Leonard Rathner - Eighteenth-Century Theories of Musical Period Structure

Eighteenth-Century Theories of Musical Period Structure
Author(s): Leonard G. Ratner

Source: The Musical Quarterly, Vol. 42, No. 4 (Oct., 1956), pp. 439-454
Published by: Oxford University Press
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VOL. XLII, No. 4 OCTOBER, 1956
THE MUSICAL
QUART E RLY
EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY THEORIES OF
MUSICAL PERIOD STRUCTURE
By LEONARD G. RATNER
SNE of the most significantaspects of the change of stylethat oc-

curred duringthe 18th centurywas the change in the quality of
musical movement. Baroque music was characterized by continuous
flow; phrase endingswere covered and disguisedby polyphonictexture,
by the basso continuo,and by the momentumcreatedwhen shortmotifs
and ornamental figureswere systematicallydeveloped. Classic music
was characterized by well-definedarticulations; phrases and periods
tended to balance and complementeach other, reflectingthe popular
song and dance idioms fromwhich much Classic music was drawn.
These structuralaspects of Baroque and Classic music, faithfully
reflectedin the theoreticalwritingsof the 18thcentury,are familiarto us.
Yet 18th-century theoriesof phrase and period structure,that is, of the
elementsthat deal with movementand formalprinciples,have not re-
ceived as much attentionas have harmony,performancepractice, and
otheraspectsof the music of the time.
Theoretical interestin phrase and period structuregrowsduringthe
Copyright,1956, by G. Schirmer,Inc.
439
440 The Musical Quarterly
course of the 18th century,reflectingthe increasingpopularityof the
galant style.Many criticalremarksare directedto the contrastor con-
flictbetweenthe galant styleand the strictor seriousstyle.In some cases
the remarksdeal with articulation.Marpurg says:
In thecontrapuntal
style,thefullcadences,at leastat theend of a piece,
mustbe conventional[farmlich]. In the galant style,one makesno ceremony
about cadences,and theycan be used in any place, at the end as well as in
the middle, withoutany distinctionas to their conventionalor non-con-
ventional as circumstances
[function] dictate.'
Here Marpurg points to one of the importantstylisticdistinctionsbe-

tween late Baroque music and mid-centurygalant music. Points of
articulation- that is, cadences- are much morefrequentand have far
less importancein galant music froma structuralstandpoint.
Sulzer linksphrase structureto manner of expression,also contrast-
ing the galant withmoreserioustypesof music.His descriptionbringsto
the forethe conflictof taste, of the goi2t,which was the essence of the
contrastbetweenthe styles.
Here we remark especially that short phrases or sectionsaccommodate

themselvesbetterto light and frivolousfeelings,and, in certain circum-
stances,to impetuous,violentpassion; longerphrases[accommodatethem-
and
selves]to seriousfeelings.All thatis pathetic,serious,thoughtful,
devotionalrequireslongphraseswhichare mergedone intoanother;. ..
the cheerfulas well as the furious[require]veryshortphrases,more
clearly separated fromone another.It is a very serious errorwhen the
composerallowshimself to be seducedby the applausethatunpracticed
and inexperienced
listenersgive to the pleasantso-calledgalantpieces,
and thereby
introducessmall,chopped-up,daintymusicinsteadofbeautiful
music into seriousworksand even into churchmusic.2
The forms and idioms of galant music lent themselveseasily to

recipes and schemes, covering the harmonic and melodic layouts of
phrasesand periods. Likewise,in the mid-18thcentury,the attentionof
theoristsbecame focused on the minutiae of periodic structure.On
every level, from serious professionaland critical treatmentto the
simplest pastimes and games, the musical period was thoroughlyin-
vestigated.
1 F. W. Marpurg, Kritische Briefe iiber die Tonkunst, 1759-63, II, 13.
2 J. G. Sulzer, Allgemeine Theorie der schenen Kiinste, Leipzig, 1777-79, III,
378.
Theories of Musical Period Structure 441
Eighteenth-Century
The terminologycommonlyused in 18th-century writingsto desig-
nate various rhythmiccomponentsof structureis not very consistent.
Sulzer writes:
ofa melodyare
The namesusedto indicatethesmallerand largersections
still somewhat indefinite.One speaks of Perioden, Abschnitten,Einschnitten,
Rhythmen, Ciisuren, etc. in such a way thatone word will have two mean-
ingsand twowordswillhavethesamemeaning.3
In their descriptionsof the smaller melodic and rhythmicunits that

