AMEB

Grade 6 Theory
Analytical notes for Set Works
by Simon Perry

Set Works:
George Frideric Handel
Overture to Alcina
HWV 34
page 2

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Piano concerto K 488
Second movement
page 7

Ludwig van Beethoven

Symph0ny No 5 Op. 67
First movement
page 13
 Grade 6 Theory Set Works

Handel
Overture to Alcina
HWV 34
Analytical notes by Simon Perry

Background information

Alcina is an opera written by George Frideric Handel (1685–1759) in early 1735 and premiered at
London’s Covent Garden Theatre on 16 April of the same year. It is best described as an opera seria,
even though it has some features not entirely characteristic of that genre. Opera seria was a style of
opera developed in Italy (mainly in Rome, Venice and Naples) in the first decades of the eighteenth
century. The term opera seria is itself anachronistic and only came to be applied much later; in the
eighteenth century, terms such as drama per musica (drama in music) were more commonly used to
describe these kinds of works. Typically, opera serie comprised three acts and set librettos of a serious,
as opposed to a comic, nature which focussed on the exploits of heroic characters, often drawing on
ancient historical episodes, especially those of Greco-Roman antiquity. The writers of these librettos,
such as Apostolo Zeno (1669–1750) and, later, Pietro Metastasio (1698–1782), were as famous, if not
more so, than the composers who set them to music.

The main musical components of opera seria consisted of recitativo secco (‘dry recitative’) and da
capo aria. The recitatives comprised the unrhymed narrative and dialogic parts of the text and were
set to declamatory speech rhythms and accompanied only by the continuo.1 The arias set rhymed
portions of text of a more emotional, reflective nature, and provided the main vehicles for the singers
to demonstrate their vocal prowess. Chorus numbers and diversions such as ballet were minimal, if not
absent entirely. The overtures for these kinds of operas were usually in three sections (fast–slow–fast),
although variations to this framework often occurred. In Italian opera, as opposed to French opera,
the overture was often called sinfonia, and it is from these overtures that the genre of the Classical
symphony was eventually born.

The first major composer of opera seria was Alessandro Scarlatti (1660–1725), in whose final
operas, mostly written for performances in Rome, the characteristics of the genre coalesced. Handel
certainly met Scarlatti in the years of his travels to Italy early in his career (1706–10) prior to his
settling in London. During this period, Handel was able to master the genre and achieved enormous
success with it in Venice with his Agrippina of 1709. When Handel first travelled to London in 1710
he took another opera seria with him, Rinaldo, which secured for him a triumph there. Although far
removed geographically from Italy, there was an enormous craze for Italian opera in London at this
time, primarily because wealthy young English aristocrats who could afford to travel to Europe on the

1
i.e. basso continuo, to give the full name. This was a part of virtually every Baroque-period instrumental ensemble, irrespective of
size, and comprised (at a minimum) a bass line instrument such as the cello or violone (an ancestor to the double bass) and an instru-
ment capable of playing chords, such as the chamber organ, harpsichord, baroque harp, lute or theorbo. The players all read from a
single bass line; often this had figures (numbers) below the notes to indicate to the players what chords to form above the notes.

page 2
so-called ‘grand tour’2 had developed a taste for the art form from their cultural experiences in Italy.
When Handel permanently settled in London, from around 1713, his primary source of income came
from the production of opera serie for various London companies (which he often had a part share in),
until at least the mid 1730s, at which point he turned more to the writing of English oratorios.

In the scheme of Handel’s career in opera, Alcina is a comparatively late work. It sets a story taken
from parts of Orlando Furioso (1516), an epic poem by the Renaissance Italian poet Ludovico Ariosto
(1474–1533). This particular piece of literature, which tells a series of chivalric tales set during the
Empire of Charlemagne, was a favourite source for opera librettists. The author of Handel’s libretto is
not known; however, it had been set at least once before, in Rome, by the composer Riccardo Broschi
(1698–1756)3 in his opera L’isola di Alcina (1728). Handel seems to have acquired the libretto during
a trip to Italy the following year. He made some alterations to the libretto in setting it for London. In
particular, he incorporated a number of dances into the action in order to accommodate performances
by the French dancer and choreographer Marie Sallé (1707–57) and her company, who toured London
in 1734–35 and had been commissioned for performances by the director of the new theatre at Covent
Garden.

Analysis

The overture is in Bb major and is scored for two oboes, first and second violins, violas and basso
continuo (see footnote 1). The oboes double the violin parts throughout. Such a modest ensemble was,
in fact, very common in operas of this period. The overture is in the form of a French overture, rather
than the customary Italian sinfonia. The French overture – a form cultivated by Jean-Baptiste Lully
(1632–87) for operas written for the French royal court – comprised two main parts. The first was a
slow section, characterised by mostly homophonic textures and dotted rhythms, producing a rather
stately, even pompous effect. This would be followed by a second part in a faster tempo which was often
contrapuntal in texture. Sometimes the end of the fast section would return to a style closer to that of
the opening section, but without actually reprising its music.

The first part of the overture conforms very closely to the French model. It is homophonic and
marked by vigorous dotted rhythms. When performing this kind of music, it is customary to ‘double
dot’ (or ‘over dot’) some of the rhythms to make the stately effect even more pronounced. For instance,
as notated, the first three bars,

Ÿ
b
œ™ œœj œœ Ÿ j
&b c œ™ œ™ œ™ j j œ
J œ™ œJ œ™ œJ œ™ œJ œ nœœ ™ œœ œœ ™™ œJ

{ ? bc
b Ϫ
œ™ œj œ
œJ
Ϫ
™ œj
œ
J
œœ ™™ œœj b œœ ™™
J
œœj œ™
J Ϫ
œœj œ™
J Ϫ
œj
œ
J

2
The ‘grand tour’ was a ‘coming of age’ experience common in the eighteenth century for wealthy young aristocrats from northern
parts of Europe, especially England. Often taken over a period of several months, if not years, these experiences provided an informal
finishing to the education of these individuals, who would come into contact with the cultural riches of southern Europe – the an-
tiquities of Greco-Roman culture and the art works of the Renaissance. It was also a chance to master languages and experience new
cultural products, such as opera.
3
Not a well-known composer today, Broschi was the brother of the castrato singer Carlo Broschi (1705–82) who was internationally
famous as the leading singer of his day, under the stage name Farinelli.

page 3
would be performed something more like:

œ™™ rŸ Ÿ r
bb c œ ™™ œœ œ ™™ œœ œ™™ r r œ
& R œ™™ œ œ™™ œ œ™™ œ œ nœœ ™ œœ œœ ™™™™ œ

