RONDO (Fr. Rondeau). A piece of music having one principal subject, to which a return is always made after the introduction of other matter, so as to give a symmetrical or rounded form to the whole.
From the simplicity and obviousness of this idea it will be readily understood that the Rondo-form was the earliest and most frequent definite mould for musical construction. For a full tracing of this point see Form [i. 541, 552]. In fact the First Movement and...