constitutea period, 18th-centurytheoristsfrequentlydrew upon the
analogy of language. Thus Mattheson,in analyzing a minuet,gives a
rather detailed explanation of the musical "punctuation," using terms
borrowedfromgrammar,such as paragraph,sentenceor period, colon,
semicolon,comma, and full stop.4Koch's distinctionsbetween the parts
of a period also draw upon the analogy of language. In the following
quotation,he is concernedwiththe functionof partsof a period in rela-
tion to theirmusical meaning,ratherthan specificallywith punctuation.
The completenessof a small sentence[period]will be apparent through

the union of a predicate with a subject . .. a broader sentence would be
thatin whichmore than one predicateis bound up withone subject,or in
whichthe subjector the predicate,or bothalike, are betterdefinedthrough
auxiliaryideas.5
Example 1 shows how Koch constructsa "simple" sentence and pro-

ceeds to elaborate it somewhat.
Ex. I
Simple sentence
subiec ,
--l-- - predicafe
--1
,. ,i
.A b1c
predicate
b. Ekbomtedse-n~t~U
These analogies betweenmusic and language reflectan importantaspect

of general estheticsin the 18th century,namely, the analogies and
comparisonsdrawn between different arts. If, in turn,we considersuch
3Sulzer, op. cit., II, 35.
SJ.Mattheson, Der vollkommene Capellmeister, Hamburg, 1739, p. 224f.
5 H. C. Koch, Versuch einer Anleitung zur Composition, Leipzig, 1782-93, II,
351-52.
comparisonsto be reflectionsof 18th-century rationalism,then theories
of period structurewould represent"rationalizing,"at least in one area
of musical thought.
Analysisof the period on strictlymusical groundsinvolvescadences

and length of sections,and, to a certain extent,the melodic line, al-
thoughthislatteraspect is less well-defined,and does not bear upon the
structureof the period as stronglyas do harmonyand rhythm.The
familiar distinctionbetween half and authentic cadences is made by
Koch. Thus, a phrasethat ends a period is called a Schlusssatz,while all
othersare Absitze. Absiitzeare qualifiedby theircadences; thoseending
in the tonic are called Grundabsiitze,while those in the dominant are
called Quintabsiitze.In thisconnection,Portmannsays: "Those phrases
that end in the dominant are interrogative, and those that end in the
tonic are respondent."' The articulationof periods into phrases four
measures in length,another typical aspect of period structure,is men-
tioned by Kirnberger: "The best melodies,in any case, are those whose
phrases are four measures in length."' Also Daube: "The simplest
melody can be made acceptable throughdivisioninto four and eight
measures."'
Puttingthesevariousitemstogether- short,well-articulated phrases,

harmonic underscoringof points of arrival by tonic or dominant
cadences, question and answer relationships,the favoringof four and
eight measure phrases- we are led inevitablyto the idea of symmetry
as an aspect of period structure.This idea was put forthexplicitlyby
Chastellux:
They[theItalians]sawverywellthattheycouldnotinvent a melodyunless
theyheldto a simpleand uniqueidea and gavethisidea properexpression
Thisobservation
in formand proportion. led themto discover themusical
period.A minuet,a giguehave theirdefinite measures;melodiesform
and thesephraseshavetheirregular
phrases, and proportionalelements..
Although our smallFrenchpieces,minuets,gigues,etc. appearto be like
thoseof the Italians,one mustnot assume that theyare periodic.It is not
enoughfora melodyto havea certainnumber of measures. . . Whenthe
a certainunitymustbe present,
of themelodyis to be periodic,
expression
a balancein themembers out of whichthemelodygrows,a rounding-off
ofthemelody, whichholdtheattention to theveryend.MostolderFrench
6
J. G. Portmann, Leichtes Lehrbuch der Harmonie, Darmstadt, 1789, p. 37.
Die Kunst des reinen Satzes, Berlin,1779, II, 43.
SJ. Kirnberger,
8 J. F. Daube, Anleitung zur Erfindungder Melodie, Vienna, 1797, p. 37.
Eighteenth-Century
melodiesare almostnothingbut rowsof tones,whichhave neitherrule
noraim.9
Symmetry, as a quality in art, was admired in the latterpart of the