{
R R R R
r r
œ™™ œ œœ™™™™ œ
œ œœ ™™™™
r
œœ b œœ ™™™™
r
œœ œ™™
r
œœ œ™™ œ
r
? bb c œ
™™ œ R R R œ™™ R œ™™ œ
R R
This part is 16 bars long and is constructed in one large, sweeping phrase. This phrase modulates to
the dominant key (F major), ending with a firm, perfect cadence in bar 16. Within the phrase, there is
one two-bar unit that is used twice more at different pitch levels. It is first heard in bars 4–5, where it
prolongs V7 in Bb:

Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ Ÿ
b œ™ œ ™ œ œ™ œ™ œœj œ™
œ™ œj
& b Ϫ
œ œ œ œŒ œ œ œ™ œœ œœ œ ™ œ œœ
™
J œ
J

{
Ÿ Ÿ
Ÿ
Ÿ
™ œ œ œ™ œ œ œ
œ™ œj œ™ œj
œ̇ Œ
? bb
Ó œ™ œJ œ™ œJ

This immediately moves to a repeat of this idea a fourth higher (bars 6–7), thus resolving onto I in
Bb which becomes V7 of Eb (i.e. IV) which arrives in bar 8. In bars 9-10 the idea is heard a third
time (slightly varied), now prolonging V7 in the destination key of F major. Of note is the process of
modulation between bars 8 and 9, which uses chromatic voice leading in the bass line to drive down
from Eb (supporting IV in Bb major) to C (supporting V in F). This distinctive progression is shown in
a reduced form here:

b ˙˙ ˙ nœ̇œ œœ œœ œœ œœ
&b ˙ ˙˙ Ó nœ

{ ? bb
˙

Bb: IV
b˙

? F: V
˙
Ó œ
7

The chord marked ? could be explained as V7c in Ab, which would suggest a modulation in a flat
direction along the circle of fifths (Bb→Eb→Ab, etc.). However, instead of the Db in the bass resolving
down to C as the 3rd of an Ab major triad, the C forms the root of V7 in F major and a false relation4
comprising Eb→E§ is created between the tenor note in bar 8 and the upper line in bar 9.

The second part of the overture is much more characteristic of the Italian style of instrumental
music, bringing to mind, perhaps, the concertos of Vivaldi. The music throughout this part is
contrapuntal. While it cannot be called a strictly imitative type of counterpoint, such as fugue, it has
fugal qualities in terms of points of imitation, uniformity of subject material and frequent modulation.
The material of this section is almost entirely generated from the following subject:

4
A chromatic contradiction between two notes of the same chord or in different parts of adjacent chords.

page 4
 b œ œ œ œœœœœœ œ œ œ œœœœœœ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ
x y

&b c œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ J

This comprises a one-bar unit consisting of two basic motives – a leaping octave idea, marked x, and
a semiquaver figure, marked y – which is heard sequentially a step down each time. This subject is
quite flexible in that it is not always heard with three sequential iterations, there may occasionally
be only two (e.g. first violin at bars 22–23) or even just one (e.g. bass line in bar 37). Sometimes it
can be expanded to four (e.g. first violin in bars 42-45). Because of its sequential nature, it outlines a
descending tetrachord (as in bars 17–20, taking the first note of each bar, F–Eb–D–C) and this links it
motivically to the bass line heard in the opening bars of part one (where the tetrachord is Bb–A–G–F):

? bb c ™ j œ™ œ œ™ œ bœ ™ œ œ™ œ j
œ œ J J J J œ™ œ ˙ Ó

? bc w w w w
b

The subject is used flexibly throughout this entire part in a quasi-imitative fashion without the music
following a fugal procedure in a strict sense.

The second part as a whole is through-composed and lies in three broad sections, each defined by a
modulation and a cadence. The first section modulates from the tonic key of Bb major to F major at bar
23 and continues in that key until reaching a perfect cadence in bars 32–33. From bar 17 (the first bar
of this part) to bar 28 the music consistently uses the subject cited above in various points of imitation,
which are all easy enough to spot. From bar 29 to 31, the music exploits motive y exclusively (first and
second violins). The cadence in bars 32–33 is marked by a temporary abandonment of contrapuntal
textures for a homophonic bar with faster harmonic rhythm. The cadence itself is elided with the
recommencement of the subject in the bass line and the apparent beginning of the next section, which
continues at first in F major:

Perfect cadence

b œœ œ œ œœ nœ™
œ™ œj œ
32

&b c œ J œœ œœ Œ œ œ œ œœœœœœ

{
œ œ
œj
œ œ œ
œ œœ œœ œœ œ ™ œ œ Œ œ
œœ œ
? bb c œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ nœ bœ̇
œ œ
F: I IIb V I Vb Vbb
Perfect cadence reaffirmed

b j œ œ œ œnœ œ œ œ
35 y

&b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ ™
œ nœ ™ œJ œ œ œœ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ œ

{
œ œ
œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ
? bb œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ
œ œ œ Œ
IV II Vb I IIb V I

page 5
The cadence in bar 33 is, however, reaffirmed at bar 37 after a ‘false start’ of the next section, as shown
above. Another aspect of the writing throughout this part, which these bars show, is the variable
number of contrapuntal lines Handel uses. While the writing is generally in a four-part texture, Handel
will often reduce the texture to three parts by the occasional doubling of instruments (e.g. first and
second violins in bars 34-36, viola and continuo in bar 37).

Commencing at bar 37, the next section proper has modulated to G minor (submediant key) by
bar 40 and confirms this with a perfect cadence at bar 47. This cadence is elided into the final section,
commencing in G minor but quickly modulating back to Bb major (tonic key) which is confirmed by
the perfect cadence in bars 60–61. The remaining bars serve to confirm the tonic key, reaching V7 in
bar 65 followed by a rest in all parts and a final two bars providing a final perfect cadence. Although not
marked as slower in the score, performance practice would probably require that this final cadential
passage is played considerably slower than the preceding music.

Copyright © 2019 AMEB (Australian Music Examinations Board).

All Rights Reserved. Unauthorised Reproduction is Illegal.
page 6
 Grade 6 Theory Set Works

Mozart
Piano concerto K 488
Second movement
Analytical notes by Simon Perry

Background information

The word ‘concerto’ has an extensive range of meanings in Western music. It derives from the
Latin verb concertare, which can have two definitions: (1) ‘to contend, dispute, debate’ or (2) ‘to work
together’. The Italian use of concertare seems to reinforce the second meaning, and the word concerto
survives in writing about music from as early as 1519, in reference to a vocal ensemble (un concerto di
voci in musica). For most of the seventeenth century, we find concerto referring mainly to vocal works
accompanied by instruments, and the word seems to connote co-operation amongst diverse forces
(voices and instruments) rather than a specific form.

