Instrumental Music Forms in the Classical Era

NOTE:  The following is about the majority of classical instrumental works, but there are exceptions to each claim.

Most instrumental genres in the classical era had three movements:   1 fast;  2) slow;  3) fast

These genres include sonatas, concertos, string and piano trios, piano quartets, piano quintets. 

Symphonies, string quartets and string quintets had four movements.  There format was usually
1 fast;  2) slow;  3) medium pace;  4) fast.   The third movement was usually a minuet 
or a scherzo, although the second and third movements were sometimes reversed.  


The Forms of Movements in Instrumental Works:

      Sonata Form   -  The most important form in the Classical era.  Almost always used 
                                 in the first movement of a symphony, sonata, quartet, etc.  Often 
                                 used in other movements as well.

      Ternary Form  -  The most used form for the slow movement in a symphony, concerto, 
                                  sonata, etc.

      Minuet            -   Usually the third movement of a four movement work (a symphony or 
                                  string quartet) after the slow second movement.  

      Scherzo           -   An alternative to the minuet.

      Rondo Form    -  Often the final movement, but sometimes other movements.

      Variations        -  A.K.A. Theme and Variations.  Usually used for the final 
                                  movement, but sometimes for the first and second movement.

      NOTE:  Minuets, scherzos, rondos and variations are often one movement standalone works as well as 
                     forms for movements in multi-movement pieces.



By the high period of the classical era (c. 1770 - 1805) the most serious genres of instrumental 
composing were symphonies and string quartets which almost always had four movements:

     1.   A quick-paced movement (often allegro), usually in sonata form.  

     2.   A slow movement (often adagio), usually beautiful melodies with exquisite harmonies.  
           The form is usually ternary (A-B-A)

     3.   A minuet (a 3/4 time movement in a medium tempo - from Baroque era aristocratic dancing).  
           Stately and elegant.

           The alternative was a scherzo.  Witty and playful.

     4.   Final, quick paced movement (allegro, vivace, presto).  Often a rondo or a set of variations.

NOTE:  The 2nd and 3rd movements were often reversed (minuet, then slow movement).


Most other multi-movement genres including sonatas, piano trios, and concertos 
only had three movements (fast-slow-fast).  They did not have the minuet movement.

The sonata-form was almost always used for the first movement, but could also be used in other
movements (very occasionally, in every movement).

Either the rondo form or theme and variations were often used in the final movement, 
but they could also be used in the first and second movements.


Other classical era genres:

Concerto  -  a multi-movement orchestra piece featuring a virtuoso instrumental soloist 
                    (most commonly a pianist, violinist, or cellist but could be any keyboard, 
                    string or wind instrument).  Very occasionally,  concertos have more than 
                    one featured instrumentalist 
                   (e.g. Beethoven's "Triple Concerto" for violin,cello and piano)

Sonata  -  A multi-movement piece, most often for one instrument and a piano (e.g. violin sonata), 
                or in the case of a piano sonata, for a solo piano.

Piano Trio  -  A multi-movement piece for a piano and two other instruments (most often a violin and a cello).

Piano Quartet  -  A multi-movement piece for a piano and three other instruments (most often a string trio - 
                            a violin,a viola, and a cello).

String Trio  -  A multi-movement piece for three strings (usually a violin, a viola, and a cello, or 
                       two violins and a cello).


Many movement forms, like the binary, ternary, rondo or theme and variations, can be used in 
one movement piano pieces. 

Other one movement piano forms are the fantasia and the fugue.


Major and minor scales, chords, and keys:

      Major  -  bright, happy, optimistic

      Minor  -  dark, sad, ominous

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