Structure & Style: the Study and Analysis of Musical Forms
Chapters 1 & 2
Tuesday, August 28, 12
Chapter 1the figure, motive and semi-phrase
• figure
- smallest unit of musical construction
- Stein prefers the term figure over motive
- we will use these terms almost interchangeably
- see p. 3
• motive
- I think of this as the smallest identifiable musical unit (e.g., first 4 notes of Beethoven’s 5th Sym.)
Tuesday, August 28, 12
Chapter 1the figure, motive and semi-phrase
• Ex 1 Beethoven Piano Sonata Op. 31, No. 3, I (m. 27)
- figure divides into three parts (at 0’ 48” Spotify)
- AMF No. 19
• Ex 2 Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 6, I (K + 7, middle of 1st movement)
- single figure (not divisible)
• tones => figures=> motives=> semi-phrases => phrases
Tuesday, August 28, 12
Chapter 1the figure, motive and semi-phrase
• Ex 3 Mendelssohn Songs Without Words (mm. 1-4)
• in German Lieder ohne Worte
• this one is number 45 (Op. 102, No. 3)
• note the figure is repeated
Tuesday, August 28, 12
Chapter 1the figure, motive and semi-phrase
• Ex 4 Prokofiev Violin Concerto No 2, I (mm. 1-8)
- note the repetition of the “a” figure/motive
- there is conflict between the meter and the music; Stein calls in “shifted rhythm”
Tuesday, August 28, 12
Chapter 1the figure, motive and semi-phrase
• Ex 5 Stravinsky The Rite of Spring
- from the middle of “Dance of the Young Maidens”
- rhythm of the figure/motive is repeated but the pitches change
- at 1’ 43” on Spotify
Tuesday, August 28, 12
Chapter 1the figure, motive and semi-phrase
• Ex 9 Mozart Piano Sonata in G (K. 189h)mvmt. I, mm. 1-4
- two separate figures make a semi-phrase
• Ex 10 Schumann “Valse Allemand” from Carnaval (mm. 1-4)
- 1st semi-phrase made from two of the same figure but interval direction reversed
Tuesday, August 28, 12
Chapter 1the figure, motive and semi-phrase
• Ex 11 Stravinsky “Khorovod (Round Dance) of the Princesses” from The Firebird (at 77 in piano score)
- the figure in the second measure is reversed in the third measure
- at 0’ 30” on Spotify
• Ex 12 Gershwin “I’ve got Rhythm”
- the first semi-phrase is retrograded (turned backward) in the second
Tuesday, August 28, 12
Chapter 1the figure, motive and semi-phrase
• Ex 13 Beethoven Piano Sonata Op. 2, No. 2, III. Scherzo (mm. 1-4)
- common for semi-phrases to begin in the same way
- pieces that begin with a pickup often have many phrases that us the same type of pickup
Tuesday, August 28, 12
Chapter 1the figure, motive and semi-phrase
• Ex 16 Beethoven Leonore Overture No. 3
- the piece begins with an Adagio section
- this theme occurs at the change to Allegro
- at 3’ 55” on Spotify
Tuesday, August 28, 12
Chapter 1the figure, motive and semi-phrase
• Ex 19 Beethoven Symphony No. 5, I (mm. 6-9)
- figure moves through different “voices”
• The figure in Renaissance vocal music
- AMF No 27 Palestrina Dies sanctificatus
- Points of Imitation or pervasive imitation
Tuesday, August 28, 12
Chapter 1the figure, motive and semi-phrase
• The figure as accompaniment pattern
• Schubert “The Trout”
- the title in German is “Die Forelle”
Tuesday, August 28, 12
Chapter 1the figure, motive and semi-phrase
• Ex 22 Franck from Prélude, Aria, et Final
- semi-phrases may not break down into easy to identify figures
Tuesday, August 28, 12
Chapter 1the figure, motive and semi-phrase
• In class as group look at assignment 1b
• Schumann Album for the Young, Op. 68
- in German Album für die Jungend
- No. 6, 11, and 16
Tuesday, August 28, 12
Chapter 1the figure, motive and semi-phrase
• Homework
- Groups work on 1a
Tuesday, August 28, 12
Chapter 2the cadence
• Cadence is a point of repose
• it marks the end of a phrase or section
• it can mark an ending as well as a beginning
• from Latin cadere (to fall)
Tuesday, August 28, 12
Chapter 2the cadence
• Cadence types:
- Authentic: V to I (or V to i)
- Plagal: IV to I (or iv to i)
- Deceptive: V to vi (or V to bVI)
- Half: cadence on the chord V
Tuesday, August 28, 12
Chapter 2the cadence
• Ex 24 Josquin des Prés Tu pauperum refugium (final cadence)
- uses a plagal final cadence
- common to many Renaissance pieces
- we would use lower case RNs in this example VII -- i -- iv -- I (no 3rd)
- typically Renaissance pieces would always end on Major chords (but only root and 5th are present)
- at 2’ 51” on Spotify
Tuesday, August 28, 12
Chapter 2the cadence
• Ex 25 Palestrina Alma redemptoris mater (from the 5th volume of Motets, book 2)
- the example is mm. 7-11
- at 0’ 17”
- note the cadences are hidden or disguised
- cadences in Renaissance vocal music are intrinsically tied to the text
- since the voices often enter one at a time using the same line of text, they will cadence one at a time creating an overlap which hides, or disguises, the cadence
Tuesday, August 28, 12
Chapter 2the cadence
• Ex 27 Chopin Nocturne, Op. 9, No. 2
- accompaniment continues through the cadence
- at 0’ 22” on Spotify
• Ex 28 Mendelssohn “Venetian Boat Song” from Songs Without Words No. 6 (mm. 22-25)
- from Op. 19, No. 6
- the continuation may occur in the melody voice as well
- at 0’ 45” on Spotify
Tuesday, August 28, 12
Chapter 2the cadence
• Ex 30 Schumann “Curious Story” from Scenes from Childhood, Op. 15, No. 2 (mm. 1-5)
- feminine ending (cadence on weak beat)
- found in much early Baroque music, in 18th Century polonaise and sarabandes
- this piece is from the Romantic Period
Tuesday, August 28, 12
Chapter 2the cadence in the 20th century
• Ex 40 Stravinsky Symphony in Three Movements, III (final cadence)
- Db Major chord plus Bb and Eb
- at 6’ 07” on Spotify
• Ex 42 Bartók Concerto for Orchestra, I (final cadence)
- substitution for final dominant chord in final cadence
- V7 with b5 & b2 added in (key of Fm)
- at 9’ 50” on Spotify
Tuesday, August 28, 12
Chapter 2the cadence in the 20th century
• Ex 43 Shostakovich Symphony No. 1, IV (final cadence)
- last two chords are biii -- I (in key of F)
- Ab-Minor to F-Major
- at 9’ 34” on Spotify
• Ex 49 Schoenberg Phantasy for Violin and Piano, Op. 47 (final cadence)
- final cadence in 12-Tone music
- at 8’ 30” on Spotify
Tuesday, August 28, 12
Chapter 2the cadence in the 20th century
• In class as a group look at 1b
• Mendelssohn Songs Without Words
- No. 27 (Op. 62, No. 3)
- No. 40 (Op. 85, No. 4)
Tuesday, August 28, 12
Chapter 2the cadence in the 20th century
• Homework
- Groups work on 1a
Tuesday, August 28, 12