Early seventeenth-century vocal/instrumental concertos were mainly for use in church (concerti
ecclesiastici). The purely instrumental concerto emerged only toward the end of the seventeenth century
and was an offshoot of the seventeenth-century sonata – an ensemble chamber work usually for strings,
in a number of sections or movements. The main distinction between sonata and concerto around
the turn of the seventeenth century lay in the distinction between a piece in which one instrument
played a part as opposed to one in which more than one instrument played a part. Out of this grew
the practice of distinguishing between the playing group as a whole, known as the concerto grosso
(large group), and the concertino consisting of a small group of players each with their own part. The
Baroque instrumental concerto reached its apex with the works of Antonio Vivaldi (1678­­–1741) who
cultivated concertos both in the already familiar arrangement of a smaller concertino against the whole
group and, increasingly, for a solo player against the whole group, a form known as solo concerto.
With Vivaldi’s works many standard features of the Baroque concerto were normalised. These included
the three-movement pattern of two outer movements in fast tempo around an inner slow movement
and the use of ritornello form, in which a refrain (the ritornello) played by the whole orchestra (tutti)
would both introduce and close a movement in the tonic key and recur in different keys at various
points throughout the movement. To contrast with this refrain, the soloist – or soloists – would play
lightly accompanied episodes, which would frequently include virtuosic figuration, sequences and
modulations.

page 7
 By the middle of the eighteenth century, the concerto had come to refer, in most cases, to a work for
orchestra and soloist. Increasingly, in contrast to the concertos of Vivaldi, the majority of which were
for a string playing soloist, the concerto in the Classical era featured a soloist at the keyboard – the
harpsichord or the ever more popular pianoforte, which had only been invented in the early years of
the century.1 One of the most successful composers of keyboard concertos in the early Classical period
was Johann Christian Bach (1735–82), the youngest son of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750).
J. C. Bach wrote almost 30 keyboard concertos (playable on either harpsichord or piano) in which he
retained the now standard three-movement layout and reconciled the Baroque ritornello form (with
its contrasts between tutti and solo) with the new forms of the Classical period such as sonata form
and rondo form. There can be no doubt that Bach’s innovations in the keyboard concerto influenced
Mozart, because Mozart visited Bach in London in 1764 when Mozart was eight, during an extensive
tour with his father.2 Mozart studied composition in London with Bach for five months and, never the
one to pay needless compliments, often spoke in later life of the deep influence Bach’s teaching and
music had on his own development. Mozart also arranged movements from three of Bach’s keyboard
sonatas into keyboard concertos.

Mozart wrote 27 keyboard concertos in total. Taking out some juvenile works, the arrangements
mentioned above, and one concerto each for two pianos and three pianos, there are 21 mature
concertos for piano and orchestra by Mozart, dating between 1773 and 1791, the year of his death. 15 of
these were composed between 1782 and 1786. The main reason Mozart composed so many concertos
was to provide material for himself to play in public subscription concerts which he organised as a
freelance musician during his time in Vienna. His aim in the concertos, as he once explained in a
letter to his father, was to provide music that would be both entertaining to the casual listener and also
emotionally and intellectually stimulating to the connoisseur. In these works, Mozart set the standard
for the Classical concerto, establishing it as a form in which the highest aim was to achieve a sense of
dialogue between soloist and orchestra. In performing his concertos, Mozart would have conducted
the ensemble himself from the keyboard.

Mozart’s Piano concerto No 23 in A major, K 488, was written in early 1786 and first performed with
Mozart at the keyboard at a subscription concert in Vienna during the Spring of the same year, around
the time Mozart was completing his opera Le nozze di Figaro (The Marriage of Figaro). The concerto
is scored for solo piano, one flute, two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns and strings. Piano concerto
No 23 was the second of Mozart’s Piano concertos to feature clarinets; the first was Piano concerto
No 22 K 482. Although quite lightly scored, the work is typical of Mozart’s concertos in featuring
frequent exchanges between the wind instruments and the soloist. As usual for Classical concertos, the
work is in three movements: Allegro, Adagio and Allegro assai.

1
The invention of the piano is usually credited to the Italian harpsichord maker Bartolomeo Christofori (1655–1731). The first record of
his invention dates from 1700 in the court of the Medici family, where he worked, referring to Un Arpicembalo di Bartolomeo Cristofori
di nuova inventione, che fa’ il piano, e il forte (A harp-harpsichord by Bartolomeo Christofori of new invention that produced soft and
loud). From this description comes the term fortepiano (as early pianos were termed) and later pianoforte or just ‘piano’.
2
Johann Christian Bach settled in London in 1762 and remained there for the rest of his life, where he held a prominent position in
London’s burgeoning concert scene.

page 8
Analysis

The second movement of Mozart’s Piano concerto No 23 is in F# minor, the relative minor key to the
A major of the outer movements. Significantly, this movement is the only surviving piece by Mozart in
this key. At times the piano part is very sparse in texture. Although most modern recordings follow the
score exactly, it is inconceivable that Mozart himself would have played some of these passages strictly
as written. Given that these concertos were for his own use (and remained unpublished until after his
death) it seems likely that these ‘bare bones’ phrases in the piano part were a mere framework around
which Mozart would have improvised.

In character, the movement is a siciliana, employing standard features of this dance form: slow
tempo, compound duple meter and lilting rhythms, such as the following:

6 œ œj œ œj œ œj œ œj œ ™ œ œ œ œj œ ™ œ œ œ œj œ œj œ ™ œ œ œ œj œ ™ œ œ
/8

In the late Baroque period, the siciliana was associated in opera with pastoral scenes and ideas
(shepherds, fields, nature, etc.) and is frequently found in the minor mode, tinged with a hint of sadness,
longing or nostalgia. Mozart draws on this tradition in this movement, which is surely one of the most
poignant pieces of music he ever wrote.

