Building on ideas first advanced by Arnold Schoenberg and later developed by Erwin Ratz, this book introduces a new theory of form for instrumental music in the classical style. The theory provides a broad set of principles and a comprehensive methodology for the analysis of classical form, from individual ideas, phrases, and themes to the large-scale organization of complete movements. It emphasizes the notion of formal function, that is, the specific role a given formal unit plays in the structural organization of a classical work.
Reviews
This ambitious book offers nothing less than a new theory of form for the music of the Classical period ... In its combination of scholarship, musicality and sheer common sense, Caplan's Classical Form is a major achievement by any standards ... it should be read by anybody who teaches, studies or writes about this music. * Music and Letters *



Book Information
ISBN 9780195143997
Author William E. Caplin
Format Paperback
Page Count 320
Imprint Oxford University Press Inc
Publisher Oxford University Press Inc
Weight(grams) 721g
Dimensions(mm) 210mm * 279mm * 17mm