Understanding Classical Music Titles
Today, I thought I would take you on an in-depth exploration of classical music titling. If you are an avid classical music listener, you might have noticed that, more often than not, classical pieces have incredibly long titles, which can make them confusing to understand and difficult to locate if you are not completely sure what it is you are looking for.
But, have no fear! By the end of this article you will be an expert in understanding classical music titles and will not only understand why they have so many different parts, but also what exactly each of those different parts mean.
Enjoy!
Musical Form/ Composer / Creative Name
When titling classical music, it is important to note that many older works are titled in a way that describes exactly what they are from a technical/ musical point of view. Therefore, the title often starts with the musical form (type of work) that the piece is composed within.
Musical form: Symphony, Sonata, Concerto, String Quartet, Toccata, Fugue, Overture, Suite, Bagatelle, Cantata, Arabesque, Chaconne, Etude, Impromptu, Nocturne, Mazurka, Waltz, Polka, Rhapsody, Serenade, Scherzo…
Waltz No. 2 in C# minor, Op. 64.
However, nowadays, due to online SEO-optimised titling, it is common to see the composer’s name shared at the beginning of the title, to make searching for specific works and recordings easier. And so the same title used in the example before, could look like this:
Chopin: Waltz No. 2 in C# minor, Op. 64.
Of course, not all classical pieces are known by their form or their suite. Instead, they have been given a more creative or poetic name by which they are known. This is particularly common for more contemporary pieces. For example: Miroirs (Ravel), A Flower is not a Flower (Sakamoto), and Spiegel im Spiegel (Pärt).
Miroirs: III: Une barque sur l’océan
or
Ravel: Miroirs: III: Une barque sur l’océan
Number
After the musical form, the next part of the title is the Number. Usually, these numbers refer to a piece of music’s position within the total number of the composer’s published pieces that follow the same form- symphonies, waltzes, and so on. For instance, if the work is a symphony, then is it the composer’s first symphony or they fifth symphony? However, sometimes, the number can refer to where the piece appears within an Opus set.
For example, Chopin’s Waltz No. 2 in C# minor, Op. 64, is most commonly titled as No.2 since the piece is the second waltz within the Opus 64 set. However, it has additionally been titled Chopin’s Waltz No. 7 in C# minor, Op. 64, with No.7 referring to the fact that it is the seventh waltz within the total number of Chopin's published waltzes. This might be a case where personal preference prevails, or different organisation standards can be seen.
Occasionally, both the number of the piece within the total catalogue of the composer’s works and the number of the piece within an Opus set can be included in the title. This may look something like this:
Chopin: Waltz No. 7 in C# minor, Op. 64 No.2
Key
Nice and simple, next on our titling list is the Key that the piece of music is composed in. Since many classical pieces are named in a rather generic way, their titles often have to be increasingly specific. For example, there is a Symphony No.5 by Beethoven and a Symphony No.5 by Shostakovich (and of course many more Symphony No.5s by many other composers). Therefore, one way to start differentiating one Symphony No.5 from another is to include the key!
Beethoven: Symphony No.5 in C Minor, Op.67: I. Allegro con brio
Shostakovich: Symphony No.5 in D Minor, Op.47: I. Moderato
As you can see, the addition of the key helps to further differentiate the pieces of music, which otherwise would appear to be very similar. This is another instance where I personally think that including the composer’s name at the beginning of the title is a very useful, since it clearly defines exactly who the work is by even if the rest of the title appears to be quite alike.
It is important to note here that after the key a comma is always used before the next part of the title. It is also important to remember that not all classical pieces need to have their key shared within the title. Some more contemporary works are not known by nor recognised by their key, and so it is not required to put it in the title. An example would be:
Ravel: Miroirs: III: Une barque sur l’océan
Opus Number
After the key and the comma, the next part of the title is the Opus number. Opus is a Latin word meaning ‘work’, and is usually shortened to Op. in titles. This number is assigned to a musical composition in order to identify it. It is used to help distinguish between compositions, be it a specific piece or a set of pieces, by a composer, often in a chronological order of publication, but not necessarily of composition.
