structure & style: the study and analysis of musical...

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.)



• 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



• 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



• 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”



• 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



• 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



• 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


• Ex 12 Gershwin “I’ve got Rhythm”

- the first semi-phrase is retrograded (turned backward) in the second



• 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



• Ex 16 Beethoven Leonore Overture No. 3

- the piece begins with an Adagio section

- this theme occurs at the change to Allegro




• 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



• The figure as accompaniment pattern

• Schubert “The Trout”

- the title in German is “Die Forelle”



• Ex 22 Franck from Prélude, Aria, et Final

- semi-phrases may not break down into easy to identify figures



• 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



• Homework

- Groups work on 1a


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)



• 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



• 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)




• 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



• Ex 27 Chopin Nocturne, Op. 9, No. 2

- accompaniment continues through the cadence


• 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




• 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


Chapter 2the cadence in the 20th century

• Ex 40 Stravinsky Symphony in Three Movements, III (final cadence)

- Db Major chord plus Bb and Eb


• 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)




• Ex 43 Shostakovich Symphony No. 1, IV (final cadence)

- last two chords are biii -- I (in key of F)

- Ab-Minor to F-Major


• Ex 49 Schoenberg Phantasy for Violin and Piano, Op. 47 (final cadence)

- final cadence in 12-Tone music




• In class as a group look at 1b

• Mendelssohn Songs Without Words

- No. 27 (Op. 62, No. 3)

- No. 40 (Op. 85, No. 4)



• Homework

- Groups work on 1a


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