Form in the Classical era

In the Classical era, form was of paramount importance in music. This was a scientific era, and the theory of music also developed. Genres such as the symphony and the concerto, and more generally the structural principle known as the sonata form, acquired their modern shape. In the shaping of melodies, principal and secondary subjects had their own ideal forms. Perfection of form was associated with beauty in this age of reason, and this approach manifested itself in all culture.