Rondo (from the French for “circle”) is one of the oldest and most pleasant forms. The listener repeatedly hears a familiar refrain, inviting the joy of recognition, and between them come fresh, contrasting episodes.
Rondo is often used in the finales of sonatas and symphonies — a cheerful, concluding form. Mozart wrote countless charming rondos for piano (Rondo in A minor); Beethoven closed his famous Pathétique Sonata with one; and Ravel created Boléro — in essence a gigantic rondo with a single repeating motif.
The classical rondo scheme is denoted A–B–A–C–A, where A is the unchanging refrain and B and C are contrasting episodes. A particularly refined variety is the sonata-rondo, which combines the recurrence of the refrain with the tonal drama of sonata form. Thanks to its cheerful, accessible character, the rondo has for centuries remained a favourite form for finales and standalone pieces — from the classics to light, “salon” music.