The form of this movement is ternary (ABA1) with internal transitions and a final coda. The B section
is cast in the relative major key (A major) and provides a sense of relief from the melancholic feeling of
the F# minor outer sections. Each section has two themes. The movement can be represented in a table,
as follows:

Bar 1 12 20 35 43 51 53 68 84

Section A Transition B Transition A Coda

Theme Primary Secondary Primary Secondary Primary Secondary
theme theme theme theme Theme theme
Instru- Piano Orchestra Piano/ Piano/ Piano/ Orchestra Piano Orchestra/ Orchestra/
ment Orchestra Orchestra Orchestra Piano Piano
Modula- Modula-
Key F# minor A major F# minor
tion tion

In section A, the primary theme is heard entirely in the piano solo part and the secondary theme is
presented entirely by the orchestra. The primary theme of section A is a twelve-bar period3 comprising
two phrases, antecedent and consequent. This is a very standard structure for Classical themes.
The antecedent phrase will end with a cadence that is less finite in feeling than the cadence in the
consequent phrase – in this case the antecedent phrase ends with an imperfect cadence in bar 4 – and
the consequent phrase provides a stronger sense of closure with a perfect cadence – here, in bar 12. The
less typical feature of this period is that the consequent phrase is twice as long as the antecedent phrase,
meaning that the period is asymmetrical.

3
A musical statement terminated by a cadence comprising complementary phrases, each generally two-to-eight bars long and
respectively called ‘antecedent’ and ‘consequent’.

page 9
 ### 6 œ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œÆ ‰ œ
Antecedent phrase (4 bars)

& 8 œœœ œ
œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ œj ‰ ‰

{ ? ### 68 œœ

I
œœj œœ
J
œœj œ™
J ™
œ

II7 d
#œ
V7 b
œj œœ
j ‰ #œJ
I
J
j
œœ œœ ™
Ib IIb
œj œ ™
Ϫ
Ic
œj ‰ ‰
œ
J
V
(Imperfect cadence)

# # œ ™ <n>œ œ œ ™ œ œ n œ œ œ #œ œ
5 Consequent phrase (8 bars)

&# #œ ™ œ ‰ ‰ œ<n>œ #œ œ œ œ œ
œœ
J

{ ? ### œœ

I
œœj œœ
J
VIIb
œœj œœ
J
III
œœj œ
J œ
I
œœj œ
J #œ
IV#7 b
œj #œœ
œ
J
V6
œœj
J

. . œ.
œ
# # j j j . . nœ j
& # œ #œ nœ ‰ ‰ nœ ™ œ œ œ œ nœ. œ œ
8

œ™<#>œ œ œœ #œœ œ

{ # œ œ
J
j
? ## œ œ <n>œœ

I VI
œœj nœœœ
J
N6
œœj œœ œœj nœœ
œJ œ œJ œ ‰ Œ ‰ œœ
Ic
j
œj œ œ œœj ‰
œ œ œ J
J J
V7 I
(Perfect cadence)

The melody of both phrases is highly expressive and borrows distinct vocal effects from the world
of opera, with which Mozart was, of course, highly familiar. The antecedent phrase contains wide,
expressive leaps while the consequent phrase introduces chromaticism and accented dissonance. For
instance, the B# in the melody in bar 6 is an appoggiatura to the 3rd (C#) of the mediant triad (III),
which only resolves to C# once the harmonic progression has already moved to the tonic. In bar 7, all
of the melody notes on the quaver beats are non-harmonic notes resolving to chord notes on the ‘off ’
beats. In bars 9-10, Mozart introduces the Neapolitan 6th chord (N6). This harmony involves using the
lowered second degree of the scale (G§) as the root of a major triad (G-B-D). Almost invariably, this
triad is heard in first inversion (hence Neapolitan 6th). In opera of the eighteenth century it is almost
always a signifier of grief or lament, and is deliberately introduced here to produce a similar affect.

The perfect cadence that ends the primary theme in bar 12 is elided with the beginning of the
secondary theme. This is an eight-bar unit played entirely by the orchestra and featuring some highly
effective writing for the wind instruments. The thematic material is generated by a two-bar motive,
shown under brackets in the reduced version below in which the accompaniment textures and octave
doubling have been removed:

page 10
 ##
12

&# Œ ‰ œ™ œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ

{
Ϫ

Œ ‰ œ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ™
? ### œ˙ ™™
˙™ œ™ œ™ ˙™
hemiola

h h h
16
## œ™ œ œ œ #œ œ œ
& # #œ ™ œ™ œ œ
J
œ œ œ œ œ œ

{ œ
? ### œ™ œ œ œ œ œ
Ϫ
#œ ™
#œ ™
nœ ™
nœ ™
n œ œ œ œ™
#œ ™ œ
nœ œ #œœ œœ<n>œœ œ œ<#>œœ œ
œ œ

In the first half of this theme, the melody is imitated in canon at the interval of a 7th below after
one bar. The imitation breaks down in bar 16 and the theme leads into its cadence. The melody in
bars 18 and 19 follows yet another common convention of pre-cadential material in that it uses a
hemiola pattern in which the two bars of melody are organised into three minims rather than two
dotted minims. The rather sweeping, continuous nature of this theme provides a clear contrast with the
more hesitant, almost stuttering character of the first theme.

Bars 20-34 provide a transition between sections A and B. The piano enters after the cadence in
bar 20 with new thematic material that, nonetheless, is related in character to the primary theme. A
two-bar melodic unit in bars 20-21 is repeated with rhythmic variation in bars 22-23. A third version
of this unit begins in bar 24 but is harmonically altered in bar 25 by substituting E# for E, heard over
G# and B, thus creating Vb in the relative major key. At this point, orchestral accompaniment in the
strings is brought in and the music lands on an imperfect cadence in bar 28. From this point until bar
34 the music prolongs dominant function while also introducing chromatic inflections (C§ and F§) in
the melodic writing by drawing on the parallel minor to A major (i.e. A minor).

The primary theme in section B is an eight-bar period in A major. The antecedent phrase is played
almost entirely by the winds, ending with an imperfect cadence in bar 38. The quality of the first two bars
of this phrase is distinctive for the ‘chattering’ effect of the arpeggiated clarinet accompaniment figure
in semiquaver triplets. The consequent phrase, in which the piano now joins the winds, commences
with the same two-bar idea that commenced in the antecedent, but leads now to a perfect cadence in
bar 42.

