Analyzing Classical Form builds upon the foundations of the author’s critically acclaimed Classical Form by offering an approach to the analysis of musical form that is especially suited for classroom use.
Analyzing Classical Form presents the most up-to-date version of the author’s “theory of formal functions.” Students will learn how to make complete harmonic and formal analyses of music drawn from the instrumental works of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven.
Part 1 introduces the principal theme types of classical instrumental music; part 2 provides a methodology for analyzing sonata form, the most important formal type in this style period; and part 3 considers other full-movement forms found in this repertory (such as minuet, rondo, and concerto). The chapters are organized in a way that presents the most basic materials upfront and then leads the student through more details and finer points of theory. A companion website hosted by the author at music.mcgill.ca/acf/ provides audio and musical scores for all of the examples in the book.