Lecture 14. Ostinato Form in the Music of Purcell, Pachelbel, Elton John and Vitamin C

Listening to Music (MUSI 112)

This lecture begins with a review of all the musical forms previously discussed in class: sonata-allegro, rondo, theme and variations, and fugue. Professor Wright then moves on to discuss the final form that will be taught before the students' next exam: ostinato. With the aid of music by Pachelbel, Purcell, and a few popular artists, Professor Wright shows the multitude of ways in which the ostinato bass has been used throughout the past several centuries.

00:00 - Chapter 1. Review of Musical Forms
05:19 - Chapter 2. Multiple Themes within Beethoven's Third Symphony
22:57 - Chapter 3. The Ostinato Form in Purcell's Opera
42:12 - Chapter 4. The Pachelbel Canon and Conclusion

Complete course materials are available at the Yale Online website: online.yale.edu


This course was recorded in Fall 2008.