18th century,and Daube draws analogies between the various arts in
theirmanifestationsof symmetry and balance. He impliesthat a proper
of
understanding symmetry in music had been developed only in recent
times.
Whereinarises the symmetry of architecture?In the beautifulrelationship

of the various masses of the componentparts . . . Beautifulsymmetry is
found today in painting,sculpture,dance, poetry,and literature,and all
othersthat representbeauty and creativity.We also know this in music,
had littleknowledgethereof.10
but our forefathers
* *
Symmetricalconstruction by phrasesand periods,withcomplementary

cadential relationships,is found principallyin dances and songs of the
18th century.Likewise, discussionsof phrase and period structureare
generallylinkedto dance music.
Throughout the century,the plan of dance structureis set forthas

an arrangementof reprises(or periods), usually two, regardlessof the
type of dance. Walther says:
Bourrne . . . signifiesa kind of dance or musical composition of two equal

parts,each having eightbeats, the firsthaving only fourbeats and being
played twice,while the second half has eightbeats and is repeated."
Kirnberger,like Walther,specifiesthe lengthof phrases,sayingthat the

dance was the onlytypeof musicin whichsectionshad to have a definite
number of measures.
Evidence frommany different sourcestestifies to the importanceand

popularity of dances in the middle and late 18th century.The preferred
dances were thosethat could be set in a verysimplemanner,withstrong
and characteristicaccents and metricpatterns,such as the minuet,the
waltz, the contradance,the gavotte,and the polonaise. One of Mozart's
Chastellux, Essai sur l'Union de la Poe'sie et de la Musique, Paris, 1765, pp.
16-17.
1oJ. F. Daube, Der Musikalische Dilettante, Vienna, 1770, p. 81.
S"J. G. Walther,Musikalisches
Lexikon, Leipzig, 1732, p. 109f.
lettersto his father,dated May 14, 1778, describedsome of his troubles
in attemptingto teach a younglady of noble rank to compose a minuet.
She filledin quitea goodbassforthefirst
minuet,themelodyof whichI
had givenher,and she has alreadybegunto writein threeparts.Butshe
very soon gets bored . . . She has no ideas whatever. . . Among other
thingsI hiton theidea of writing
downa verysimpleminuet, in orderto
see whether she couldnot composea variation
on it. It was useless. . .
I wrotedownfourbarsof a minuetand said to her: "See whatan ass I
am! I havebeguna minuetand cannotevenfinish themelody.Pleasebe
so kindas to finish
it forme."la
Puttingtogetherlittledance compositionswas obviouslya popular

