Structure of the Medieval Formes Fixes and the Italian Ballata
These 14th-century song
forms were based on the clever alternation of two ideas ("A" and
"B"):
- "A" is the first melodic idea with its original words;
"a" is the original melodic idea with new words.
- "B" is the second melodic idea with its original words;
"b" is the second melodic idea with new words.
- The numbers (1. 2. 3. etc.)
are the numbers shown at the start of each line in a musical score.
The Three French Formes Fixes:
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Ballade (AaB)
A
B
1. First
melodic idea (with original words) A
2. First melodic idea (with new words) a
3. Second melodic idea (with original words) B
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Virelai (ABbaA)
A
B
1. First
melodic idea (with original words) A
2. Second melodic idea (with original
words) B
3. Second
melodic idea (with new words) b
4. First melodic idea (with new words) a
5. First
melodic idea (with original words) A
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Rondeau (ABaAabAB)
A
B
1. First
melodic idea (with original words) A
2. Second melodic idea (with original
words) B
3. First melodic idea (with new words) a
4. First
melodic idea (with original words) A
5. First melodic idea (with new words) a
6. Second
melodic idea (with new words) b
7. First
melodic idea (with original words) A
8. Second melodic idea (with original
words) B
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The Italian Ballata (ABbaA)
A
B
1. First
melodic idea (with original words) A [ripreza]
2. Second melodic idea (with original
words) B [piedi]
3. Second
melodic idea (with new words) b [piedi]
4. First melodic idea (with new words) a [volta]
5. First
melodic idea (with original words) A [ripreza]
Note: The
Italian ballata has the same basic ABbaA design as a French virelai,
but
1) the text is Italian instead of French,
2) a ballata is strophic
(it has several verses)
and successive verses have an interlocking design in which the last
"A" of the previous verse
is also the first "A" of the new verse
3) ballatas have special poetic
labels for each musical line (ripreza, piedi, volta)