The second thematic idea of section B comprises a pair of phrases, but they both end in a perfect
cadence and are not, therefore, in an antecedent-consequent relationship. Also irregular is the fact
that the first phrase is only three bars long and the second is six. The difference is explained by the
vary short cadential progression at the end of the first phrase (bar 45) and the significantly elongated
cadential progression in the second (bars 48-51). A simplified version is shown here:

page 11
 piano piano
® ®
œœœœœœœ œœœœœœœ
### 6 œœ œœœœ
x x
œ œ œ œ œœ
43
œœ œœ œœ œœ
& 8 J J ‰ ‰ J J ‰ ‰

{
winds winds

? ### 68 ‰ œ œ œj œ œ œœ œj œœj
œ œ œ ‰ ‰ œ œ J ‰ J

≈ winds
winds
≈ œœ œ œœ 3 T œ j œ œ œ œœœœœ
3 x' '
3

### œ œ œ œ œ œ
45 x'
#œnœ œ œ ‰ ‰ œ œ œ œ œœ
& œ œœœœœœ J J J
‰ ‰

{
piano

œj ≈
œ œ jœœ ≈
œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
3

? ### œœ œ œ
‰ ‰ œ œœ
3
3

J J ‰ ‰ œ œ œ J ‰ ‰
perfect cadence

œ œ œ
### œ œ œ ™ œ œ œ œÆ œ œ œ Ÿ
48 piano

& J J œ œ ˙™ œœ œ

{? ### œ ‰ #œ ‰ œ ‰ œ ‰ œ ‰ œ ‰
perfect cadence
œ

A particular feature is the dialogue between piano and winds. In the first phrase a motive (marked
x) is introduced in the winds and repeated in the following bar, before the cadence. This motive is
answered each time by a scalar flourish in the piano part. In the second phrase, the roles are reversed.
The piano has (in varied form) the two statements of motive x and the winds have a variant of the scale
passage in triplet semiquavers. A short transition of two bars (bars 51-52) returns the music by means
of a simple modulation to F# minor and the return of section A.

Bars 53-63 are identical to bars 1-11; however, instead of completing a perfect cadence, bar 64
provides an interrupted cadence (V in the previous bar going to VI) after which the cadential
progression, starting with the Neapolitan sixth, is repeated in a slightly varied form and allowed to
reach a perfect cadence in bar 68. The secondary theme is then heard again in more or less original
form in bars 68-76. A varied repeat of this theme commences at the cadence in bar 76 in the piano but
in a varied form (using accented non-harmonic notes as in bar 7) and answered by the violins at bar 77.
The canonic structure, however, soon breaks down and the music becomes increasingly fragmentary,
although still following the original harmonic progression of the secondary theme. With the perfect
cadence in bar 84, the coda commences.

The coda is in two parts. Bars 84-92 introduce a distinctive accompaniment figure using pizzicato
in the strings beneath melodic fragments in the piano (surely meant as a framework for improvisation
– see above). In the second part of the coda, the secondary theme is reintroduced (winds) and repeated
three times, but without any imitation. Instead the piano answers with a wistful repeated-note gesture.
This leads to a final perfect cadence in bar 98.

Copyright © 2019 AMEB (Australian Music Examinations Board).

All Rights Reserved. Unauthorised Reproduction is Illegal.
page 12
 Grade 6 Theory Set Works

Beethoven
Symph0ny No 5 Op. 67
First movement
Analytical notes by Simon Perry

Background information
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827) completed nine symphonies over the course of his career. In
these works, he almost single-handedly transformed the genre of the symphony from the restrained
Classical dimensions of the works of his direct musical forebears, Joseph Haydn (1732–1809) and
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791), to the more ambitious, even epic, scope of music of the
Romantic era. When Beethoven arrived in Vienna in 1792, the Classical symphony had been brought
to a level of perfection in Haydn’s and Mozart’s works. These composers had made the symphony a
work of formal and expressive sophistication which served to entertain audiences through a seemingly
limitless capacity to create fresh music on the scaffold of a well-established formal framework. Typically,
this involved a four-movement plan, in which each movement conformed to a range of formal and
expressive possibilities:
1. Fast tempo, e.g. Allegro, possibly with a slow introduction, almost invariably in sonata form (see
below). Generally, this was the most complex and intellectually stimulating of the movements.
2. Slow tempo, e.g. Andante, Adagio, in different possible forms (sonata form, large-scale ternary,
theme and variations being the most common), usually in a contrasting key. This was the place
for a concentration on emotionally expressive content.
3. Minuet and Trio (triple-metre, dance-like movement) in a da capo form, i.e. the Minuet repeated
after the Trio; in later works of Haydn, the Minuet might be replaced by a faster Scherzo. The
expressive frame of this movement was usually one of elegance or, in the case of the Scherzo,
humour.1
4. Fast tempo, e.g. Vivace, Allegro, Presto, usually in sonata or rondo form. In contrast to the first
movement, the finale would be typically more light-hearted and spirited, and it was often the
place for clever, even virtuosic, orchestral writing, providing a suitably thrilling end to the
work.
Usually such a work would last around twenty-five minutes and require the forces of the typical orchestra
of the period: winds (comprising a pair each of flutes, oboes, possibly clarinets, bassoons), brass (usually
a pair of horns, and sometimes trombones and or trumpets), timpani, and strings (first and second
violins, viola, cellos and basses). Such works were performed both privately in the courts of the various
members of the aristocracy who patronised music and retained musicians as servants, and increasingly
in public concerts.

1
Scherzo means ‘joke’ in Italian.

page 13
 Beethoven’s first two symphonies (No 1, in C major, Op. 21 and No 2, in D major, Op. 36) more or less
conform to the model of the Classical symphony set out above, which he learned from his teacher, Haydn.
However, with the Third Symphony in Eb major Op. 55 (‘Eroica’), composed in 1803–04, Beethoven
proceeded on a new path, marking the beginning of his so-called ‘middle period’ of creativity.2 The
Third Symphony was far longer and more complex than any symphony written before it. While the
circumstances behind this are too involved to detail here, part of the reason for this departure had to
do with Beethoven’s strengthening conviction about his place in society as an artist. Unlike Haydn, who
remained, despite his public prestige, a Kapellmeister in the service of the aristocratic Esterházy family,
or Mozart, who aspired to a ‘freelance’ career, but died in poverty, Beethoven sought to carve out his
own creative agenda. Music to him was a calling, not a service, and his primary creative aim was to write
works of originality rather than works that were intended to please an audience. That he managed to
succeed in this says something about the changing times in which he lived (the French Revolution had
taken place at the time he arrived in Vienna and the social changes it brought about were exported across
Europe during the Napoleonic expansion from ca 1795 to 1812) and also the recognition of his genius
by a small group of aristocrats who largely supported him without placing conditions on the music he
wrote. In Beethoven’s final symphony, No 9 in D minor, Op. 125 (‘Choral’), he had taken the form to
an unprecedent level of expansion, involving four highly-complex movements, the last requiring vocal
soloists and chorus, altogether lasting over an hour in duration.