pastime for musical dilettantes,and indeed, nothingwould seem easier
to do, judging fromthe following"prescription"quoted froma review
in Hiller's Nachrichten:
Recipeforcomposing
dances:
1. Take anytonicchordyouprefer ...
2. Place afterit thechordof thefifth ..
3. Repeatthetonicchord.
4. Do thisat leastfourtimes,so thatyouwillhavetheentireharmony of
a dancebeforeyou.
5. See now thatyourmelodyagreeswithyourharmony; divideit in the
middle;set therepeatsignin themiddleand at theend,and so your
danceis finished.Noticethatif all thephrasesagreewellwiththebasic
harmony, youwill have theoptionof putting thefirstsecondand the
secondfirst.x3
Musical games of chance, very popular in the later 18th century,
also demonstratethe influence of dance music. In these games, the
rankestamateur, the purestsimpleton,could put togethera minuet or
a polonaise frommelodic fragmentsprovided by the compiler.
This perfectlystereotypedpastime,based on random selection,serves
to underline some of the fundamental elements of constructionin
galant and early Classic music. These were: rigidharmoniclogic, based
on tonic, dominant relationshipsand clearly definedcadences; rigidly
regularperiod structure,derivedfromthe symmetry of dance patterns;
and consistentmelodic style,which, however,did not necessarilymean
correspondenceor similarityof motifsat any given point.
* *
12
Emily Anderson, The Letters of Mozart, London, 1938, II, 796.
13J. A. Hiller, Wachentlichen Nachrichten, Leipzig, 1766, I, 132f.
Eighteenth-Century
Melodic construction,as used both for didactic and for creative
purposes,drew upon a widespread method, which may be referredto
as "permutation"afterJosephRiepel's term Verwechselungskunst in his
Grundregeln der Tonordnung, Vol. I, published in 1752. This refers
to the possibilityof changingthe motifsin one or more measures of a
phrase or period without disturbingthe basic harmonic and rhythmic
structure.Riepel shows how the melody of the minuet he uses as an
example can undergo several such changes; these re-shape the melody
withoutchangingthe basic formof the minuet.By this method Riepel
hopes to develop the student's taste and judgment with respect to
melodic construction.
Ex. 2
Note here that the study of compositionbegins with the making of

minuets.
Permutationof melodic material was applied to larger-scalecom-

position as well. In Daube's Anleitung,pages 61-68, three different
Ex. 3 lnfrodudction Allegro Cantabile
I Addgio
Modfel Allegro
Adagio le
AFnn
Mode P-
(f) P
I ,l-
versionsof the beginningof a symphonyare given. For all three,the
rhythmicpatternsand the harmoniesare alike; also the changes of style
are identical,fromthe slow introductionto a brilliantallegro,followed
by a lyricmiddle section.The melodic materialforthesethreeexamples,
however,is quite differentin each case. Example 3 shows samples from
each of the three versionsgiven by Daube. He recommendsthe use of
Haydn's symphoniesas models.
Permutationworkswell in the galant style.Well-separatedphrases,
light texture,characteristicfigures,and striking,juxtaposed contrasts
of manner (particularlyin Italian orchestralmusic) - all these lend
themselvesreadily to the substitutionof one typical melodic formula
for another.
An interestingcase of the application of this principleto music of
an earlier age is found in Kirnberger'sMethode Sonaten aus'mnErmel
zu schiiddeln,1783. Kirnbergermay have had his tongue in his cheek
when he put togetherthis littlebrochure,but the resultis a perfectly
serious and broad-scaledlate Baroque sonata. Briefly,his Methode is as
follows:
1) Take a sonata fromthe available literature;using the bass,

fashion a new melody.
2) Create a new bass to the melody you have just invented;
now you have a new sonata!
Kirnberger'smodel is a Bach sonata, but his procedure would apply
music. Using the basic rhythmic
even more easily to later 18th-century
flow and the underlyingharmonyas framework,he has broughtabout
a complete permutationof melodic content.
It would seem that in the examples quoted above, and in many
others that are similar, we are dealing with a latter-day parody
technique. Here, the model is neithera melody,nor a set bass pattern,
as in the passamezzo, ruggiero,folia, etc., but ratherthe period itself,
with its balanced phrases,its clearly-definedharmonies,and above all,
its inevitablearticulationsand cadences.
In the music of Haydn, Mozart, and their contemporariesdance

