Development
Definition. The middle section of a sonata-form movement, where themes are manipulated and explored.
Detailed Explanation
The development is the middle section of a sonata-form movement. Its function is to develop — manipulate, fragment, recombine, modulate — the themes presented in the exposition. The development typically explores remote keys, breaks themes into fragments, sets fragments against each other in counterpoint, and builds toward the climactic moment of recapitulation.
The development is the most experimental and dramatic part of sonata form. While the exposition presents themes and the recapitulation reaffirms them, the development is where the music goes on a journey — through unexpected keys, through textural transformations, through dramatic confrontations. Beethoven’s developments are particularly famous for their length and intensity.
The close of the development — the moment of return to the home key for the recapitulation — is typically marked by a passage of harmonic tension building to a release. The skill of the composer is most evident in how the development unfolds and how it leads back to the recapitulation.
Etymology
English, ‘unfolding’, from Old French desveloper (‘to unwrap, develop’).
In Practice
Treat development passages as exploratory. Themes are fragmented and recombined; the music feels less stable than in the exposition. Embrace the harmonic instability; it is part of the form’s drama.
Notable Examples
- Beethoven — Symphonies and sonatas (model dramatic developments)
- Brahms — Symphonies (dense, contrapuntal developments)
Related Terms
Opposite Of
Frequently Asked Questions
O que significa Development em música?
The middle section of a sonata-form movement, where themes are manipulated and explored.
De onde vem a palavra Development?
English, ‘unfolding’, from Old French desveloper (‘to unwrap, develop’).
Como se executa Development na prática?
Treat development passages as exploratory. Themes are fragmented and recombined; the music feels less stable than in the exposition. Embrace the harmonic instability; it is part of the form’s drama.
Que termos musicais estão relacionados com Development?
Termos relacionados: Exposition, Recapitulation, Theme, Variation.
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