Chapter 9

CHAPTER V

THE TWO-PART AND

THREE-PART FORMS

Now that a clear insight has been gained into the formation of
the normal sentence, we are in a position to understand how sen-
tences may be combined to make complete compositions. The
simplest and most primitive structure is that which contains
twocomplete sentences; dividing itself naturally intotwoparts
and hence known as the Two-Part Form. This form by reason
of its simplicity and directness is often found in the short pi-
anoforte pieces of Schumann, Tchaikowsky, Brahms, Grieg and
Debussy. For a long period there was no attempt at differen-
tiation between vocal and instrumental style; music, in fact,
during the 15th and 16th centuries was often entitled “buon da
cantare ou suonare,” i.e., equally well suited for voices or in-
struments. When instrumental players were in search of pieces,
they simply transferred to their instruments the voice-parts of
the Madrigals and Canzonas which were then so fashionable.[63]
With the development of instruments—especially of the Vio-
lin family—and with the desire for an instrumental style which
should be independent of words, principles of coherent design
had to be evolved; and they were suggested by the definite
metre in the stanzas of the Folk-song and, above all, by the
symmetrical phrases of the Folk-dance, used to accompany the
rhythmicalmotions of the body. By a utilization of these prin-