Music Area of Study 1

The choir is made up of S A T B. They are accompanied by strings and continuo. The orchestra often doubles the vocal lines.

The piece starts with a ritornello. It is based on different combinations of the 4 motifs. 

The movement is based on 4 different motifs: 

And the glory the glory of the Lord. In A major. Altos.

Shall be revealed. Tenors. Descending sequence and a melisma.

And all flesh shall see it together. Altos.

For the mouth of the lord hath spoken it. Tenors and basses. Solemn sound.

The metre is 3/4. It has a fast tempo. There are a number of hemiolas. 

The piece is in A major. The harmony is diatonic.

This movement is in G minor in sonata form. The melody of the 1st section, 1st subject, is a falling motif to the repeated rhythm quaver quaver crotchet, played by the strings. The 2nd subject has a melody with descending chromatic patterns. Played between strings and woodwind. The 2nd section is based on the 1st subject which is developed and fragmented. The last section, 1st and 2nd subject, is repeated with some variation and the coda is repeated perfect cadences in G minor.

The melodies are made up of balanced, 4- or 8-bar phrases that sound like questions and answers. Many phrases are scalic.

The harmony is diatonic and functional. Also there are chromatic chords, circle of 5ths progression and pedal notes 

The metre is 4/4. The tempo is very fast. Short rhythmic ideas are repeated. Rhythms are fairly simple.

The texture is homophonic. There is also of counterpoint and imatation in the development, octave doublings, dialogue between woodwind and strings at the start of the 2nd subject. Mozart uses a chamber orchestra made up of strings, woodwind and horns. 

The piece is in ternary form. The time signature is C (4/4). There is a septuplet, dectuplet. The piece should be played in a legato, unhurried manner Rubato is used.

The prelude begins with a lyrical melody and is decorated with an acciaccatura and a turn.

The prelude is in Db major. It uses mainly diatonic harmony with occasional chromaticism. The piece modulates from the tonic major to the enharmonic tonic minor. Sections A and B both end with imperfect cadences and the prelude ends with a perfect cadence. The dominant pedal can be heard throughout. 

The texture is homophonic. A is supported by broken chords. The pedal is inverted and it is doubled with octaves. The texture of section B is more chordal. Their is a short monophonic passage in the coda. 

Chopin uses a lot of cresendos and diminuendos. There is a wide range of dynamics but no sudden contrasts. Section A is quieter than B.

Most of the piece is played in the middle and lower ranges of the piano. He exploits the piano's wide dynamic range. The sustaining pedal is used to create legato melodies.