File posted 2005; last edited 9 January 2011.
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EXAMPLES FROM REPERTOIRE
Some examples for bars 3-4:
Some examples of periods:
Some examples of sentences:
Some examples of hybrids:
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SMALL TERNARY FORMS
The "contrasting middle" consists of a continuation (with or without a new basic idea), standing on the dominant (usually with a new idea), sentence or -- rarely -- period (with new idea), or for longer pieces some combination of the above.
Some examples of small ternary forms and their components: Go to: the top of this file
SMALL BINARY FORMS
NOTE: With respect to harmony, if bar 9 is stable on the tonic, then the odds increase that 9-16 will be a new sentence;if bar 9 is a clearly defined subdominant type, then 9-16 are probably cadential;if bar 9 is stable on the dominant or unstable on any harmony, 9-12 are most likely contrasting middle.
NOTE: Although the note-by-note contents of a 16-bar small binary form and a 16-bar period or sentence could conceivably be identical, the binary form is distinct because of the repetitions of the two parts (and also because elements of the "contrasting middle" function are almost routine: bars 9-12 in the 16 bar themes make very strong ties to the beginning).
Some examples of small binary forms: Go to: the top of this file
Original material and compilation copyright David Neumeyer 2005-2011.
TABLE: COMPONENTS OF EIGHT-BAR THEMES
INTRATHEMATIC LEVEL 1: "SUBPHRASE"
1-2 3-4 5-6 7-8
basic idea 1. basic idea, repeated or varied
2. statement-response (usually, I-V is answered V-I)
3. contrasting idea
4. (rarely) cadential1. basic idea, exact or varied
2. fragmentation, with or without sequence
3. new idea (contrasting)
4. (rarely) cadential (more common: cadential progression begins here with I6 or subdominant harmonies and continues into 7-8)1. cadential
2. (rarely) repetition of cadence from 5-6
INTRATHEMATIC LEVEL 2: PHRASE
1-4 5-8
1. antecedent
2. presentation
3. compound basic idea ("weak antecedent")1. consequent
2. continuation
3. continuation->cadential
4. cadential
THEMATIC LEVEL
1-8
1. period
2. sentence
3. hybrids
repetition, exact: Clarchies, 28th receuil: La Belton
repetition, varied: Beethoven, Menuets, WoO10, n1
repetition, varied: Beethoven, Menuets, WoO10, n1
statement-response: Beethoven, Menuets, WoO10, n5
contrasting idea: Beethoven, Menuets, WoO10, n2 trio
contrasting idea: Beethoven, Menuets, WoO10, n6
contrasting idea -- from La Cuisse, vol. 3: Les Amusemens de Caumont. Note: Nearly 90 of the 100 contredances in La Cuisses' three volumes are periods: see the statistics here: La Cuisse, table of theme types.
very clear example, from Clarchies, 28th receuil: La Miran
from Clarchies, 28th receuil: La Saint Ange
antecedent ends with IAC: from Clarchies, 28th receuil: La Boston
Beethoven, Menuets, WoO10, n6
consequent is transposed down a third: Beethoven, Menuets, WoO10, n2
modulating consequent: Beethoven, Menuets, WoO10, n5 trio
modulating consequent: Beethoven, Menuets, WoO10, n6
modulating consequent, from La Cuisse, vol. 3: Les Amusemens de Caumont
consequent starts on dominant position: Beethoven, Ländler, WoO11, n7
period with a failed consequent in both dance and trio, from La Cuisse, vol. 3: La languedocienne. See the note above about statistics for the 100 dances in La Cuisse's three volumes.
Numbers 1, 3, 4, 5, and the trios to nos. 4 & 6 in this set: Beethoven, Menuets, WoO10
classic sentence, with fragmentation and sequence in continuation, from the waltzes at the end of Clarchies, 28th receuil: Waltz, p. 34. Note: 16 of the nearly 75 waltzes in Clarchies are sentences: you can find them using the statistics here: Clarchies, table of theme types.
c4. hybrid 1 (antecedent + continuation)
very clear example in the trio, from Clarchies, 28th receuil: Waltz, p. 35, trio
c5. hybrid 2 (antecedent + cadence)
very clear example in the trio, from Clarchies, 28th receuil: Waltz, p. 42, trio. The antecedent + continuation model is prominent in Clarchies, but even more so in Bacquoy-Guâedon: you can find examples using the statistics here: Bacquoy-Guâedon, table of theme types.
Beethoven, Menuets, WoO10, n2 trio
Beethoven, Ländler, WoO11, n2
c6. hybrid 3 (compound basic idea + continuation)
example to be added
c7. hybrid 4 (compound basic idea + consequent)
c8. "hybrid 5" (presentation + consequent)
from Clarchies, 28th receuil: add title-recNum23
Beethoven, Ländler, WoO11, n5
consequent is the presentation repeated: Beethoven, Ländler, WoO11, n6
Beethoven, Ländler, WoO15, n3 16-bar type: The small ternary may run no more than 16 bars (as 8+8) if the final four repeat the basic idea at the original level and a cadence follows.
24-bar type: normally 8 + 16, where 9-16 = contrasting middle; 17-24 = recapitulation with PAC in the home key.
32-bar type: normally 16 + 16, where 17-24 = contrasting middle; 25-32 = recapitulation with PAC in the home key. A variant of the 32-bar-small ternary is 8+24, where the first part is a standard 8-bar period or sentence and the second part typically includes an extended contrasting middle.
Numbers 4 & 6, and the trios to nos. 2, 3, 5, & 6 in this set: Menuets, WoO10
The first three dances in this set: Beethoven, Ländler, WoO11
Examples of techniques for the contrasting middle: Contrasting Middle, set 1 Bars 1-8: any period, sentence, or hybrid type
Bars 9-16: (1) contrasting middle + continuation (or continuation-->cadential, or cadential); (2) contrasting middle and "consequent" (new b.i. and c.i.); (3) new sentence; (4) cadential; (5) (not common) cadential plus post-cadential extension.
Numbers 1, 2, 3, & 5, and the trios to nos. 1 & 4 in this set: Menuets, WoO10
The last four dances (4-7) in this set: Beethoven, Ländler, WoO11
All six dances in this set: Beethoven, Ländler, WoO15
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