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What is a Rondo?

Mary Elizabeth
Mary Elizabeth
Mary Elizabeth
Mary Elizabeth

The term rondo usually refers to the Classical rondo, which is a form for a movement within a larger musical work. It is characterized by a main section that is used both to begin and end the movement and is repeated alternately with one or more other contrasting sections. It is often ABABA, ABACA, or ABACABA.

The rondo had its roots in the 17th century French rondeau as practiced by Jean Baptiste Lully, François Couperin, and Jean Philippe Rameau. Lully developed the rondeau in the genres of opera and ballet, while Couperin focused on it for harpsichord. Rameau — also focusing on harpsichord works — both standardized the form, as well as developing a ternary version that is represented ABA CDC ABA.

Beethoven used a sonato-rondo in many of his compositions.
Beethoven used a sonato-rondo in many of his compositions.

In the Classical period, the rondo came to be used in the second movement or finale of a larger composition, such as a sonata or serenade. In concertos, it was the standard choice of form for the finale. A variation that combined it with aspects of the sonata form and came to be called the sonata-rondo also made its appearance during this time.

After beginning to use the form in the 1770s, Franz Josef Haydn used rondos in his piano trios, string quartets, and symphonies. An example is the “Gypsy Rondo” from Haydn’s Piano Trio in G. Mozart used one as the final movement in his serenade “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik,” as well as in a number of concertos. His “Rondo Alla Turca” caps off his Piano Sonata 11, and Figaro’s rondo “Non più andrai” ends Act I of the opera Le Nozze di Figaro, The Marriage of Figaro in English. Beethoven uses the sonata-rondo in such wide-ranging works as his First Symphony, the Piano Sonata in C minor, Op. 13, “Pathetique,” and “Rondo à Capriccio” Op. 129 in G Major, “Rage Over a Lost Penny.”

The rondo also came to be used as a separate form. Examples include Frederic Chopin’s first published work, his Op. 1, Franz Liszt’s Rondeau fantastique, and Felix Mendelssohn’s Rondo capriccioso for piano, op. 14.

As time passed, the use of the rondo lessened. Nevertheless, one can still find examples in the late 19th as well as the 20th century, for example, Gustav Mahler’s Fifth Symphony, Bela Bartók’s “Three Rondos on Folktunes,” Igor Stravinsky’s Concerto in D for Strings, and Richard Strauss’s Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche nach alter Schelmenweise, in Rondeau form — called Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks, after the Old Rogue’s Tale, Set in Rondo Form, in English.

Mary Elizabeth
Mary Elizabeth

Mary Elizabeth is passionate about reading, writing, and research, and has a penchant for correcting misinformation on the Internet. In addition to contributing articles to MusicalExpert about art, literature, and music, Mary Elizabeth is a teacher, composer, and author. She has a B.A. from the University of Chicago’s writing program and an M.A. from the University of Vermont, and she has written books, study guides, and teacher materials on language and literature, as well as music composition content for Sibelius Software.

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Mary Elizabeth
Mary Elizabeth

Mary Elizabeth is passionate about reading, writing, and research, and has a penchant for correcting misinformation on the Internet. In addition to contributing articles to MusicalExpert about art, literature, and music, Mary Elizabeth is a teacher, composer, and author. She has a B.A. from the University of Chicago’s writing program and an M.A. from the University of Vermont, and she has written books, study guides, and teacher materials on language and literature, as well as music composition content for Sibelius Software.

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Discussion Comments

pleonasm

@croydon - I disagree. I think that knowing more about music makes me enjoy it more. Take the rondo for example. If someone used a rondo in their music composition, they would almost be saying something extra with their choice. Beyond the fact that it sounds good, they are linking it to classical music and previous composers.

I like having that kind of depth to my knowledge of music. It's like being able to read a book and know that the author is purposefully using foreshadowing, or whatever else, in order to build suspense. I can still feel the suspense, but I can also admire the work more on a technical level.

Plus, there's nothing better than being able to make your own music to add to the beauty of the world. So there is that aspect to learning more about it as well.

croydon

@MrsPramm - It's for that reason that I don't really want to learn how to play an instrument, or study the theory of music. I like being able to get swept up in the beauty of it all.

I wouldn't like to know whether someone is using a rondo, or whatever in their composition. I don't want to be analyzing the music while I listen to it, and thinking about how maybe they should have used this kind of technique instead of that kind of technique.

I just want to enjoy it without all of that.

MrsPramm

I find it quite fascinating how many different aspects there are to music. While I might be just listening to it, enjoying it because it sounds good, someone else might be listening to it and picking out that the musician is making the music with a rondo or some other kind of technique.

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    • Beethoven used a sonato-rondo in many of his compositions.
      By: Georgios Kollidas
      Beethoven used a sonato-rondo in many of his compositions.