the classical symphony - scott...

The Classical SymphonyThe Main Course of the Musical Banquet

The Symphony

Prominent, prestigious musical genre

The centerpiece of a concert

Substantial

Lengthy—allowing it to be the major event of a concert

The Movements

I – Fast or moderate tempo, usually in sonata form

II – Relatively slow tempo and quiet mood

III – Minuet or another dance

IV – Fast, either sonata or rondo form

Franz Joseph Haydn

Symphony No. 95 in C Minor(1791)

First MovementAllegro moderato

Sonata Form

Second Movement

The second movement may be in a variety of forms

“Variation” is the form in this symphony

Variation Form

A binary (two-part) theme is subjected to variations

Often, the repeats of the sections are in and of themselves variations

Variation Form

a ba b

a ba b

a b b

1’ 1 1

2 2 2’

1

In this example, the repeat of phrase a, in the first variation,is a modified version—hence the notation as a1’.

The same is true of the repeat of phrase b, in the second variation.

Second MovementAndante cantabile

Variation Form

Third MovementMenuetto

Minuet & Trio Form

Fourth MovementFinale–VivaceRondo Form