rhythmsand period structuresoccupy a basic position,both stylistically
and formally.Reflectingthis aspect of Classic style,theoristsrecom-
Eighteenth-Century
mended that theirstudentslearn various typesof dance music, so that
they might compose sonatas with skill and taste. In Sulzer we find:
"The dance melodies of various nations include almost every kind of
movementand rhythm,and only he who is sufficiently versed in these
can become excellent in melody."'4 Kirnberger,in his Recueil d'airs
de danses caractdristiques,speaks at some lengthregardingthe import-
ance of dance music as a basis for more elaborate composition.Neglect
of dance compositionwill have a detrimentaleffectupon fugue com-
positionowing to lack of trainingin rhythm.Performancealso suffers;
the effectnowadays, he says, is wretched because failure properlyto
indicate the caesuras and accentsturnsfuguesinto mere chaos of sound.
The practice of dance music, on the other hand, will enable the per-
formerto sense the rhythms, accents,and caesuras in a piece of extended
dimensions.
Riepel and Koch both feel that small dance formsare models for
larger compositions.Riepel says: "The working-outof a minuet is no
differentfromthat of a concerto,aria, or symphony."'5Koch is more
explicit: " . . . the knowledgeof these [smaller]formsis usefulto the
beginningcomposernot only foritselfalone, but in considerationof the
largerproductsof the art; because theseforms[dances] are small models
for the larger compositions."'6From these remarks it is clear that
musical theoristsof the later 18th centuryacknowledgedthe debt owed
by their "serious" music to dance music, both fromthe idiomatic and
the structuralstandpoints.
Detailed accounts of the structureof largerpieces are not numerous

in 18th-centurytheory. Theorists seemed reluctant to spell out the
recipes for composingmore extended works. This may be due to the
factthatactual compositionwas principallya professionalmatter,handed
down from master to pupil, and learned, as we know fromhistorical
data, by copyingand by permutationof models. Only in the later 18th
centurydoes there seem to be an "amateur" or "dilettante"interestin
composition,and consequently,a demand for specificinstructions.
Vogler,in his KurpfalzischeTonschule,1778, givesa detailedaccount

of the melodic, rhythmic,and harmonic constructionof an aria, with
some explanation of the expressiveimplicationof certain formal pro-
cedures,such as repetitionand modulationsto the dominant and sub-
14Sulzer, op. cit., II, 371.
1sRiepel, op. cit., p. 2.
16 Koch, op. cit, III, 129.
dominant. Two other documents,one contemporarywith Telemann,
the other dating from the time of Haydn, provide some important
informationon the subject of large-scale musical compositionin the
18th century.The firstof these is ChristianGottliebZiegler'sAnleitung
zur musikalischenComposition,a manuscriptdated 1739 at Quedlin-
burg,whereZieglerwas an organist.This document,apparentlyunique,
and unlistedin the standardbibliographies,existsin an incompletecopy
in the Drexel collectionof the New York Public Library.
Ziegler was conversantwith the music of Bach, Handel, Telemann,

Graun, and Hasse, as well as the writingsof Mattheson. On pages 157-
160, Ziegler gives explicitformulasaccording to which a sonata move-
ment can be built. He provides a single,minuet-liketheme, gives the
key scheme of the movement,illustratesharmonic connections,and
specifiesthe formalcadences in each key.Each appearance of the theme
is called a clausula cognata. Here is Ziegler'stable of key relationships
and the order in which the keys succeed each other. The italicized
numbersrepresentfull thematicstatementsin the key specified.
Principali C major 1 3 5 9 13 15
Primaria G major 2 6 8 14
Secundaria A minor4 12
Tertiaria E minor7
Peregrinaprima F major 10
Peregrinasecunda D minor11
Example 4 reproducesZiegler's theme. Stylistically,the piece is akin

to much of Telemann's music. It is much simpler than comparable
sonatas of Bach, particularlywith respectto the workadaybass and the
Ex. 4 SPiri+uoso
3 3
lack of melodic venturesomeness. Moreover, the seams in the structure

are not difficultto detect. Yet, there is a good deal of the continuous
flow that characterizesBaroque chamber music and, most important
of all, the harmonic scheme and the continuousworkingover of the
one theme stamp this piece as being essentiallyBaroque in manner.
The harmonic scheme, which works in a circular fashion around the
closelyrelated keys and gives the piece its lengthby visitingthese keys
in turn, is basically identical to the plan used in Baroque fugues and
concertos.
Eighteenth-Century
The second of the documentsthat enlightenus regardinglarge-scale
musical structureis Heinrich ChristophKoch's Versuch. Like Ziegler,
Koch begins with dance music. He analyzes phrase structureminutely,
beginningwith four-measurephrases and workingup to what he calls
the smallestcompleteforms,those small dances and songs that contain
four times four measures,i.e. sixteen.
He then proceedsto a chapterentitled"On the use of the means of

