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Topic: Purpose/meaning of different piece forms  (Read 1491 times)

Offline clair_de_lune

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Purpose/meaning of different piece forms
on: February 07, 2005, 06:27:53 PM
Can anyone describe or point me to a link that describes the form/purposes of different musical pieces? I know some of them but not all. For example:

- an Etude is a study/musical means to practice certain technique;
- a Waltz is always in 3/4 time, was often used for ballroom dancing;
- a Prelude is a piece that comes "before" another piece, like a Fugue;
- a Nocturne is a piece to be listened to at night, or evokes nighttime imagery;

(feel free to correct me if I'm wrong)

But I have questions about other forms: Rondos, Mazurkas, Fantasies, etc.

Thanks in advance.

Offline clair_de_lune

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Re: Purpose/meaning of different piece forms
Reply #1 on: February 07, 2005, 09:52:30 PM
I answered my own question and just thought I'd report back here - the easiest way was for me to go to Google and enter define:term, for example, define:mazurka brings up a list of definitions of the term mazurka, the first one being:

Polish country dance in triple time. It first became popular outside Poland in the 18th-century. The mazurka was brought into the concert repertoire by Chopin, who wrote 50 or so.

I also learned more about polonaises, rondos, fantasies, etc.

Google is a great tool.  :)

Offline bernhard

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Re: Purpose/meaning of different piece forms
Reply #2 on: February 11, 2005, 09:38:13 PM

Yeah! Google! :D

Or you may have a look here:

https://pianoforum.net/smf/index.php/topic,4302.msg39982.html#msg39982


Best wishes,
Bernhard.
The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side. (Hunter Thompson)
 

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