Musta tausta

Melody in the Classical era

Forms and themes.

In the Classical era, melodies followed current ideals of form. The notion of balance and contrast led to the use of contrasting themes, or subjects, in a pattern that became established practice in the writing of works in genres such as sonataconcerto and symphony. In their purest form, themes were shaped in two halves of 8 bars each: the first half was rising (question) and the second half descending (answer).

Elements of music
Musical eras