Part Iii

The recurrence and corroboration of the original statement;

the reproduction of Part I, and therewith the fulfilment of the

important principle of return and confirmation. The reproduction is

sometimes exact and complete; sometimes slight changes, or even

striking variations, possibly certain radical alterations, occur;

sometimes it is only a partial recurrence, the first few measures being

sufficient to prove the Ret rn; sometimes, on the other hand,

considerable material (more or less related) is added, so that Part III

is longer than the First Part.



From this it appears that much latitude is given to the composer, in

his formulation of the Third Part. All that the Part has to prove, is

its identity as confirmation of the leading motive, and this it may do

in many ways, and with great freedom of detail, without obscuring the

main purpose. It is precisely this richness of opportunity, this

freedom of detail, which enhances the beauty and value of the

tripartite forms.



The following is a very regular example of the Three-Part Song-form

(Schumann, op. 68, No. 20):--





This version is as complete as it can conveniently be made upon one

single staff (chosen in order to economize space); but the student will

find the formal design somewhat more plastically defined in the

original, complete form, and he is therefore expected to refer to the

latter. Part I is an unusually regular double-period, with three

semicadences and a strong perfect cadence, on the original tonic, to

mark its conclusion; the double-bar is an additional confirmation of

the end of the Part. The second Part runs in the key of E major (the

dominant of the original key) throughout; its form is only a phrase,

but repeated,--as is proven by the almost literal agreement of the

second phrase with the preceding one, cadence and all. Part III

agrees literally with Part I in its melodic formation, but differs a

little in the treatment of the lower (accompanying) voices.



In the theme of Mendelssohn's pianoforte Variations in E-flat major

(op. 82), which see, the design is as follows:--Part I is a period of

eight measures. Part II is also an 8-measure period, ending upon the

tonic chord of B-flat major (the dominant key), as first eighth-note of

the 16th measure; the following eighth-note, b-natural, represents what

we have called the Retransition (in its smallest conceivable form), as

it fulfils no other purpose than that of leading back into the first

tone of the First Part. Part III is only a phrase, and therefore

shorter than Part I; but it corroborates the beginning, and, in fact,

the entire contents of the First Part.



The plan of Mendelssohn's 28th Song Without Words is as follows:--First

number the 38 measures, carefully. The first four measures are an

introductory phrase, or pr?lude; Part I begins in the second half of

measure 4 (after the double-bar) and extends, as regular 8-measure

period, to measure 12. Part II follows, during the same measure; its

form is a period, extending to measure 20, and closing with a very

distinctly marked semicadence on the dominant chord (chord of D). Part

III is 14 measures long, containing therefore six more measures than

the First Part; its first phrase is almost exactly like the first

phrase of Part I; its second phrase (measures 25-28) differs from any

portion of Part I, but closely resembles the melodic formation of Part

II; its third phrase is based upon the preceding one (not as

repetition, however), and is expanded to the 34th measure. The form of

Part III is phrase-group. The last four measures are codetta, or

postlude, and corroborate the pr?lude.



For exhaustive technical details of the Three-Part Song-form, see the

HOMOPHOBIC FORMS, Chapters 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15.