Unit 4-4: Rondo Form

Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

Identify and define the key sections and characteristics of rondo form including main and contrasting sections, refrains, episodes, and auxiliary sections.
Describe the difference between a five-part rondo and sonata rondo.
Analyze musical excerpts to identify the sections of rondo form and their thematic content. Create a form diagram to summarize the analysis.
Compare and contrast rondo form with musical forms and structures discussed in previous lessons.

Preparation for Class

Read:

Rondo (Open Music Theory)
Standard Forms in a Multimovement Classical Piece (Music Theory for the 21st Century Classroom)

Watch

Understanding Form: The Rondo
(Musica Universalis, 6 mins)

Annotated Rondo Score: Mozart, Sonata No. 3
(Lynwood Music, 4 mins)

Study Aids

Diagramming Form with Cookies
Binary, Ternary, Sonata, Variation, and Rondo form represented in cookie form. See the handout here.

Rondo Form Structure
(Source: Open Music Theory, “Rondo Form”)

Rondo Form Key Areas
(Source: Kaitlin Bove, “Form Review”)

In-Class Activities

Discussion

Definitions: Describe how a rondo form works. Identify the key elements and outline a few of the common formal layouts. Include the following terms in your response: main section, contrasting section, refrain, and episode.
Compare & Contrast: Explain the difference between a five-part rondo and a sonata rondo. Compare and contrast these forms with forms from previous lessons including sonata, binary, and ternary forms.
Form Types in Context: In the second reading, Hutchinson summarizes the forms that are commonly found in multimovement Western classical works. List the forms commonly found in each movement:
- - Mvt. 1: ______ Mvt. 2: ______ Mvt. 3: ______ Mvt. 4: ______

Activities

Guided Analysis:
- - Joseph Bologne, String Quartet, Op. 1, II, Rondeau (ca. 1771)
    - - Worksheet: PDF | Docx, Score: PDF, Audio (from Open Music Theory)
  - Ludwig van Beethoven, Rondo, WoO 49 (1783)
    - - 4 guided questions with hints & solutions. See Activity 37-4 in Fundamentals, Function and Form.
      - Alternate scores: PDF | MuseScore | YouTube (2:24–4:58)
  - Haydn, Piano Sonata No. 50 in D major (Hob. XVI:37) (1795)
    - - Worksheet & Score: PDF, Audio, Alternate Score: MuseScore (from Music Theory for the 21st-Century Classroom)
  - Two pieces by Haydn and Mozart: Theory for Today's Musician Workbook, pp. 339–359

Repertoire for Practice

Rondo Form: See the “Rondo” section in the anthology for examples incorporating both 5-part and 7-part rondos.

Anthology: Rondo

NEXT STEP

Next Lesson: Theme & Variation

Practice

Musition: [levels]
Auralia: [levels]

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