A typical codetta concludes the exposition and recapitulation sections of a work in sonata form, following the second ( modulated) theme, or the closing theme (if there is one). CodettaĬodetta ( Italian for "little tail," the diminutive form) has a similar purpose to the coda, but on a smaller scale, concluding a section of a work instead of the work as a whole. Thus, the cauda provided a conclusionary role, also similar to the modern coda. Conducti were traditionally divided into two groups, conductus cum cauda and conductus sine cauda ( Latin: "conductus with cauda", "conductus without cauda"), based on the presence of the melisma. The cauda was a long melisma on one of the last syllables of the text, repeated in each strophe.
CaudaĬauda, the Latin root of coda, is used in the study of conductus of the 12th and 13th centuries. This symbol is encountered mainly in modern music, not works by classical composers such as Haydn or Mozart. For example, this can be used to provide a special ending for the final verse of a song. The instruction "To Coda" indicates that, upon reaching that point during the final repetition, the performer is to jump immediately to the separate section headed with the coda symbol. It is used where the exit from a repeated section is within that section rather than at the end. In music notation, the coda symbol, which resembles a set of crosshairs, is used as a navigation marker, similar to the dal Segno sign. The musical function of codasĬharles Burkhart suggests that the reason codas are common, even necessary, is that, in the climax of the main body of a piece, a "particularly effortful passage", often an expanded phrase, is often created by "working an idea through to its structural conclusions" and that, after all this momentum is created, a coda is required to "look back" on the main body, allow listeners to "take it all in", and "create a sense of balance." In music notation One of the ways that Beethoven extended and intensified Classical practice was to expand the coda sections, producing a final section sometimes of equal musical weight to the foregoing exposition, development, and recapitulation sections and completing the musical argument. In works in variation form, the coda occurs following the last variation and will be very noticeable as the first music not based on the theme.Ĭodas were commonly used in both sonata form and variation movements during the Classical era. The recapitulation often ends with a passage that sounds like a termination, paralleling the music that ended the exposition thus, any music coming after this termination will be perceived as extra material, i.e., as a coda. In a sonata form movement, the recapitulation section will, in general, follow the exposition in its thematic content, while adhering to the home key. The presence of a coda as a structural element in a music movement is especially clear in works written in particular musical forms. For example, the coda may follow the recapitulation (and thus come after the pyramid), or may be the last part of the recapitulation (and thus would be like the point of the arrow).