During the Classical Period audiences were accustomed to music with elaborate musical forms, such as sonata form, theme and variations form, and concerto form. Historical documents suggest that when they listened to music they listened for its form.
When you listen to music composed in the last 50 years, do you listen for musical form? For example, many popular songs follow a complex verse-chorus form, where you hear verses alternating with choruses, with other sections, like the bridge, or an introduction/conclusion thrown in.
How can listening for form help shape your musical experience?
- In your response, refer to at least two separate compositions: describe the form of one or more compositions from the Classical period.
- Then, identify one piece of music from the past 50 years and describe its form. *Hint if you choose a popular song, you can use the text as a way to help guide you through the form.
- As you describe form, refer to at least three fundamental elements of music using important terms introduced in Chapters 1 and 5 of your text (such as melody, rhythm, texture, harmony).
- Your initial post for this discussion should be 150-250 words in length and completely answer the question.
- After you post, you will be able to see other students’ posts and should respond to at least 2 of your fellow students with posts each “Question,” “Clarification,” or “FYI.” (Refer to the syllabus or click here for definitions of each label type.) You should use a different response type/label for each of your responses.
