character from a courtly dance to a peasant romp. In Haydn's and Mozart's symphonies, the third movement is generally a minuet and trio. Beethoven likes fast, energetic scherzos for his third movements. The third movement has three sections, a minuet or a scherzo, then the trio, and lastly the minuet or scherzo again. Fourth Movement or Finale This is usually a rollicking finale. This movement is usually fast and furious. It shows off the abilities of the musicians. It is also light in character. The fourth movements of Haydn or Mozart symphony is fast, lively, and light hearted. Beethoven's concluding movement is usually triumphant and heroic and is sometimes meant as the climax of the whole symphony. The final movement is in rondo form. I like the way David Pogue and Scott Speck explain a rondo in Classical Music for Dummies. "In a rondo, you hear a delightful theme over and over again, alternating with something contrasting. Here is an example of a rondo in written form. "Bob Dole will not raise taxes. "Bob Dole has character. "Bob Dole will not raise taxes. "Bob Dole will be tough on crime. "Bob Dole will not raise taxes. "Bob Dole will make things the way they used to be, which is a whole lot better than the way they are now. "Bob Dole will not raise taxes. "If you call "Bob Dole will not raise taxes" theme A. and the other three themes B. C, and D, then you can describe the rondo form as follows." A-B-A-C-A-D-A Classical Music for Dummies by David Pogue and Scott Speck Page 96. I hope this short explanation helps you understand the symphony a little better. If you are new to symphonies, let me recommend the following symphonies. Any symphony will do for a starting point. These are just some of my favorites. Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony no 3 in E flat major, Opus 55 "Eroica" Symphony no 5 in C minor, Opus 67--Yes, you have heard the first movement of this, but wait until you hear the rest of this symphony. Joseph Haydn Surprise Symphony N0. 94 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No. 38 "Prague" D Major Symphony No. 41 "Jupiter" C Major  |
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