thumb|Title page of [[Franz Rigler's "Three Rondos" (1790)]]

thumb|First page of the manuscript for [[Mozart's Adagio and Rondo for glass harmonica, flute, oboe, viola and cello]]

The rondo or rondeau is a musical form that contains a principal theme (sometimes called the "refrain") which alternates with one or more contrasting themes (generally called "episodes", but also referred to as "digressions" or "couplets"). Some possible patterns include: ABACA, ABACAB, ABACBA, or ABACABA (with the letter 'A' representing the refrain).

The rondo form emerged in the Baroque period and became increasingly popular during the Classical period. The earliest examples of compositions employing rondo form are found within Italian operatic arias and choruses from the first years of the 17th century. Today the word rondo is widely used in the English language to refer to any musical work, vocal or instrumental, containing a principal theme which alternates with one or more contrasting themes. However, some English and German speaking composers have also adopted the term rondeau over the term rondo to refer to their compositions utilizing this form; particularly when writing in a French compositional style.

In France, the word rondeau was first used in the Medieval and Renaissance periods to refer to the 'forme fixe rondeau; a type of poetic and chanson form extant to France in the late 13th through 15th centuries. It originally developed as monophonic music (in the 13th century) and then as polyphonic music (in the 14th century). It disappeared from the repertoire by the beginning of the 16th century. Along with the formes fixes ballade and virelai, the forme fixe rondeau was limited to only vocal music due to its use within the specific context of French language poetry.

Definition and historical development

{| class="wikitable floatright" style="text-align: center;"

|+ Typical tonal structure of classical seven-part rondo, late 18th and early 19th centuries

|-

! scope="col" |  

! scope="col" | A

! scope="col" | B

! scope="col" | A

! scope="col" | C

! scope="col" | A

! scope="col" | B'

! scope="col" | A

|-

! scope="row" | Major key

| I || V || I || VI, IV or<br />parallel minor || I || I || I

|-

! scope="row" | Minor key

| I || III<br />or V || I || VI or IV || I || I || I

|}

In rondo form, a principal theme (sometimes called the "refrain") alternates with one or more contrasting themes, generally called "episodes", but also occasionally referred to as "digressions" or "couplets". Possible patterns include: ABACA, ABACAB, ABACBA, or ABACABA. The "ABACA" is often referred as "five-part rondo", the "ABACAB" and "ABACBA" are sometimes called "six-part rondo", and the ABACABA is commonly known as "seven-part rondo". The number of themes can vary from piece to piece, and the recurring element is sometimes embellished and/or shortened in order to provide for variation. Perhaps the best-known example of rondo form is Beethoven's "Für Elise", an ABACA rondo.

Origins in Italian opera

Writers on the origin of the rondo form have made connections to the use and development of ritornello in early Italian opera at the very end of the 16th century and early 17th century. With the advent of opera in Italy in the very last years of the 16th century, ritornello form continued to develop specifically within the structure of the aria and opera chorus. Ritornello form was used in instrumental preludes, interludes or postludes (or any combination of these) within the aria and opera chorus; most frequently in the context of opera arias but also in 17th century sacred works such as vocal arias and choruses within oratorios and cantatas. Only 100 years later at the beginning of the 18th century was the ritornello technique transferred to the concerto;

References

Sources

  • Rondo form in traditional marches from Limoux' carnival
  • , from Nouvelle Chaconne in E minor by Pierre-Montan Berton, , Reinhard Goebel conducting