Thematic Function

Initiating Functions
1. Presentation
Presentation function comes at the beginning of a theme or phrase. It involves the establishment of the primary
melodic material (usually through the use of one or more statements of a basic idea) and the establishment of
the tonality of the theme (usually through tonic prolongation).
2. Antecedent
Antecedent function comes at the beginning of a theme or phrase. It involves the statement of a basic
idea followed by a contrasting idea. An antecedent should close with a weak cadence, usually a HC or IAC.
Medial Functions
1. Continuation
Continuation function comes in the middle of a phrase or theme. It typically involves the breakdown of the
primary melodic material and harmonic acceleration towards the cadence.
Following are important terms/concepts associated with continuation function. Not all need be present for
a passage to express continuation function, but some should be.
 Fragmentation – Breaking the melodic unit into smaller chunks (for example, following two-bar basic
ideas in the presentation with one-bar melodic ideas). Note: fragmentation references the breakdown of
the size of the units. Those units are not necessarily related melodically.
 Liquidation – Gradually replacing the characteristic or unique parts of a melody with conventional or
common elements.
 Sequential repetition – Repeating the same melodic or harmonic element two or three times, transposed
to different pitch levels. This is often used in conjunction with fragmentation.
 Acceleration of melodic rhythm – Changing from predominately quarter notes and eighth notes in the
melody to predominately eighth notes and sixteenth notes, for example.
 Acceleration of harmonic rhythm – Chord changes coming more frequently (changing from one chord
per bar to two chords per bar, for example).
Closing Functions
1. Cadential
Cadential function comes at the end of a theme or phrase. It typically involves a cadential harmonic
progression and a conventional, descending melodic pattern.
A classical cadential progression begins with the last chord of tonic prolongation and ends with a cadential
arrival. The three typical types of cadential arrival in Classical music are the perfect authentic cadence (PAC),
the imperfect authentic cadence (IAC), and the half cadence (HC).
A half-cadential progression will begin with the final T chord, progress (optionally) through S, and
arrive on a cadential D chord (always D5): T__ (S__) D5
An authentic-cadential progression will begin with the final T chord, progress (optionally) through S,
and end with the cadential D T progression (always D5 T1): T_ (S_) D5 T1
2. Consequent
Consequent function resembles antecedent function in that it involves the presentation of a basic idea followed
by a contrasting one. Unlike the antecedent function, however, consequent function brings completion to a
thematic unit. Therefore, it ends with a strong cadence, typically a PAC.
## General notes ## Just as there is exactly one progression through **T (S) D T** for every cadence in
classical music, there is exactly one progression through **presentation – continuation – cadential**
functions for every cadence in classical music. None of these functions are optional; all must be present in
a normative formal progression.-->