Beethoven: Symphony No.5 in C Minor, Op.67: I. Allegro con brio
If an Opus number is applied to a set of works, such as a group of sonatas, often each individual piece, or in this case sonata, will have its own individual number that follows the Opus number. For example:
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No.1 in F minor, Op.2 No.1: I. Allegro
As you have probably noticed, after the Opus number (or the subsequent individual piece number), a colon always follows before the next part of the title.
Any works published after a composer’s death may receive a posthumous Opus number which is written like so: Op. posth. Or instead the posthumously published work can simply be given a very high Opus number that chronologically follows the rest of the composer’s published works.
Chopin: Nocturne in E minor, Op. posth. 72 No. 1
Although Opus numbers are prevalent in classical music, they are part of a traditional system. Therefore, not all works have them and not all composers use them. This is particularly true when it comes to contemporary composers who alternatively rely on specific titles, albums, or even years of publication to identify their work.
Catalogue Number
Catalogue Numbers are quite unique and not applied to every composer and therefore do not feature in every title. Essentially, like Opus numbers, they are an alternative system used to both organise and identify a composer’s works, created by musicologists within thematic catalogs. Sometimes they are used alongside Opus numbers, but often they replace them altogether.
Throughout history, many composers have catalogue numbers assigned to their work, but not all catalogue numbers are remembered or used. Below I have shared some of the more common examples of catalogue numbers within titling:
Popular Nicknames
Now, after the Opus number/ Catalogue number, next on the list is any Popular Nickname that a classical piece has come to be known by.
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 in B minor, Op. 74 “Pathétique”: I. Adagio- Allegro non troppo
Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No.6 is a great example, since officially it is known as Symphony No.6 in B minor. However, the nickname “Pathétique” was coined by Tchaikovsky’s brother, Modest, and approved by Tchaikovsky himself. The nickname is derived from the Russian word "Pateticheskaya", which means emotional or passionate, however the French translation of “Pathétique” meaning emotive or solemn implies a slightly different feeling than the original word intended.
The nickname is written in inverted commas and often can be seen after the Opus number. Where the colon is positioned can depend on the rest of the title. If the nickname is the last thing to be shared within the title, then it may come after the Opus number and the colon. If the movement title is shared after the nickname, then often the nickname can be seen in-between the Opus number and the colon.
Of course, not all classical pieces have nicknames and so this only applies to the ones that do. It is particularly useful for titling pieces that have an official title but are famously known by their nickname. Another example includes:
Bagatelle No.25 in A minor, WoO 59: “Für Elise”
Movement Titles
Finally, we come to Movement Titles. Larger works, such as symphonies or concertos are usually split into different movements. For example, symphonies often have four movements, concertos often have three movements, and string quartets often have four movements. Since the movements are almost seen like separate pieces, it is customary for each movement to be recorded as a separate track on any digital or physical recorded release, making it easier to identify and locate the specific movement someone might want to listen to.
Therefore, if the work has multiple movements, and the recording is only of a specific movement, the title of that specific movement will be shared as the last part of the title. The example below shares the different titles of each of the four movements for Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4:
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36: I. Andante sostenuto- Moderato con anima
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36: II. Andantino in moto di canzone
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36: III. Scherzo (Pizzicato ostinato- Allegro)
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36: IV. Finale (Allegro con fuoco)
As you can see, the movement title comes after the Opus number and after the colon. It starts with the movement number, usually written in Roman numerals, followed by a dot (full-stop), and then the movement title follows. Frequently, the titles of each movement are named after their opening expression markings, combining tempo and mood, and often written in Italian (or sometimes French or German). For example:
Andante sostenuto- Moderato con anima means ‘to be played at a sustained, flowing walking pace, at a moderate speed with spirit’
Andantino in moto di canzone means ‘to be played slightly faster than andante in the style of a song’
Scherzo (Pizzicato ostinato- Allegro) means ‘playfully (with the persistent plucked string repeated motif to be played at a brisk and lively pace).’
Finale (Allegro con fuoco) means ‘the final movement (to be played fast and with fire)’
And that concludes our deep dive into the complex and sometimes confusing world of classical music titles. Now, you have everything you need to know to understand why classical music titles are written in the way that they are, so that you may find exactly what you are looking for with ease.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments!
