SYMPHONY NO.

4
‘ITALIAN’ MOVEMENT III
MENDELSSOHN
GEORGIA, ZACH, RONNIE
 ORCHESTRATION
WOODWINDS STRINGS
BRASS
PERCUSSION
2 flutes Violins
2 trumpets
2 clarinets Cellos Timpani
2 horns
2 bassoons Violas
 STRUCTURE
OUTLINE ANALYSIS
MINUET TRIO MINUET REPRISE
Theme A1 Theme B1 Theme A1
A major modulation to E major Starts in E major A major to E major

Theme A2 Theme B2 Theme A2 CODA

Extends to dominant minor then Modulates to dominant minor, then Extends to dominant minor then to
various keys various keys as in minuet various keys Combines both Theme A and Theme B

Theme A3 Theme B1 Theme A3

Back to tonic key Back to E major Back to A major

Codetta Codetta Codetta

 GENERAL
ABOUT THIS MOVEMENT
Time
Key Tonality Tempo
signature
Con moto
A Major 3/4 Major
moderato

Mendelssohn chose rather than to go for the aggressive Beethoven-inspired scherzo minuet that was prominent to many later symphonies, but to follow the lead of
Beethoven’s eighth symphony in writing a gentler and stately movement more like the minuet model.
This movement follows the Minuet - Trio - Minuet reprise model making it relatively traditional. Although the Minuet and trio are usually in binary form, the second
halves are expanded. After the reprise of the Minuet , the movement closes with a coda (bar 202) that combines elements of both the Minuet and Trio as a way of
rounding it off. The woodwind and horns are used with restraint in order to colour the strings initial thematic statement.
 THEME A1
BARS 1-20
The opening is written for strings only , and is in the key of A major

THEME
A1

IMPERFECT
VIOLINS UNACCOMPANIED IN CADENCE
OCTAVES
This ends on an imperfect cadence, therefore landing on the dominant chord of E major. At this point , horns enter with a pedal note , alongside
this can be heard a repeated pattern
As the melodic line moves forward, the harmony goes back to the tonic ( A major ), before passing through a tonicisation of F# minor ( Bar 15 ) which
then results in a cadence in E major.

C F B E
# # 7

PERFECT CADENCE IN F# PERFECT CADENCE IN E

MINOR MAJOR

Above a sustained pedal note of E in first violins and horns, the 2nd violins accompany playing a quaver broken chord figuration. Above this, a solo flute
and clarinet are introduced for the first time playing a series of suspensions ( an octave apart ). This passage ends in a perfect cadence in the dominant key
and then is repeated.
 THEME A2
BARS 21-41
The same quaver idea leads into a second phrase , there is then a clear modulation to the minor with the use of G naturals in the violins and oboes. The passage is growing out
of the material from the first phrase with use of adventurous harmony, tonicisation of B minor ( bar 24 ).

MENDELSSOHN ENJOYED REPEATING TWO-BAR UNITS (BARS

24-28)
 Bars 29-34 are heard forte as the quaver accompaniment idea from theme A are heard weaving through C#b9/7 in third inversion preparing for impending
tonicisation to F# minor. The diminished harmony returns in bar 33. In bar 34, the opening of theme A is heard in violins 2 and the violas and yet again a 2-bar
section is repeated, this indicates a shift to F# minor but is not clear due to an E# left out from the dominant of the cadence.

NO E# USED IN THIS
CHORD:
C#,G#,B(C#7)

The music makes its way to the dominant of the home key and the return of the original thematic material.
 THEME A3
BARS 42-57

The rest of the orchestra rejoins at this point ( without trumpets ), from bar 45-49, the thematic material can be heard in the violins 1 while the woodwind
emphasises 4 cadences into D major. For the remaining 8 bars, the texture is initially reduced down to strings then starts to build including bassoons and
woodwind to complete the passage. The harmony continues to be of interest in this 8-bar passage, it eventually concludes with a perfect cadence in A ( the
home key of the minuet ).
 CODETTA
BARS 57-76
This is based on bars 1-20 and theme A1 , with some adjusted organisation of ideas and with the material scored more fully for orchestra.

KEY THINGS TO
NOTE:
1. The emphasis on tonic pedal ( bars 57-59, 69-76 in the bass and horn ).
2. The inclusion of trills for all upper woodwind in bars ( 64 & 66 ).
3. The reliance on the quaver figuration from theme A1 and throughout the passage.
4. The very gentle ending to the passage, with piano quaver chords in flutes and clarinets and pp thematic line in violin 1.
5. This section ends in A major.
 THEME B1
BARS 77-92
This is a ‘picturesque’ trio, which adds a sense of mystery, the section opens with bassoons and horns reminiscent of soft fanfare, answered by an ascending pp phrase in the
violins which uses a distinctive halting rhythm.

THEME
B1

ASCENDING VIOLIN 1
PHRASE

A repeat of the fanfare idea ( theme B ) is answered by flute, and then bassoons and horns complete the statement by extending the fanfare idea ( bar 86 and
onwards ). The anacrusis in this section is a crochet value, and the idea includes soft accents which punctuate the figure. The horns and bassoons end the section
which finalises on a perfect cadence in E major. This section is then repeated.
 THEME B2
BARS 93-108

This is heard mf, as Mendelssohn includes trumpets and drums to aid the fanfare, which is heard on a unison B played by woodwind, echoing the figure played previously by
the horns at the beginning of the trio. Although the previous phrase clearly ended in E major, the omission of the rest of the chord here puts a question mark over the exact
tonality. This figure ends on a perfect cadence in bars ( 95-96 ). The fanfare theme is again repeated, this time answered by strings as the music tonicises to A minor before
ending on an imperfect cadence in A minor.

There are two further steps in this passage, the first time fanfare’s given by brass and timps ( bars 104-108 ) , answered by strings with a new repeated motif:

VIOLINS
1
 THEME B1
BARS 108-124

This is based on bars 72-92, and the return to the opening of the trio restores calmly. Interestingly the music for the violins and flutes have been
swapped.
 SECTION A REPEAT
BARS 125-202
After a two bar link in the style of the opening, the minuet is repeated. Stylistically, there is typically no repeat of the theme A in the recap of the minuet.

THEME A1:
Bars 125-146 THEME A2: THEME A3:
Bars 147-166 Bars 167-183 CODETTA:
Bars 183-202
 CODA
BARS 202 TO THE END

The fanfares from the trio are heard, combined and answered
with elements from the minuet. The two sections have been
united and are now presented using full orchestra. The texture is
still antiphonal in style. In bar 202, the bassoons and horns play
material from bars 84-88 along with further reminders of the
fanfare figure heard in upper woodwind then the trumpets and
timpani. The movement ends with three very quiet tonic chords
on the first beats of the final three bars, with the strings playing
pizzicato.