The Fifth Symphony was composed over the years 1804–1808 and premiered in Vienna on 22
December 1808.3 It is one of the most famous of all pieces of classical music. Its reputation as a pivotal
work in the transition from Classical to Romantic music was underpinned by a lengthy review of
the symphony, which appeared after its publication in 1810. The review was by E. T. A. Hoffmann
(1776–1822) – an influential writer, critic, and composer amongst other things – who claimed that the
symphony represented the epitome of music’s capacity to explore the ‘realm of the infinite’. It was not a
work that diverted or entertained, according to Hoffmann, but music in which the listener was ‘stirred,
deeply and intimately, by a feeling that is none other than that portentous longing, and until the final
chord... he will be powerless to step out of that wondrous spirit realm where grief and joy embrace him
in the form of sound’.4

Analysis
The first movement is scored for two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets in Bb, two bassoons, two
horns in Eb, two trumpets in C, two timpani on C and G, and strings (first and second violins, violas,
cellos and basses). This represents quite a standard ensemble for its time and place, and does not
exceed the kind of orchestra used by Haydn in his final symphonies. In fact, the orchestral forces
required are probably the most unremarkable aspect of the piece. The tempo is designated as Allegro
con brio5 (h = 108), and the metronome mark is Beethoven’s own. Many commentators have noted
that this metronome mark is very fast, much faster than many contemporary performances and,

2
Beethoven’s middle, or ‘heroic’ period commenced around the time he wrote to his brothers Carl and Johann about the
realisation that his increasing deafness was incurable, in a famous letter now known as the Heiligenstadt Testament (written in the
village of Heiligenstadt on 6 October 1802). This document is particularly noteworthy because in it, Beethoven writes of a dedication
to his art being the only thing to save him, amidst his profound despair at his condition, from suicide. This dedication to art is usually
understood to be reflected in the significant changes and expansions to the classical forms found in many of his works from around
this time.
3
This famous, or infamous, concert also included the following: Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony; his Fourth Piano Concerto;
two movements from his Mass in C; the concert aria Ah Perfido! for soprano and orchestra; a solo improvisation performed by Bee-
thoven; and the Choral Fantasy for piano, vocal soloists, chorus and orchestra. It lasted for four hours. The hall proved to be bitterly
cold, the musicians were under-rehearsed and the audience, while supportive of Beethoven, struggled to appreciate the presentation of
so many new, lengthy and highly complex works.
4
Quoted in Oliver Strunk, ed., Source Readings in Music History, rev. and ed. Leo Treitler (New York: Norton, 1998), pp. 1195-96.
5
‘Fast and with spirit’.

page 14
indeed, the movement is quite difficult to perform if the metronome mark is taken literally. Even
2
at slower speeds, the pacing of the music is such that the duple (4) metre sits under a clear two-bar
hypermetre (hypermetre is metre at a higher level, where a number of bars may be thought of as one
larger unit), with downbeats every two, rather than one, bar. This will prove significant in our analysis.

The movement is in sonata form. A very brief overview of the standard features of this form are
useful so that the framework for the movement is understood and those places where it varies from the
standard can be best appreciated. Sonata form is a large-scale instrumental form usually understood
to consist of three major sections: exposition, development and recapitulation. The exposition presents
thematic material and expresses a large-scale tonal contrast by modulating from the tonic key to a
related key (typically the dominant, if the movement is in a major key, or the relative major, if the
movement is in a minor key). Usually, thematic material is grouped around this large-scale modulation
such that the main theme is encountered in the tonic and the subordinate theme (or themes) in the
related key.6 Between these two themes will be a transition. These elements can be expanded and varied
in different ways, but the basic scheme looks like this:

Themes Main theme Transition Subordinate theme(s)

Key Tonic (major) Dominant
Tonic (minor) Relative major
Cadence Perfect or imperfect Imperfect (in the key of Perfect
the subordinate theme)

The development section is the least predictable part of the movement. Generally, its job is to
modulate through a range of keys, while eventually working its way back to the tonic key, ending
with an imperfect cadence. Also, it will typically ‘work over’ the motivic and thematic material of the
exposition in various ways. It is quite common to find extensive use of sequences and usually, at the end,
a long prolongation of dominant harmony in the tonic key, setting up the return of the tonic chord and
the main theme at the point of recapitulation. In the recapitulation, the most common procedure is that
the thematic material of the exposition is given again, with everything now in the tonic key. In some
sonata-form pieces an introduction may precede the exposition, often in a slow tempo, and a coda may
follow the recapitulation.

In Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, the relative length of each section is as follows:

Exposition: 124 bars Development: 124 bars Recapitulation: 126 bars Coda: 128 bars

From this, it is immediately clear that the broad proportions of the movement are unusual – the coda
is one quarter the length of the movement (i.e. the same length as each of the other sections). In the
present case, as will be seen, the coda here serves also as a kind of second development. The fact that
Beethoven saw it necessary to further explore the potential of the thematic materials of the exposition
well beyond the conventions of the form is evidence of the changing of Classical to Romantic aesthetics,
and the shifting emphases placed on form (Classical) and content (Romantic).

6
In some descriptions of sonata form, the terms ‘main theme’ and ‘subordinate theme’ are replaced by ‘first subject’ and ‘second
subject’, or, ‘primary theme’ and ‘secondary theme’. They essentially mean the same thing.

page 15
Exposition

The main components for the exposition are set out below:

Bar 1 22 59 95 110
Section Main theme Transition Subordinate themes Closing section
(first subject) (second subject)
(first) (second)
Key C minor C minor → Eb major Eb major Eb major
(ending on V) Eb major (ending on V) (ending on V–I) (confirmed)
(ending on V)

The exposition starts not with a theme, but with a four-note motive, marked x, played in unison and
then repeated a step lower:

U U
x
bb 2 ‰
x
b
& 4 œ œ œ ˙ ‰ œ œ œ
˙ ˙
ff

This motive may well be the most famous four notes in classical music history and has become a
common-place sonic object outside of the symphony itself. That aside, it serves as the primary driving
force for much of the movement to follow. It is often described in writings about this symphony as
a ‘motto’ and even, in rather poetic terms, as representing ‘fate knocking at the door’. As presented
in these first five bars, the lack of harmonic clarity – there is no root for the tonic in bars 1-2 and
none, either, for the dominant 7th in bars 3-5 – and the rhythmic isolation resulting from the fermatas
(pauses) mark these two statements of the motive as sitting almost ‘outside’ the processes of the form,
as simply providing the fuel for the flames. It also comes back at pivotal movements to interrupt (or
disrupt) those processes.

