Classical Music Genres: Sonata, Symphony, Concerto & Cadence

Musical Genres of the Classical Period

Musical genres: For the Classical period there was encouragement for public concerts and private salons. The simplification of harmony and the pursuit of functional balance are reflected in the most important instrumental genres in music history: the sonata, symphony and concerto.

The Sonata

The sonata is a composition for one or two instruments. Sonatas were developed in three or four different movements differentiated by tempo. The first movement typically uses sonata form, which contains two contrasting themes and a development section that transforms and combines those themes.

The Symphony

The symphony is a composition for orchestra; its first movement often follows the pattern of sonata form. Historically, the term "symphony" or "overture" could refer to a musical piece that served as a prelude to larger works, particularly opera.

The Concerto

The concerto of the Classical period maintains a structure similar to the Classical sonata and typically has three movements. The typical sequence of movements includes: a fast movement in sonata form, a slow lyrical movement (often song-like), and a final movement in rondo or sonata-rondo form.

Famous Composers of the Period

Some famous composers of this period are: Franz Joseph Haydn (1732–1809), Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791), Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714–1788), Luigi Boccherini (1743–1805), Vicente Martín y Soler (1754–1806), and, in full transition toward Romanticism, Ludwig van Beethoven.

Periods and Cadences

The period and its subdivisions: A period is a part of a musical work with relative independence and an internal melodic and harmonic structure. Periods can be symmetric (often called "square") or asymmetric. Square (symmetric) periods have subdivisions or phrases of equal length, which is common in Classical instrumental music. Asymmetric periods occur when a subdivision does not have the same number of measures as the others. The major subdivisions of a period are the phrases and subphrases (semiphrases).

Cadences and musical punctuation

The cadences: Cadences occur between periods and phrases and serve as musical links or punctuation. Cadences function similarly to commas and full stops in language: they mark the ends of units and give a sense of rest or continuation. Cadences are foundational elements that support periods, sections, and any of their subdivisions. They can be broadly grouped into conclusive and suspensive (or incomplete) types.

Conclusive Cadences (authentic and plagal)

The conclusive cadences occur at the end of a phrase or section and give a sense of finality. The two main types are:

• Authentic (perfect) cadence: a progression that firmly confirms the tonic.
• Plagal cadence: a cadence commonly moving from the subdominant to the tonic (often described as an "Amen" cadence).

Precedent Cadences (half and deceptive)

Precedent or suspensive cadences occur within subdivisions of a phrase and do not provide full finality; they create expectation. These can include:

• Half (imperfect) cadence: an inconclusive cadence that typically ends on the dominant and prepares continuation.
• Deceptive (broken) cadence: a cadence that leads away from the expected tonic resolution, creating surprise or suspension.