Page 67 - ESSENTIAL LISTENING TO MUSIC

When Mozart was a young man, he lived briefly in Paris, where he heard the French folksong “Ah, vous dirai-je Maman.” We know it today as “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” (see Listening Cue). Upon this charm- ing tune (A), he later composed a set of variations for piano (discussed in full in Chapter 8).
Binary Form
As the name indicates, binary form consists of two contrasting units,
A and B (see Figure 3.13). In length and general shape, A and B are constructed so as to balance and complement each other. Variety is usually introduced in B by means of a dissimilar mood, key, or melody. Sometimes in binary form, both A and B are immediately repeated,
note for note. Musicians indicate exact repeats by means of the fol- lowing sign: 𝄆 𝄇 Thus, when binary form appears as 𝄆A𝄇 𝄆B𝄇 it is per- formed AABB. Joseph Haydn created a perfect example of binary form
in music for the second movement of his Symphony No. 94 (see Listening Cue), and then wrote a set of variations upon this theme (discussed in full in Chapter 8).
Ternary Form
If the most prevalent form in pop songs is strophic form, in classical music it is ternary form; the musical journey home-away-home (ABA) has satisfied composers and listeners for centuries (see Figure 3.14). In the “Dance of the Reed Pipes” from Peter Tchaikovsky’s famous ballet The Nutcracker (see Listening Cue), the A section is bright and cheery because it makes use of the major mode as well as silvery flutes. However, B is dark and low, even ominous, owing to the minor mode and the insistent ostinato (repeated pattern) in the bass.
Figure 3.14
Ternary form, or ABA form, can clearly be seen in the architecture of the cathedral of Salzburg, Austria, where Mozart and his father frequently performed. <
Figure 3.13
The essence of binary form, or AB form, can be seen in this Japa- nese wood carving. Here the two figures are distinctly different, yet mutually harmonious.
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