Saturday, September 29, 2007

Nicole's Group

Since no one in my group has posted yet, I thought I give what I have so far..

1. Motive Texture 198-205 Connects to What?

I did a harmonic analysis on all of the motive textures found within the piece. It seems as if they are an extended cadential passage that seems to be the transition between one theme texture to another.

2. Exposition Transitions-Harmonic Analysis

3. mm. 155-161: Deviates from Exposition; Like mm. 107?

What our group noticed when we were in class on Wednesday was that it seems that the deviation happens in about the same spot of the recap. as when the transition in the exposition starts. It seems like he deviated so that he could modulate to another key. In the exposition he modulates to G Major, but it seems like he modulates to E Major in the recap. The question still is why though...

4. Harmony from 183-199


I have the analysis for 2 and 4, but I don't know what to make of them in the context of the piece, they don't seem to be too much out of place, but I know that there is probably something I'm missing.

Friday, September 28, 2007

Group Hector "MISTER"

Exposition ending in a Gm64?

Retransition @ 133? KEY?

m141. Recap ent. Why obscured entry?

Texture on 91?

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Group Shiela's Analysis

Hello teammates and fellow bloggers!

Here is what our group has come up with at this point. More research is planned to be tackled and updates will soon be posted.

Repeats at mm. 208:
-Contains the same closing theme at the repeat in the recap as the exposition
-Beethoven may have put the repeat here to elongate the piece (development & recap are shorter than what is usually expected)
-Puts more emphasis on the development and the recap

How many PACs?
-17 PACs
-There is still tension in the piece because these PACs are small, they move quickly, and are not very definitive

mm. 123-127 vs. mm. 155-161
-mm. 155-161 (e minor) is a variation of 123-127 (b-flat)
-Stacks the same as it did in mm. 123-127
-mm. 123-132 is in the exact middle of the piece
-The piece may be like a mirror. Significance of the "a tempo" found in mm. 123

Coda? What happens? Why?
-Coda is similar to a typical recap
-Starts with the opening theme in the exposition (e minor)
-He restates original themes from the exposition
-Harmonically, from mm. 241 to end, it is identical to the exposition
-Same thematic material in mm. 241 as it is in mm. 11 in the exposition
-What if mm. 241 is actually supposed to be the beginning of the piece?
-Potentially could have written the sections from back to front

The investigation still continues...

Shelley Scarr
Jonathan Schorr
Brenden DuBois
Ryan Atkinson

Daniel's Group Questions

1. Mm. 65 vs. 205: In what ways are they similar? Or different? Why?

2. Theme II Cadence: Does it exist? Where? What type?
a. Key of Theme II?

3. Mm. 33 vs. 169: In what ways are they similar? Or different? Why?

4. Beginning Key of Development?

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Beethoven's String Quartet in E Minor, Op. 59, No. 2

Whilst whistling the day away, supping tea and devouring crumpets, one might have the inclination to analyze the sonata form of none other than L. V. Beethoven’s String Quartet in E minor, Op. 59, No. 2, Allegro Movement. In theory, tea and sonatas are a glorious match, but in personal experience, coffee tends to be a better suit. Without any further ado — the analysis.
This particular string delight is a bit indefinite in the divisions between sections aside from the Exposition (arguably mm. 2 - 70), the Development (mm. 72 – 143), and the Recapitulation (mm 144-211). A large coda closes the piece out, starting in mm. 212 and going through to the finish.
The Exposition seems to only have one tonal center rooted in the key of E minor, however there are blatant texture changes/themes found in mm. 24, mm. 34, and mm. 58. Beethoven also has the tonality flit from minor to major, and back again.
The Development elucidates upon the previously seen material from the very beginning of the Exposition, as well as the section around mm. 58. A transition can be found from mm. 133-143, bringing the listener right to the Recapitulation.
The Recapitulation does exactly what it should in that it ties everything together in a way to close the piece. Snippets from the themes in the Exposition are found (namely the beginning motif, and subsidiaries), along side material from the development that essentially is taken from the Exposition.
The start of the coda takes the listener back to the opening bars of the piece, and finally draws everything to a close as it wanes into nothing.
Overall, Beethoven’s piece does not follow the sonata form of the Classical-era to a "tea," in that the ambiguity of the sections did not lend itself to analysis. Until we meet again, just remember that coffee and sonatas are highly recommended for all who seek thrill and excitement. Adieu.

