Trio Sonata in D - Corelli

Comes from collection of 12 trio sonatas published in 1689

The term 'trio' refers to the three melodic lines even though FOUR players are required, as the figured bass requires organ and violone.

Violone part usually played on the cello today

Organ realises the figured bass - fills out texture between violone and higher melodic lines.

Most of these trio sonatas have four movements in the order slow-fast-slow-fast

Whole set are sometimes called 'church sonatas' - maybe because use of organ.However they could be performed at a church or for entertainment for the nobility.

 idiomatic - each part conceived for the instrument it is written for - although violin range is quite small - 3rd position is only used in bars 34-35.

Style of a gigue - a fast dance in compound time - often used to end Baroque multi-movement compositions.

Binary form - two sections are separated by repeat marks.

HOWEVER, the two sections do not contain contrasting themes - the same themes and moods are maintained throughout the music, like in most Baroque pieces.

Harmony is diatonic - Cadences help to define binary structure

Starts in D major then modulates to A major (dominant) through perfect cadence bars 10-11

The B section passes through several keys before returning to the tonic key to end.

Harmony is functional, mostly through use of perfect cadences.

Most chords are root position or first inversion triads, with dissonant suspensions theat resolve by step.

Therefore every 6 in figured bass is followed by a 7.

Lots of variety - especially in violin parts.

Cross rhythm (e.g. bar 26) through the use of a tie, makes violin sound in 3/4 time whilst the rest of the parts sound in 6/8

Hemiola - bar 27 - makes all parts sound like they are in 3/4 time.

Syncopation - caused again by the use of ties (e.g. bars 26-27)

Movement has a contrapuntal texture.

It begins like  fugue, based on subject heard in first 2 bars which is followed by real fugal answer on 2nd violin.

At the start of B section, fugal subject is heard in free inversion.

2nd violin and bass parts enter one bar apart froming fugal texture: stretto

Wide gap between organ and melody lines creates polarised texture which is often found in Baroque music.