Motif
(moe-TEEF)


[Fr.]

A short tune or musical figure that characterizes and unifies a composition. It can be of any length, but is usually only a few notes long. A motif can be a melodic, harmonic or rhythmic pattern that is easily recognizable throughout the composition.

SUGGESTED LISTENING EXAMPLES:

Mozart: Symphony No. 40 in G minor, K. 550, I
W. W. Norton - 4-CD Musical Example Bank -- Disc 1, Track 32
Beethoven: String Quartet in C major, Op. 59, No.3 (Razumovsky), IV
W. W. Norton - 4-CD Musical Example Bank -- Disc 1, Track 23

Motif, rhythmic:
Stravinsky: The Soldier's Tale, I, "Soldier's March"

W. W. Norton - 4-CD Musical Example Bank -- Disc 1, Track 33
Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring, "Dance of the Youths and Maidens"
W. W. Norton - 4-CD Musical Example Bank -- Disc 1, Track 18
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