The main theme proper commences at bar 6 and is exactly 16 bars long. It is worth a bit of study,
as it expresses a very archetypal kind of thematic process, something which Beethoven certainly
inherited from Haydn. This kind of theme is sometimes called a ‘sentence’ and consists of eight bars
of music divided into two four-bar phrases, which can be called ‘presentation’ and ‘continuation’. The
presentation will ‘present’ a two-bar basic idea and repeat it immediately, either exactly or in a varied,
but obviously recognisable form. The continuation will usually fragment the two-bar structure of the
basic idea by speeding up harmonic rhythm and starting to rework the motivic material before ending
in a cadence (either perfect or imperfect). Using the motive x as the generative material, this archetype
can be seen in the main theme of this movement, save that the fast tempo and two-bar hypermetre
means that the eight-bar length is notated across 16 bars. In these bars it can be seen how flexible
motive x is – the interval between the third and fourth notes can be changed and even the contour
of the motive starts to deviate in the continuation phrase. In other words, from the very beginning,
this motive is in an almost perpetual state of development. What does not change is its rhythm:

| Ò ŒÂ | Ó |

page 16
 Presentation (4 bars of hypermetre)
basic idea (tonic) basic idea (dominant)
x
b ‰̇ œ œ œ ˙ ‰̇ œ œ œ ˙
6
œœ
[ str., bn]
&b b ∑ ‰ œœœ ˙ Œ ‰ œœœ ˙

{
p x
b
x

& b b ‰ œ œ œ ˙˙ ˙˙ ˙˙ œ̇ œ œ œ n ˙˙ ˙˙ ˙˙

single bars of hypermetre ì wI ìw ì Vb

(etc.)

Continuation and cadence (4 bars of hypermetre) U

fragmentation of motive x
œœ œœ œœ œœ œ
˙
œœœ œœœ œœœ #œœ n ˙˙
b œ
& b b œ̇ œ̇ œ œ œ œ̇ œ̇ œ œ œ œœ œ œœ œœœ
14

œœœœ Œ #œœ Œ n ˙˙
n ˙˙˙

{
n œœ œ
œœj œœ
cresc. f [ tutti.]
b œ œ œ Œ ˙
&b b ˙ œ̇ œ œ œ n ˙˙ œ̇ œ œ œ œ ™ ?nœ œ œ œ Œ œ ˙
˙ n œJ
I Vb I Vb I It. 6 V
faster harmonic rhythm cadential progression
(imperfect cadence)

The transition commences at bar 22 with a unison statement of motive x in the entire orchestra now
on a new pair of notes, Ab and F. As in the very opening, a pause on the final note marks this as somehow
‘outside’ the temporal process of the music. The transition proper commences at bar 25, with intensive
development of motive x building up to a climax at bar 44 followed by tumbling cascades of the motive
over three chords: I, V7b and a diminished 7th chord on C (bar 52) which provides the pivot chord for
the modulation to Eb and leads to Vb in that key (bar 58), producing a weak imperfect cadence.

The subordinate theme commences in bar 607 with its own introduction involving an adaptation
of motive x to form a horn call expressing the open 5ths of the tonic and dominant triads in Eb major
(Bb–Eb, F–Bb). This prepares the ground for the presentation of the subordinate theme proper at 64 (or,
as anacrusis, 63) with the four-bar (or, as heard, two-bar) basic idea as follows:

Subordinate theme basic idea

[horns] [upper strings]
œ̇
x
b œ̇ œ œ̇ œ
59

& b b ‰ œ ∑œ œ ˙ ∑ ˙∑ ∑
˙ ˙ ˙
œ œ̇ œ
˙

{ ? bb
b
ff sf

ìw
sf sf

ìw
˙
p
˙ ˙ ˙
‰
[cellos and basses]
ìw
œ
œ
œ
œ
œ
œ
˙œ
œ Œ

hypermetre downbeats: x ìw

7
In a literal sense it starts at 59, but because of the hypermetre, that whole bar is really felt as an anacrusis.

page 17
Notice a further adaptation of motive x in the lower strings emphasising the hypermetric down beat.
Unlike the main theme, this subordinate theme is looser in construction. The basic idea is repeated twice
more, introducing different orchestral combinations before striving upwards in a sequence to land on
Vb, fortissimo at bar 94. This elides with a second subordinate theme heard in the violins, as follows:

œ. œ. œ. œ œ œ. .
rhythm of x

b œ œ œ œ. œ. œ œ œ. . œ œ
&b b œ œ. œ œ œ œ œ j
. . . œ

This is heard twice, the second statement concluding on a perfect cadence in Eb major at bar 110, the
first such cadence heard so far in the movement. This is followed by another 14 bars (the last two silent)
comprising a post-cadential closing section which rounds off the exposition with reiterated statements
of V to I, above which motive x is heard (bars 111–24).

Development

The development commences at bar 125 with two fortissimo statements of motive x on dominant
harmony in F minor, the subdominant key. This introduces a statement of the presentation phrase of
the main theme, but now in F minor (compare bars 6–13 with 129-136). Instead of the continuation
phrase (see bars 14-21), however, an eight-bar unit of invertible two-part counterpoint,8 derived from
the continuation phrase, and modulating up a fifth to C minor, commences at bar 137:
A

œ œ œ œ œ̇ œ œ œ œ̇ œ œ œ
[ vln. 1 ]

b
137
˙
&b b ˙ œ œ œ œ œ̇ œ œ œ

{
[ vln. 2] B
˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙
? bb
b
[ vla, cello]

bb œœ œ œŒ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œœ œœ œœ
142

& b œ œ œ œ nœ Œ

{ ? bb
b
˙ œ œ œ #œ œ œ œ nœ

Œ œ
˙
œ
Œ
(etc.)

Some harmonic filler parts are left out of this example, to show the two main lines of counterpoint,
marked by the brackets A and B. This unit is then repeated from bar 145 (the second last bar of the
example above) with lines A and B swapped, i.e. A in the violas and cellos, B in the violins. The first
four bars are then heard again, now in G minor (each time the unit modulates a fifth higher); line A in
flutes, 1st clarinet and 1st bassoon; line B in violas and cellos. At bar 157, however, the sequential process
breaks off and the music continues to fragment motive x and builds to a large climax on the dominant
of G minor, at bar 179.

