Beethoven symphony 1 - 2nd movement
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- Created by: Freyagrace97
- Created on: 01-04-14 19:50
Exposition - texture and melody, 1st subject
- The movement begins with a fugal opening (a fughetta)
- The melody is 6 bars long and introduces the anacrusis motif and dotted motif, outlining the triad of F - light and elegant
- The first fugal entry is on violin 2 (monophonic), followed by viola/lower strings
- There is some contrary motion
- The texture gradually unfolds becoming polyphonic
- The growth in texture is matched by dynamics; entries are pp but crescendos in tutti, matched by legato articulation - creates a warm sound
- 7-bar answering phrase functions as transition
- Played on violins in octaves and flute
- Uses dotted rhythm
- Accompanied by chords on beat 1 and 3 (do not call them 'syncopated'), and quavers on horn (dominant pedal emphasised)/viola
- Ends with 3 homophonic quavers
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Exposition - texture and melody, 2nd subject
- Two note anacrusis motif (fragmented b1) used briefly in rising sequence (although the whole phrase (anacrusis motif +dotted rhythm) is in rising sequence)
- This is on strings, with 4-quaver accompaniment figure in cello (not bass, for lighter timbre)
- The sparser texture is marked with p dynamics and staccato articulation
- Second phrase uses full anacrusis motif, and the bassoon/horn join in
- On repeat, the woodwind take the melody
- Violin 1 play a counter melody (descending staccato semiquaver arpeggio), wind join in with bits of this
- The 2nd subject group continues with a dotted figure in imitation, derived from b3 of the first subject (violin 1 against other strings, minus bass)
- Piano dynamic and staccato articulation
- On repeat at b46, the imitation is between all strings and oboe/bassoon
- Contrasting forte dynamic with basses back in
- Then tutti (minus timpani and brass) play chords with sforzandos on 2nd beat of the bar (typical Beethoven)
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Exposition - texture and melody, codetta
- · Dotted semiquaver rhythm (dominant pedal) in timpani (for the first time), derived from b3
- · Triplet melodic figure on flute and violin 1 (staccato and in octaves)
- · Antiphonal hemiola quaver figure on other instruments (wind against strings)
- · Trumpets play a sustained/repeating pedal note (at long last)
- Ends with fragment of b1 (anacrusis) then opening motif as a cadential figure (strong 5^1), first violin/flute answered by tutti
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Exposition - harmony, 1st subject
- F major, melody outlines F triad
- Harmony alternates between I and V (F and C)
- Tonal answer (dominant) in b6
- Dominant pedal on horn and inverted dominant pedal on flute
- Imperfect cadence in b18/19
- 1st subject ends on imperfect cadence b25/26
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Exposition - harmony, 2nd subject
- Domiant chord ending of 1st subject treated like modulaton, now in C major
- Mini cycle of 5ths (A7 Dm G7 C), can call it a passing modulation to Dm
- Imperfect cadence in b34
- Repeats, ending in perfect cadence
- In dotted section, passes through Am and Dm
- ii, cadential 6-4 in C
- Am, Inverted cycle of 5ths starting on C7
- ii, cadential 6-4 in C
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Exposition - harmony, codetta
- G (dominant) pedal on several instruments
- Harmony centred around tonic (2nd inversion) and dominant (C and G7)
- Ends on a perfect cadence in C
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Development - texture and melody, b64-71
- Two note anacrusis motif (derived from 1st subject, used in 2nd subject) on violin 1, extended to form a Cm ascending arpeggio
- Strings gradually added, violin 2 joins in parallel motion then contrary motion with other strings
- Accompanied by sustained woodwind chords, gradually expanding texture
- FF homophonic two note anacrusis
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Development - texture and melody, b65-100
- String accompaniment (and bassoon joins in), chordal dotted rhythm derived from b3 of first subject and used in the codetta, staccato and lively
- Two note anacrusis motif from 2nd subject in imitation between oboe/bassoon and flute
- Interval first a minor 7th, then a major 6th
- Repeated in descending sequence at b77
- Timpani takes over dotted rhythm (tonic pedal, C), pedal also on horn/trumpet
- Anacrusis motif played in antiphony, firstly between tutti (except timps)/clarinet
- Then between wind/strings as a hemiola figure
- At b89, heliola figure played in tutti
- Tonic pedal on horn and timpani playing a roll
- Tutti chords
