WordGarden.iorondo
C2Pronunciation
UK
- /rˈɒndəʊ/
US
Meanings
Noun
a musical form or composition built around a recurring main theme alternating with contrasting sections
a soccer training drill where players keep possession while one or more others try to win the ball back
Beyond the definition
A rondo is best known as a piece of music in which one main theme keeps coming back between different sections. Think of it like a game of chase: the central idea runs off, meets something new, and then returns again. It is often shown as ABACA or ABACABA, where "A" is the part that comes back and "B" and "C" are different sections. You'll often hear this form in classical music by composers like Mozart or Beethoven. The word can also refer to an old circular dance, and in soccer, a "rondo" is a keep-away passing drill that has the same feeling of movement and return.
The word "rondo" is best known today as a musical term, though it is related to older French words for round songs and dances. In music, a rondo is a composition built around a main theme that keeps returning after contrasting sections. This creates a lively pattern of repetition and change, like a familiar voice returning to the conversation after each new turn.
The most common structure is ABACA, where "A" stands for the returning theme and "B" and "C" bring in contrast. Some rondos are longer, such as ABACABA. Composers such as Mozart, Beethoven, and Haydn often used rondo form, especially for lively final movements in sonatas, concertos, and symphonies. The returning theme gives the listener a sense of unity, while the other sections add freshness and surprise.
Outside the concert hall, "rondo" can still refer to an old round dance, although that meaning is much less common now. The term has also found a place in modern sports. In soccer training, a "rondo" is a drill in which players pass the ball around while one or more defenders try to win it, which matches the idea of circling movement and repeated return.
Whether you're listening to a classical piece, picturing an old dance, or watching a team train on the pitch, "rondo" suggests movement in a circle and the pleasure of coming back to something familiar. It is a pattern of return, shaped by contrast and repetition.
Examples
- 1
Piano exam
She practiced a Beethoven rondo for her piano exam.
- 2
Symphony ending
The last movement is a rondo, which gives the symphony a lively ending.
- 3
Musical form
The composer wrote the finale in rondo form rather than sonata form.
- Domainin rondo form
using a musical pattern in which the main section returns several times
See also
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- rondonoun