an extended work, sometimes in separated movements or sections, where the opening musical statement (theme) is subjected to development (variations)
Theme and variations
Related Dictionary Terms
Theme
Shared keywords
a group of notes, also called a melody, that will form the basis for a work that includes the theme's repetition and/or devel…
Finale
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Italian
the final section of an extended work with several movements or sections
Open form
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a work in which the performer decides which order to play the material, where to start and where to stop
Thematic catalogue
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the classification of music under headings which include the opening notes of the composition and/or the notes of the main th…
Thematic development
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the compositional process by which a theme is transformed by modifying its melodic outline, its harmony, or its rhythm
Total serialism
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complex, totally controlled music where the twelve tone principle is extended to elements of music other than pitch, for exam…
Symphony
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an extended piece for full orchestra, usually serious in nature and in several movements
Strain
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a series of contrasting sections found in rags and marches, often in duple meter with sixteen measure themes or sections