melodic extension."In thischapter,one of the mostimportantcontribu-
tions to the theoryof musical formin the 18th century,Koch explores
many methodsof extendingperiods beyond theirnormal eight-measure
length.He looks forways to achieve greaterscope and more continuous
movement.The final example in this chapter embodies a number of
these techniques,so much so that a period originallycomprisingeight
measures becomes comparable in length to the expositionof a sonata
form.Koch says, regardingthis procedure:
Dance melodies,when they are not intended for dancing,may contain

more than eightmeasuresin the firstreprise;this additionallengthgener-
ally comes about throughthe techniquesfor melodic extensionthat we
shall studyin the followingchapter.17
The example Koch uses to build the extended form is a bourr&e; it

becomes much more than a bourrie when it grows to the proportions
of the beginningof a sonata. Throughoutthe music of Haydn, Mozart,
and Beethoven the firstand last movementsoften open as bourries,
marches, waltzes, gavottes, contradances,gigues, and other types of
dance. By means of extensionsand other disturbancesof the dance-like
symmetry, these composerswere able to achieve far greaterscope and
power, as well as to enrichthe melodic and harmonic contentof their
music. Koch's treatisedemonstratesthat this approach to composition
had receivedrecognitionin music theory.His examples are given below.
Ex. 5 4. Originaleigh-meoure
Poco period
All.ro
17 Koch, op. cit., III, 130.
b melody
K,
SsssuppidbyL.R.
d (4
, I I . .
.....
25 (8) trAGor t
The original period in Example 5 is a typical eight-measuredance

authentic
reprise,witha half-cadenceat the fourthmeasureand a formal
Eighteenth-Century
cadence in the dominant at the eighthmeasure. The extended period,
on the otherhand, coversthirty-twomeasures.There are two key areas,
setting up a long-range contrast between tonic and dominant; this
harmonic plan is universallyemployed in Classic music; it represents
a polarityof harmonyas againstthe circulararrangementof keystypical
of Baroque music.
Specific techniques of extension are illustratedat various points.
In most cases they involve a broader treatmentof the motifsin the
firstexample, although it would certainlybe possibleto go fartherand
introducenew melodic material. Here are the techniques:
1. Similar restatementof a motifon anotherharmony,measures2,
15, 28
2. Reinforcementof a full cadence by varied repetitionof the
cadence formula,measure 4
3. Repetitionof a motif,takinganotherlevel of the same harmony,
measure 7
4. Extensionof a sectionby repeatingestablishedmetricalformulas,
measures 8-9
5. Parenthesis,insertionof new material, measure 12
6. Progression,i.e. sequence, measures 18-21
7. Reinforcementof a half-cadenceby repetition,measure 23
8. Closing section strengthenedby additional cadential formulas,
measure 25
9. Spinningout a rapidlymovingfigure,measure 27
10. Transposition,i.e., modulatingsequence, measures 28-30.
While Koch invented most of his examples, including the above,
he drew liberallyfromthe music of Haydn, Graun, Hiller, Stamitz,and
Koch's own teacher, Christian Scheinpflug,18 as well as from others
who wrote duringthe latterhalf of the 18th century.The resultof his
instructionswould be a sonata of the stylecurrentabout 1760-1780. It is
a galant style,for clavier,with shortmotifs,frequentbut lightcaesuras,
and a considerablevarietyof melodic material. The music of the later
Classic styleis, of course, more broadly gauged than the galant music
Koch is illustrating;still, the mechanics of structureset forthby him
are those that controlled the constructionof melodic material, the
building of phrases,and the distributionof cadences in all of Classic
music.
In 1722-70, Kapellmeister at Rudolstadt.
Very few of his works are extant,
among them some cantatas and an opera, Mithridate. He enjoyed a good reputation
in his time and Marpurg spoke well of him.
To be sure, Koch did recognizethe difference betweenwhat we call
the Classic styleand the earliergalant style.While most of his analysis
and instructionconcernsclavier and chamber music, he does treat the
orchestralstyleat the veryend of his Versuch,and makes the following
distinctionbetween orchestraland chamber music:
the melodic material,forreasonsgiven

