mood, they produce a very beautiful and
excellent effect, but the close of the sonata is very difficult to
treat satisfactorily.

In the Liszt selections at the close of the last program are two pieces
very seldom played--an eclogue and "At the Fountain." Both these
require delicate playing rather than extremely brilliant, and both are
rather difficult, without making a show proportionate to the difficulty
of performing them. They are, however, very musical and pleasing. The
whole ends with "The Erl King" of Schubert.

CHAPTER XII.

CONCERNING THE TYPICAL MUSICAL FORMS.

By form in music is meant the general plan in accordance with which the
ideas composing the piece are arranged; that is to say, if the piece be
a short melody of one period, there will be one phrase which is
repeated at least twice, and two other phrases which are not exactly
alike. In an ordinary simple melody the first phrase has the general
character of proposing a subject or of stating a proposition, and the
second phrase has the general character of answering that subject, or,
in musical parlance, it forms a counter-theme, but as a rule does not
fully complete itself on the original key. The third phrase is very
often quite the same as the first; thus the original proposition is
repeated and emphasized, and the fourth phrase completely answers it
and ends upon the principal key. A period of this type is known as a
"lyric" form, and this is the general type of all simple melodies.

There is a period of quite a different type, sometimes called
"thematic," in which, in place of a single idea extending throughout
the first phrase, we have a short idea, or motive, which is repeated or
modified in one way or another a sufficient number of times to fill up
the rhythm proper to the first phrase of the simple period--viz., two
measures. Occasionally, the development of this motive is carried
through the first two phrases of the piece, or four measures; after
which it is answered by a counter-theme or new material, bringing the
whole period to an end on its own or some other key. This type of
construction is very common in Schumann's works, and striking examples
of it are found in the first period of the Novelette in E major, the
first "Kreisleriana," the first period of the "Aufsschwung," and in
many other places. Up to this point we might make a scheme of the
period forms as follows: Letting _a_ represent the first subject
unchanged, _a