Meanings Behind Peice Type's

[Aziel]

I'm just wondering what the meanings in-depth are of the forms of peice's.  Knowing the basic's of their meanings is one thing, but really getting advanced into it is even better!  There are more meanings to them than I know at least.   

I'm sure I'll forget plenty of them, but here's the start of a list...

Adagio -
Aria -
Bagatelle -
Ballade -
Barcarolle -
Bercuese -
Cakewalk
Caprice -
Concerto -
Etude -
Fantasie -
Fugue -
Gymnopedia -
Impromptu -
Invention -
Mazurka -
Minuet -
Nocturne -
Overture -
Partita -
Prelude -
Polonaise -
Polka -
Rhapsody -
Romance -
Scherzo -
Serenade -
Sinfonia -
Sonata -
Sonatine -
Suite -
Theme -
Tocatta -
Waltz -
Variations -

[pianistimo]

what a great topic to review!  especially before the next year.  terms, forms, etc. are sometimes taken forgranted with short answers and not the in-depth ones. 

here's some medium sized answers:

www.answers.com/topic/musical-form

bernhard and others, i trust, will supply places to get even more in-depth.

[pianistimo]

if you click on 'external link' at the bottom you can read 'study guide for musical form' by robert t. kelley.   this is an excellent START.  you can at least categorize them, first, by how they are put together.

[pianistimo]

isn't the polonaise a uniquely polish dance?  i think there's a link somewhere (i have to backtrack - where it is explained uniquely from the standpoint of it's polish heritage.  will look).

[Aziel]

[Aziel]

Wow.

[phil13]

I'll try to explain the ones I know:

Bagatelle - This is just what it means, a 'trifle'. Usually, it signifies a short piece without any considerable depth, unlike the larger forms.

Barcarolle - The name given to songs sang by gondoliers in Venice, Italy. Usually creates a water effect on the listener.

Bercuese - a lullaby, something that evokes sleepiness or resting. Chopin's Berceuse has a mesmerizing bass 'rocking' form while the melody moves through variants.

Etude -  A study. A technical exercise for improving technique of the fingers of some sort. Although many are beautiful (i.e. Chopin, Scriabin) that is not a requirement.

Fantasie -  A fantasy, a piece without any fixed form at all. IMO used to defy the normal rules of form and to bring more freedom to the music.

Fugue - A piece without any fixed form, except in the beginning. One voice must present the subject, and the others must, one at a time, answer it. This form usually has other parts that help keep the fugue subject from getting stale, such as stretto, diminution, augmentation, episodes, etc.

Mazurka - A Polish/Russian dance in 3/4 time, with the accent on the 2nd or 3rd beat.

Nocturne -  A piece that evokes night scenes without any fixed form, like a miniature fantasie.

Prelude - A piece used to ready the ear for another piece that follows it. Can also be used as its own piece, standing by itself as in Chopin's and Rachmaninoff's preludes.

Polonaise - A Polish dance in 3/4 time with a specific beat: 8th-16th-16th-8th-8th-8th-8th note, usually in minuet-trio type form

Sonata - A piece of usually three to four movements (or segments, as in Scriabin, Liszt and Scarlatti) where all movements are bound by different themes, thereby keeping the entire sonata whole, but the different movements separate. They must be contrasting, but with things that bind them together.

Sonatine - A shorter sonata, sometimes an exercise

Suite - A set of dances, usually in the same key or similar keys, that portrays a theme used in a variety of ways, i.e. Bach's English Suites. The different dances usually have the same type of feeling to them, like sadness, happiness, or anger.

Waltz -  A dance in 3/4 time usually reserved for the dance floor (i.e. not for recitals, except Chopin's of course). Its accent is on the first beat of each measure.

Remember, take everything I say with a grain of salt on these things. I hope I've at least been helpful.

Phil

[prometheus]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Musical_forms

[pianistimo]

aziel,  in attempting to impress you, i found a site with a polish pianist playing the ballades, polonaises, and nocturnes.  the ballade #4 in f minor impresses me.  of course, i don't know if he goes in depth in discussion on each of these forms (have to listen some more). 

www.bbc.co.uk/music/classical/reviews/anderszerski/chopin.shtml

 

[Aziel]

Cool Stuff'