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Alternatives to Symphony Music

Classical music has several alternatives to symphony music. Different forms exist so composers can focus their ideas in the proper musical form. While symphony music is one of the highest forms in the classical style, the other styles are still widely used. These smaller forms make it possible to create different types of music and express original musical ideas.
  1. Suite

    • A suite is a collection of pieces related by a central theme or idea. Suites can be a collection of songs that deal with a specific topic such as Gustav Holst's "The Planets." Each movement deals with a different planet and tries to create a musical depiction of astrological elements related to the respective planet. Suites are generally more programmatic in nature and deal with specific story lines and events.

    Fugue

    • Fugues are a remnant from the Baroque period of music. The composer creates a main idea and then plays with the idea throughout the piece. In a fugue, the main idea repeats at a higher interval and then breaks up into smaller musical ideas. The piece then goes through a transition, a development section in which the music goes through several keys and then finally, a return to the initial idea.

    Sonata

    • A sonata is similar to a symphony, but it doesn't require unifying themes throughout the piece to hold the work together. In a sonata, there are typically four movements, although three movement sonatas are also common. Each movement has a related key and may deal with different musical subjects. A form commonly mistaken with the sonata is the sonata-allegro form in which the piece has several parts, including an exposition, development and recapitulation.

    Concerto

    • A concerto is a musical work played with an orchestra and a soloist. Traditionally, the soloist played with an orchestra to qualify as a concerto but in modern music, that distinction has somewhat faded. There are now concertos that use the piano instead of the orchestra; however, the basic concept of a concerto involves the use of a solo instrument and some sort of background ensemble.

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