Classical Era Genres and Forms of Instrumental Music

Note:  This discussion pertains only to the serious, sit down and listen, concert genres.  
            It does not apply to more general entertainment and dance music that Mozart and 
            other composers often composed.


                            Classical Era Genres

Less Prestigious Genres of Serious Compositions - 3 Movements: 

                 The movement order is almost always Fast→ Slow→Fast

      Piano Sonata  -  Beethoven will make this a 4 movement genre.  

      Other Sonatas  (violin, cello, flute, etc, etc.)

      String Trios  (string trios)

      Piano trios  (piano, violin & cello)  -  Beethoven will make this a four movement genre.

      Concertos  (piano, violin, cello, etc)

      Piano Quartets  - (piano w/ violin, viola, cello)  

      Piano Quintets  (piano & 4 other instruments; most common is a piano & string quartet)

      (Numerous Others)    


Most Prestigious Genres of the Classical Era  -  4 movements: 

        Symphonies       -   Haydn  "Father of the Symphony"

        String Quartets   -   Haydn  "Father of the Symphony"

        String Quintets   -   Boccherini, Mozart wrote 6 highly regarded ones.


               Usually:         1.  Fast      2.  Slow       3.  Minuet (or Scherzo)    4.  Fast

               Sometimes:    1.  Fast      2.  Minuet (or Scherzo)      3.  Slow     4.  Fast    

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Classical Era Forms

     binary                       A → B

     ternary                      A → B → A    Special ternary forms:      (minuets and scherzos)

     rondo form                A → B → A → C → A

     (theme and) variations    A → V1 → V2  → V3 ...

     sonata form

     These forms were often combined for a more sophistiated movement pattern:

           By far, the most used combination was the rondo-sonata form  (combination of rondo form
       & sonata form)