Rondo

RONDO

RONDO: a composition with a recurring refrain separated by digressions (also called episodes, diversions or couplets. Customarily light in mood, quick in tempo.
Rondeau, an early rondo of smaller proportions than later examples of genre.
Components: introduction (opt), rondo theme, digression(s), transition, retransition, codetta (opt), coda (opt).
Compound rondo (where theme is binary or ternary form), or a Da Capo form with two trios.
Linking or connecting passages:

transition
a connecting passage that modulates,
retransition;
a connecting Ępassage which leads to the refrain and modulates to the home key
episode
a connecting passage that provides a diversion but does not modulate.

Sample Patterns

A B A C A D A B' A [Mozart, Sonata K. 281, finale]
A B A C A B' - (trans) [ibid Sonata K. 310, finale]
A B C A D A - (A) [Haydn, Trio in G ma, finale, "Rondo all' Ongarese"]
A B A C A D A - (BCDA) [Beethoven, Violin Sonata, No. 4, op. 23, finale]
A B A C D A E A B' - (A) [Mozart, Rondo, K. 494]
A B A B' A - (trans and new) [Mozart, Sonata, K. 457, finale]

A-B-A-C-A (Five-Part Song Form)

A -- B -- A -- C -- A -- B -- A
I --- V -- I -- "x" -- I --- I -- I
"x" is i, iii, IV, or vi in major -- I, iv, or VI in minor.

SONATA-RONDO

The sonata-rondo is a hybrid form that combines characteristics of the sonata allegro and the rondo.

|| A B A || C || A B A ||

|| T R T || R || T T T ||

Sonata Rondo: R is usually i, iii, IV, or vi in major -- I, iv, or VI in minor. Part C is the same length as A-B-A combined. May be derived from Parts A or B. May have a coda. A-B-A usually forms a cohesive structure like a rounded binary.

B is in V or relative key.
Last A can be abbreviated
C can be developmental quoting thematic material from A and B.
C can be a contrasting thematic section.
The form can utilize formal blocks such as introduction, transition, retransition, closing section, coda, codetta.

A transition takes the music away from the original key, a retransition brings the music back to the original key.

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