A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Theme

by William Smyth Rockstro

THEME—i.e. Subject, or Text (Ital. Il Tema,^[1] Il Soggetto, Il Motivo; Germ. from Lat. Thema, from Ital. Motiv; Fr. Thème, Air). A term only to be applied, in its fullest significance, to the principal subject of a musical composition; although, in general language, it is frequently used to denote a Subject of any kind, whether of a leading or subsidiary character. From the time of Sebastian Bach to our own, the terms Theme and Subject have been used with much looseness. In his 'Musikalisches Opfer,' Bach designates the Motivo given to him by Frederick the Great as 'Il Soggetto reale,' in one place, and 'Thema regium' in another; thus proving, conclusively, that he considered the two terms as interchangeable. But, in another work, founded on a Motivo by Legrenzi, he calls the principal Subject 'Thema,' and the Counter-Subject 'Subjectum'; and this is unquestionably the more correct method of using the terms. [See Subject, vol. iii. p. 749.]

A familiar application of the word 'Thema' is found in connection with a Subject followed by Variations; as, 'Tema con Variazioni,' with its equivalent in other languages. In the 18th century, this form of composition was called 'Air et Doubles'; the substitution of the word 'Doubles' for 'Variations,' clearly owing its origin to the then almost universal custom of writing the two first Variations in the Second and Third Orders of Counterpoint—that is to say, in notes the rapidity of which was doubled at each new form of development.

[ W. S. R. ]

1. Used thus, with the masculine article, in order to distinguish it from La Tema (fear).