- Block chords interdispersed with 1st violin dotted figure (derived from b3 of first subject)
- Two more anacrusis figures on oboe/bassoon over violin 1 figure, which becomes like a melody
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Development - harmony, b64-71
- Ascending Cm arpeggio
- Ab7 - Db (modulates to Db)
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Development - harmony, b71-100
- Now in Db major
- Two bar harmonic rhythm
- Chords I and V used (with inversions)
- Modulation to Bbm (relative minor) (via F7, b77
- Returns to C (the dominant) via Db aug 6th (Italian)
- Harmonic rhythm changes (now one chord per bar)
- Tonic pedal (C) on timpani
- Harmony from b81, employs a number of diminished 7ths with are substitutes for dominant 7ths in a cycle of 5ths (give a couple of examples but don't write all the chords out: G#dim7 to Am, as a substitute for E7)
- Interrupted cadence in Am breaks cycle of 5ths (uses substitute chord G dim 7 for E7, then Fm)
- Block chords on C7 (3rd inversion the 2nd inversion), dominant preparation for the recapitulation in F
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Recapitulation, first subject - texture and melody
- (These are the differences from the exposition - see exposition cards for more detail)
- First subject still begins on second violin but this time with a cello countermelody (semiquavers)
- Bassoon enters and 'overtakes' violins, continuing the subject along with the violas, whilst both violin parts play semi-quaver counter melody
- Texture builds with the ret of the fugal entries
- 7 bar answering phrase similar, with no horn semiquavers, and celli/basses play similar semiquaver line to the violas
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Recapitulation, second subject/codetta - texture a
- Begins as in exposition with melody in the strings, with addition of flute on descending dotted motif
- Repeat similar to exposition - woodwind with violin counter melody
- Next passage (dotted motif) largely the same, with addition of all woodwind instruments imitating the strings on repeat (not just oboe/bassoon)
- Codetta is virtually identical in exposition and recapitulation
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Recapitulation - harmonic differences to expositio
- Second subject still approached by C
- 2nd subject/codetta now in F
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Coda - melody and texture
- Continues from slightly altered ending to codetta (instead of being a cadential figure, the motif continues into the full 1st subject melody)
- 1st subject is no longer a fughetta
- Begins with bassoon/violin 1, texture the expands in b164 (oboe, horn, other strings)
- Melody in parallel 3rds, contrary motion between oboe and violins/horns on descending dotted motif
- Violins play dominant pedal of staccato semiquavers
- 1st subject was originally 6 bars long and so not periodically phrased (phrased 4 bars, 2 bars - perhaps draw a diagram of this if there is time in exam), 7th bar marked next fughetta entry
- In coda, as melody is no longer a fughetta, 2 bars are added to the melody to make the phrasing periodic
- Previous phrase repeated a tone up at b170 (ascending sequence)
- From b175 this phrase is fragmented, first as two bars and then as 1 (diagram), in descending sequence
- Cadential figure from b180 with semiquaver accompaniment on upper strings
- Then the two note anacrusis motif is played repeatedly by oboe with horns imitating with repeated quavers, accompanied by the dotted figure and bassoon pedal
- Dotted motif extended by violins as a descending scale, contrary motion with flute
- Ends with a triadic variant of 2 not anacrusis notif in antiphony with acciaccaturas vlns/flute
- Ends with the whole of b1 in tutti as cadential figure
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Coda - harmony
- Begins in F leading on from codetta
- 1st subject used, which relies on tonic (F) and dominant (C7)
- Dominant pedal in violins (staccato semiquavers)
- Melody ends on an imperfect cadence which helps create room to modulate
- C# in b170 causes us to expect a modulation to Dm (of which C# is leading note)
- C# is actually just a chromatic passing note and the next chord is Gm, to which the music modulates
- This allows the previous phrase to be repeated a tone up (ascending sequence)
- More chromatic passing notes in b174
- Fragmentation on Bb and F
- b177-178 brief cycle of 5ths D7-G, C7-F (harmony for descending sequence)
- iib then cadential 6-4 in F in b182: Gm, F/C, C7, F (iib, Ic, V, I)
- b182-190 uses V7 and I, following on from chromatic passage (typical of Beethoven)
- Triadic varient/acciaccaturas use chords I and V
- Ends on perfect cadence in F
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