Ratner, Leonard. Classic Music. Chapter 3: Peridoicity
I. Periodicity (clear and direct sense of arrival; the tendency of classic music to move toward goals.)
A. The Period (adapted from 18th century rhetoric — entire statement terminated by a point of punctuation [cadence] )
1. Firmness of basic features (solid opening, continuation, and conclusive ending)
2. Flexibility (in length and internal arrangement)
3. Adaptability (too typical 18th century musical procedures)
4. Definition of the period not stabilized immediately
a. Sulzer, 1771-74
b. Koch, 1802
B. Cadences
1. Authentic - conclusion of period
2. Half - interruption of movement, comma or semicolon
3. Deceptive - question, delay or digression
4. Inconclusive (tonic or dominant inverted) - signal for further action
5. Cadences defined differently by separate 18th century theorists
a. Antoniotto, 1760
b. Riepel, 1755
c. Rousseau, 1768
d. Rameau, 1722
C. Symmetry
1. Phrase and Period structure – balanced members and regular articulation
a. Grouping of short phrases (2,3,4 mm.) clearly articulated by lesser points of punctuation
b. Complemented by arrangements of melodic figures, rhythms, harmonic progressions
c. Paired statements felt as units (2+2, 4+4 mm. Groups)
d. Influenced by dance and poetry
2. Theorists discuss symmetrical relationships
a. Chastellux, 1765
b. Daube, 1773
c. Mattheson, 1739
d. Riepel, 1752
e. Marurg, 1761
3. Periodic Structure
a. Sentence, 4-16 mm.
b. Precise hierarchical arrangements among cadences
i. Divided in the middle by a half cadence, or light authentic
ii. Ended with strong authentic cadence
iii. Each phrase incorporated lighter points of punctuation
c. Two phrases defined by theorists
i. "subject and predicate" - Koch, 1787
ii. "antecedent and consequent" - Jones, 1784
iii. "question and answer" - Portmann, 1789
d. Most effective when complementary members are short
i. Weber, 1830 warned against carrying symmetry too far
4. Figures organized within periodic structure
a. sequences, etc.
D. Disturbances of Symmetry; Period Extensions
1. Disturbances are necessary to give the final measure metric weight
a. for example the 8-bar period: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
2. Disturbances within the normal pattern
a. Compression of Action
i. Additional bar (final cadence in measure 9)
b. Acceleration of harmonic pacing in penultimate bar
c. Elision with next phrase
b. Rearrangement of Functions [displacement of cadences]
i. 3 basic functions: opening, continuation, and completion
3. Irregular phrase lengths
a. Deviations from the 8-bar norm for small pieces
i. 3 mm. Phrases
ii. 5 mm. Phrases
iii. 6 mm. Periods (often in the polonaise)
iv. 10 mm. Periods
v. 12 mm. Periods
b. Theorists who dealt extensively with such irregularities
i. Riepel, 1752, 1755
ii. Koch, 1787, 1793
iii. Reicha, 1814
c. Haydn was fond of beginning a period with an odd number of measures
d. Extensions (added phrases, deceptive or inconclusive cadences, melodic action at the cadence point, internal digressions or extensions, and reinforcement of the cadence)