8
By two-part invertible counterpoint we mean that the lines of counterpoint can be swapped (inverted) by a particularly interval.
The most common interval of inversion is the octave, as is the case here.

page 18
 This is followed by a second large-scale sequential process, now involving the horn call that introduced
the subordinate theme to generate a new eight-bar unit, shown here in a simplified version to make the
main components clear:

œœœ n˙ nœ œ œ nœ
b œœœ ˙ #œ œ
17 9
˙ ˙ ˙ œ J
& b b ‰ ˙ n˙ #œ œ #œ˙ nœ œ nœ˙ œ œ

{ ff sf sf
Œ̇
? bb
sf
œ œ nœ #œ œ
b ∑ ∑ ∑ Œ œ nœ #œ œ j
œ

This idea commences in G minor, but the final G-B§ provides a pivot into C minor (being V in that
key) and the whole unit is repeated sequentially in bars 187–95. At bar 197, in the winds, the first three
notes of the horn call sound, now in F minor (C–F–G), but the call is left incomplete and the music
moves into a phase of fragmentation, commencing at bar 198, which takes the second and third notes
of the horn call, a rising-step progression, developing them through antiphonal9 treatment in which
the step progression, harmonised in block chords, is swapped between strings and winds. This rises
sequentially and takes the music to Bb minor by bar 209. From this point, the two-chord idea fragments
to a single chord, still treated antiphonally, commencing at bar 210, and with diminishing dynamics.
The harmonic progression is now quite unstable and follows a chromatic path based on a rising bass
line: Db–Eb–F–F#. By bar 221, the bass note F# supports Vb in G minor and a version of the horn call
suddenly interjects at bar 228. If this is meant to signal anything, it is premature, and the quiet, almost
mysterious antiphonal effect returns at bar 233, now filling out VII7 in C minor which signals that the
return to the tonic key is imminent. From bar 240 motive x is hammered out repeatedly and violently in
the entire orchestra on the upper two notes of the VII7 (Ab and F). At bar 248 these two notes step down
to G and Eb and the return of the opening version of the motive, now played by the entire orchestra,
signals the recapitulation.

Recapitulation

There are only small changes to the main theme given now at bars 253-68, the most distinctive being
a short, unmeasured cadenza for the oboe over the final dominant chord in bar 268. The transition is
also quite similar to how it appears in the exposition, save that a harmonic adjustment is made from bar
296 so that the music can remain in the tonic key. The subordinate theme commences in C major10 with
the horn call, now played by bassoons, commencing at bar 303. Apart from the key, there are only small
differences here compared to the exposition. The structural perfect cadence (equivalent to bar 110 in the
exposition) is achieved at bar 362 and the closing section finishes at bar 374.

9
Antiphonal refers to music that uses opposing blocks of sound. In orchestral terms, this usually means block-line alternations
between generic groups – winds, brass, strings.
10
In minor key sonata-form movements, the tonic major key is often used for the subordinate theme in the recapitulation, because
it preserves the same modality of that theme as given in the exposition which is typically in the relative major.

page 19
Coda

Instead of the movement concluding at bar 374, as would be completely possible from a formal point
of view, it continues, as we already know, a further 125 bars to form an extended coda, which acts as a
second development (although without the extensive modulation of the actual development; the coda
remains generally in the orbit of C minor). The coda is in four broad parts. It commences by continuing
directly on from the perfect cadence at bar 374, treating the major tonic chord as V in F minor and leaning
toward the subdominant key (bars 374–81), which leads to a repeated fortissimo hammering of a Db major
triad (VIb in F minor) over bars 382-86. This is followed by an almost comically contrasting, inverted
statement (F–Ab) of motive x in bassoon and clarinet (bars 387-88), played piano, like a question – as in
‘was all that hammering really necessary?’ To affirm that it was, another violent hammering of repeated
chords (now a diminished 7th on F#) follows, and again a rising version of motive x, now on C–Eb
(bars 390-97).

Bars 374-97, described above, form the first part of the coda, and are marked by violent contrasts,
discontinuity and harmonic instability. Bar 398 marks the beginning of the second part of the coda,
which is now more continuous in nature. It commences with a version of the horn call (bassoon, viola,
cello) with a new counterpoint (violins):

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
new counterpoint
b nœ œ œ œ œ nœ œ œ œ
398

&b b ∑ ∑ ∑

{ ? bb ‰
b
œ œ œ ˙
NB
˙

horn call
˙ œ œ œ œ ˙ ˙

bb œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
sequence extending new counterpoint
405

& b

{ œ œ œ œ œ œ
etc.
˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ
?b
bb

As in the development, the second and third notes of the horn call (marked NB above) serve as the
basis for development, being halved in rhythmic value (minims become crotchets) and treated
sequentially from bar 407, with a continuation of the new counterpoint heard above. At bar 433 this
passage concludes on a tonic chord in C minor and elides to the third part of the development, where
a new theme appears, which on closer inspection turns out to be related to the subordinate theme. This
relationship is shown below by the square brackets highlighting a four-note motive, connected by the
arrow. Note, particularly, how this new theme shifts the downbeat of the four-note motive marked by
one bar (half a bar of hypermetre). This metric displacement serves somewhat to disguise the origins of
the material:

page 20
 w ìw ìw ìw
(hypermetre down beats)

b œ œ. œ. œ œ. œ. œ œ œ. œ. œ œ
423
œ œ
&b b

b œ œ œ
63
œ œ œ
&b b œ œ

ìw ìw
(hypermetre down beats)

This four-note motive rises sequentially and then moves to a perfect cadence at bar 439. Antiphonal
treatment of the four-note motive, switched between winds and strings, follows this cadence, leading
to another cadence at bar 459.

The final part of the coda follows the cadence at bar 459 and is concerned with emphasising the
tonic through reiterated V-I underlying progressions. Motive x is heard on a single G (the dominant
pitch) followed by a melodic fragment related to the theme shown above, leading to a final statement of
the opening ‘motto’, fortissimo, across the entire orchestra at bars 476-82. After the pause, a recollection
of the main theme’s presentation phrase is given, however only with the tonic version of its basis idea
(bars 483-490) followed by the final series of V-I progressions to close the movement.

In this movement, Beethoven both pays homage to his teacher, Haydn, and breaks new ground.
Haydn was a master of generating large movements from a small pool of basic motivic material.
The way in which Beethoven utilises, for the most part, a four-note idea (motive x) is, therefore, in a
sense, ‘Haydnesque’. What is not ‘Haydnesque’ is the obsessive, almost maniacal nature of Beethoven’s
exploration of the potential of the basic material which seems to lead, more than once, to extremes of
musical expression that are almost violent in nature, uncontrolled by any sense of formal propriety.
This is particularly so in the coda.

Copyright © 2019 AMEB (Australian Music Examinations Board).

All Rights Reserved. Unauthorised Reproduction is Illegal.
 page 21