In the firstallegro of a symphony,
above, is not so completelyroundedas in thosecompositionsin whichone
main voice performs . . . rather, this material must distinguish itself
throughinnerstrengthand emphasis,and the feelingmustcarryall before
it, rather than be presentedin minutelydetailed fashion. In the first
allegro of such a compositiontheregenerallyprevailsa somewhatexalted
feelingwhich is projected with a certainintensity;consequentlymost of
the half- and full-cadences do not arrive at a point of rest . . . but by
telescopingmeasures,these caesuras are passed over, so that the melody
flowsforward.So that the caesuras can be disguisedin such a piece, the
auxiliaryvoices, second violin, or bass, take over motifsfrom the first
violin, when the firstviolin moves on to new motifs;or the auxiliary
voicesimitateeach otherwhile thefirstviolinacts as a filler;thisis because,
in the symphony,the auxiliaryvoices fail to appear to best advantage
when,forexample,the second violin onlyfillsout the harmony,or always
playsin unisonwiththe firstviolin,and thebass takesonlythe bare ground-
tonesof the chords.19
Such a descriptioncould well be applied to a Haydn symphony.More-

that Haydn himselfhad in
over, it sets forththe kind of part-writing
mind when he spoke of his Op. 33 quartetsas embodying"an entirely
new and special manner" of treating thematic material. This is
Beethoven's"obbligato accompaniment,"i.e. part-writing, a far cryfrom
the galant tune and its strummingsupport. Such enrichmentof the
textureand indeed of the entiremusical contentexisted potentiallyin
the period-pattern.The mosaic of motifsand phrases lends itselfto
give-and-takeamong the componentparts,while caesuras and cadences
invite gesturesthat will render their articulationsless emphatic and
obvious. If we take Koch's distinctionsat their face value, it would
suggestthatone of the mostimportantfactorsin the evolutionof Classic
music from its galant predecessor,namely, lively part-writingand its
drive towards the extension of periods, came to Classic music from
the symphony.
The interplayof motifswas consideredone of the great accomplish-

ments of musical composition,as is evidenced in Leopold Mozart's
19Koch, op. cit., III, 384f.
Eighteenth-Century
remarksto his daughter regardingWolfgang's Piano Concerto in D
minor,K. 466:
We had our concertyesterday. Marchandperformed the concertoin D

minor,whichI sentto youtheotherday ... [Michael]Haydnturnedthe
pagesforhimand at thesametimehad thepleasureof seeingwithwhat
art it is composed,how delightfully
thepartsare interwovenand whata
difficultconcertoit is.Y
AlthoughKoch, in Rudolstadt,was many miles away fromMozart

in Vienna, he stillhad the opportunityof examiningthe latter'smusic,
and he, too, recognizedthe mergerof periodicstructureand polyphonic
procedure,a characteristicof mature Classic techniquesof composition.
He says:
Mozart,in Vienna,has publishedsix quartetsfortwoviolins,viola,and

'cello,dedicatedto Haydn;amongall four-voiced modernsonatas,these
representthe best conceptionof the truequartet,and becauseof their
distinctive
combinationof the strictand freestyles,
and becauseof their
treatment of the harmony,are uniqueof theirkind.21
In the final chapters of his third volume, Koch describes the

standard formsof the later 18th century,includingthe aria, the rondo,
the sonata, the concerto, the overture,and the symphony.He also
provides instructionon the various ways of writingfor chorus in strict
or freestyle.Finally,thereis a detailed studyof the constructionof an
expositionand developmentof a symphony.
Koch's contributionsto music theoryhave been overshadowedby
those of Emanuel Bach, Quantz, Rameau, Mattheson,and Kirnberger.
Still, he representsbest the late 18th century; his contributionsare
substantialand relevant.Choron-La Fage's Manuel de Musique draws
its material on musical formdirectlyfromKoch and acknowledgesthis
debt. Fitis gives Koch the accolade in the Biographie:
Underthe title,MechanicalRules of Melody,the secondsectionof the

