a type of musical composition associated with the combining of many themes; the opposite of monothematic music. Polythematic music is common in dance genres. In order to impart unity to the composition, one of the themes is customarily used as a refrain that holds the structure of the piece together, giving rise to a rondo or rondo-like form (C. M. von Weber’s piano piece Invitation to the Dance). Unity may also be achieved by clearly applying the principle of diversified development throughout a musical piece. This is commonly done in the transition from slow to fast tempos or from song to dance themes (Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsodies for piano). Polythematic music is also encountered in opera and ballet, as well as in 20th-century symphonic works.
V. P. BOBROVSKII