The Form of Music

The Form of Music provides a clear introduction to the musical forms and structures that have been used by composers from about the 17th century onwards. Dealing first with the terms phrase and cadence, it extends from simple binary and ternary forms to cover all the principal classical forms – sonata form, varied types of sonata form, rondo form, the concerto, air with variations, and so forth – with analysis of key works. Special attention is also given to the works of Bach and his contemporaries, with chapters on the early sonata, the suite, fugue and other contrapuntal forms. Later trends are also discussed. Throughout, the text is illustrated with plentiful musical examples.