What's really long by not having any detectable form?

I'm just wondering, how a lot of people criticize pieces of music that lack form. That is, no ABACA, no Sonata-Allegro Form, nothing of that sort.

There are so many great pieces of music that lack form. Look at Tchaikovsky's 1812 overture for instance, or the final movement of Sibelius's symphony number 1.

A piece doesn't have to have sonata allegro form to be good.

Maybe the charm of a piece its ability to suddenly change ideas halfway through.

I don't know, maybe its my jazz upbringing that loves freedom in music.

But that's just me.

I like freedom in music! It is mighty fun! Let me quote a man who would agree:

"Freeeeeeedommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm"

- Mel Gibson, portraying William Wallace in the popular film Braveheart

I'm just wondering, how a lot of people criticize pieces of music that lack form. That is, no ABACA, no Sonata-Allegro Form, nothing of that sort.

There are so many great pieces of music that lack form. Look at Tchaikovsky's 1812 overture for instance, or the final movement of Sibelius's symphony number 1.

A piece doesn't have to have sonata allegro form to be good.

Maybe the charm of a piece its ability to suddenly change ideas halfway through.

I don't know, maybe its my jazz upbringing that loves freedom in music.

But that's just me.

I've said this before in another thread: jazz isn't free. Most of it is really in theme-and-variations form.

Unless you go for free jazz, but then again that's just taking an idea and messing around with it - theme and improvisation. Just as long as the piece is captivating and has some logical sense of progression, then you should be OK. Unless there are professors of form structure sitting in the front of the audience, I would just stick to what sounds good to you ;)