- Learn about different types of compositions
- Explore terms used in classical music
- Discover how musicians are grouped for different compositions
- Also, check out our post on what articulation is in music!
Have you recently listened to an excellent classical
- Learn about different types of compositions
- Explore terms used in classical music
- Discover how musicians are grouped for different compositions
- Also, check out our post on what articulation is in music!
Have you recently listened to an excellent classical music composition and are interested in learning more? Do you want to discover more types of compositions you might enjoy? You may want to expand your playlist or apply new information to your own compositions.
You may have noticed certain words used in different titles of classical compositions. It can be intimidating at first if you are unfamiliar with the terms.
There are centuries of amazing pieces of music out there that you may enjoy or help you take the next step in your journey. We are here to help!
Types Of Compositions
Types of compositions can generally break down into three categories based on the number of musicians that play the music and several other factors we will explore.
From here, each category can get more detailed with different types of compositions, styles, and other characteristics.
The three categories are:
- Solo Compositions – one primary performer (possibly with an accompaniment)
- Chamber Music/Small Ensembles
- Large Ensembles (i.e., orchestral)
Next, we will go more in-depth with specific types of compositions and how they fall into these three categories.
The following sections will explain more about different types of solo compositions, chamber music compositions, and compositions for large ensembles such as orchestral music.
First up, solo compositions can be for a single instrument or singer but oftentimes have an accompaniment such as a piano.
The piano could also be a solo instrument; solo piano compositions do not typically need a second instrument to accompany them.
The gray area with solo compositions is that sometimes solos can appear in pieces of music with more players and may not be the primary focus of the composition. To clarify differences, let’s explain how that can work in different pieces of music.
A violin can play an unaccompanied solo, such as the Chaconne movement from Johann Sebastian Bach’s Violin Partita No. 2 in D minor. Bach also has an entire collection of unaccompanied Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin.
Unaccompanied solos are often reserved for instruments that can provide harmony or additional supporting music to the main melody, such as a piano or classical guitar.
Bach composed the example above to push the boundaries of the solo instrument, writing “double stops” to create harmony and implying chord progressions using arpeggios.
A violin (or any instrument) can also be featured in a composition such as a Sonata or Concerto, with either a single accompanying instrument or a larger group of musicians such as an orchestra.
For example, let’s use Alexander Glazunov’s Concerto for Alto Saxophone and String Orchestra. In the first video, Joseph Lulloff performs with the Brevard Music Center Orchestra in Brevard, North Carolina.
In this second video, Marcel Mule plays the same music composition along with a piano accompaniment but not with the string orchestra. In this context, the piano player reduces the original string score to cover parts.
In both versions, the concerto features the saxophone, which was relatively new when it was written. Composers often use Sonatas and Concertos to feature the solo instrument.
Other examples of common solo compositions that you might see are:
- Etudes– usually shorter compositions, often used for purposes.
- Ballades– made popular for piano by Frederic Chopin in the Romantic time period.
- Fantasies– less structured and rigid than some other musical forms as the performer can improvise to a degree. It can also be in a larger group setting.
- Fugues– can be for solo organ, piano, guitar, or for a group of musicians to perform together. Fugues use counterpoint where different parts overlap, making the music sound conversational.
Chamber Music/Small Ensembles
Chamber music has been around for hundreds of years. It is music originally written for a smaller group of musicians to perform in someone’s home during events.
During the Renaissance period, musical instruments were grouped in “consorts,” which were types of instrument families. Instruments from these consorts would perform for parties or other types of gatherings in upper-class homes of aristocratic families.
The type of music evolved over time to include different types of instruments and different combinations. Today, many music publishers now release flexible arrangements of pieces to play on various mixed instrument groups.
This occurs more in lower-grade level music for educational purposes, but the trend is still prevalent.
Below you will see common musical groupings that can perform chamber music or small ensemble music.
A duet is when two musicians both have soloistic-type parts. Duets are different from solos with accompaniment since both parts share equal importance to the composition. Part one is usually higher than part two.
Here is Flower Duet for two flutes and piano by Lakmé, performed by Gina Luciani, Laurel Ann Maurer, and Jed Mos