secondvolumecontains
ideasthatareentirelynew,andofgreatinterest
con-
cerningthisimportant
branchof theart.Untilthisdaynothing betterhas
appeared,norwas anythingproducedbeforeKoch thatwas as satisfactory.
The thirdvolumeis devotedentirelyto thedevelopmentof thetheory of
melody.The periodand itsdiversecombinations
are treatedwiththehand
20Anderson,op. cit., III, 1335f.
Koch, op. cit.,III, 326.
21al
of a master.Nevertheless,
the meritof thisexcellent
workhas not been
in Germany.22
recognized
It may be added that the work is no better known today than in

F~tis's time.
In view of the material offeredabove, studies in Classic musical
constructionmight well deal with furtherclarificationof period struc-
ture, harmonic layout, and treatmentof short, typical motifs.The
definitionof theseprinciples,new in the historyof musictheory,especially
in connectionwith the period,is the importantcontributionof theorists
of the late 18th century.
SF. J. Fitis, BiographieUniverselle,

Paris, 1878, V, 69-70.

Leonard Rathner - Eighteenth-Century Theories of Musical Period Structure

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Eighteenth-Century Theories of Musical Period Structure

Author(s): Leonard G. Ratner

SNE of the most significantaspects of the change of stylethat oc-

Here Marpurg points to one of the importantstylisticdistinctionsbe-

Here we remark especially that short phrases or sectionsaccommodate

The forms and idioms of galant music lent themselveseasily to

In their descriptionsof the smaller melodic and rhythmicunits that

The completenessof a small sentence[period]will be apparent through

Example 1 shows how Koch constructsa "simple" sentence and pro-

These analogies betweenmusic and language reflectan importantaspect

Analysisof the period on strictlymusical groundsinvolvescadences

Puttingthesevariousitemstogether- short,well-articulated phrases,

Symmetry, as a quality in art, was admired in the latterpart of the

Whereinarises the symmetry of architecture?In the beautifulrelationship

Symmetricalconstruction by phrasesand periods,withcomplementary

Throughout the century,the plan of dance structureis set forthas

Bourrne . . . signifiesa kind of dance or musical composition of two equal

Kirnberger,like Walther,specifiesthe lengthof phrases,sayingthat the

Evidence frommany different sourcestestifies to the importanceand

Puttingtogetherlittledance compositionswas obviouslya popular

Note here that the study of compositionbegins with the making of

Permutationof melodic material was applied to larger-scalecom-

Ex. 3 lnfrodudction Allegro Cantabile

1) Take a sonata fromthe available literature;using the bass,

In the music of Haydn, Mozart, and their contemporariesdance

Detailed accounts of the structureof largerpieces are not numerous

Vogler,in his KurpfalzischeTonschule,1778, givesa detailedaccount

Ziegler was conversantwith the music of Bach, Handel, Telemann,

Example 4 reproducesZiegler's theme. Stylistically,the piece is akin

lack of melodic venturesomeness. Moreover, the seams in the structure

He then proceedsto a chapterentitled"On the use of the means of

Dance melodies,when they are not intended for dancing,may contain

The example Koch uses to build the extended form is a bourr&e; it

17 Koch, op. cit., III, 130.

The original period in Example 5 is a typical eight-measuredance

the melodic material,forreasonsgiven

Such a descriptioncould well be applied to a Haydn symphony.More-

The interplayof motifswas consideredone of the great accomplish-

We had our concertyesterday. Marchandperformed the concertoin D

AlthoughKoch, in Rudolstadt,was many miles away fromMozart

Mozart,in Vienna,has publishedsix quartetsfortwoviolins,viola,and

In the final chapters of his third volume, Koch describes the

Underthe title,MechanicalRules of Melody,the secondsectionof the

It may be added that the work is no better known today than in

SF. J. Fitis, BiographieUniverselle,

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