Sunday, September 23, 2007

Beethoven's Eminor

1 measure of Intro.
Exposition mm.2-mm.69, transition from mm.65-69
Development mm.72-mm.211, mm.72-90 seems to be alternating between minor and major tonalities, however, I could not determine which tonalities or keys.
First theme is seen again in mm.85, mm.146
Transition mm.205-211
Recap. mm.212-255
CODA mm.240-255
Basic structure of this piece is ABA Sonata Form.
Again, many changes of tonal center.

Beethoven String Quartet Op.54 No.2

I know that the first movement of a string quartet is supposed to be sonata form but I am having trouble making any sense of it. So I am going to throw out what I see and let you fillet me....

It starts out in Em with a small intro at the begining. Theme 1 starts in m.3 and lasts till m.33. There is a transition from the end of m.33 to m.35. Theme 2 begins in m.36 and ends in m37. There is a coda from m.58- the double bars.
This begins the exposition where I see him playing with some of the same rythmic and melodic lines from the exposition. The retransition begins in 135 with all of the trills.
The recap begins in m.145 in AM. It looks different from the one in the exposition and I can't figure out what exactly is going on untill i see the begining of theme 2 in m.73. The codetta goes from m199 to the double bars. From then on is the coda where it ends nicely in Em.

Sunday, September 16, 2007

Saturday, September 15, 2007

Haydn String Quartet Op. 74 No. 3

So here it goes...

I too believe that the first movement of this string quartet is a rounded binary. The piece starts out with an introduction (mm. 10) in g minor and goes into the A section starting in m. 11. I feel that there are parts to the beginning A section. The first part begins in measure 11 and continue in g minor all the way until m. 46. From mm. 47 to the downbeat of m. 54 i feel is a transition going into the relative Major key of Bb Major thus beginning the b part of the A section. The b section goes from mm. 54-78. The B Section begins at m. 79 and continues on to m. 127. Throughout this B section there are recurrences of the introduction however it is now in c minor. The A section returns in m. 128 and continues on to m. 167. It modulates again from g minor...but now to G Major in measure 168. The b section continues on to the end of the piece at m. 197 thus completeing the first movement of this string quartet.

The second movement is a theme and variations. The theme is stated is in the first 3 bars of the Largo movement. However, the introduction goes all the through m. 10. The first section of this movement is in E Major (mm. 1 - 22). In measure 23, where the second portion of the movement starts, it modulates to e minor. The piece stays in e minor up until m. 37 continuing the theme in the 1st violin. In m. 38, the piece comes back to E Major and continues with the theme. Throughout the last section of this piece, Haydn integrated some moving lines in the first violin, which he started to do in the melody part in the minor section (i.e. mm. 45-46). The last section ends at measure 59 the same way the first section ended in m. 22. There is codetta from 60 - end redifing the key of E Major that was evident throughout.

Haydn - String Quartet Op.74 No. 3 "Horseman"

The first movement gave me a little trouble but after reviewing some old textbooks I think I'm going with my hunch: the first movement is in Rounded Binary.

The A is from mm. 11 - 78. It begins with an introduction from mm. 1 - 9. The A section is primarily in g minor until the modulation to Bb Major in m. 55. The piece then repeats moving to the B section from mm. 79 - 127. The B section begins in a different key - in this case c minor in m. 79 and f minor in m. 101. In the B material there are parts of the original A music used within the parts. It is not that it is developed on but rather just used in a different key. The return of the A section is in m. 128. It is back in the the original g minor key. There is another modulation / key change that occurs in m. 168 and a codetta that starts in m. 193 after the PAC in mm. 191 - 192.

The second movement is clearly a theme and variations. In this movement the themes are divided quite easily as there is a stricking contrast in the keys, texture and style. The piece begins in E Major. The main theme is introduced right in the beginning. Through mm. 1 - 22 Haydn writes starting in a major key - then at the double bar line changing it to a minor. He finishes the Variation I in the major key. We see Variation II introduced in a cminor key starting in mm. 23. Variation III begins in m. 38 back in the E Major key. I believe that Variation IV occurs in the jarring chord in m. 45 to the end of the piece.

Well this is my anaylsis - could be right could be wrong!

Over and out -

The one and only- Canada.

Haydn StrQtet in gm Op.74 No.3, 1st and 2nd Mvmt

The first movement is a basic Sonata form, ABA. The A section is mm.1-78, starting in gm and modulating to BbM. I marked measures 1-8 as an introduction. The B section is mm.79-168 and I marked this section as being in cm and fm, modulating to GM as it leads into the return of the A section. The A section returns at measure 169 and continues on to the end in the key of GM with a codetta measures 193-197.

The second movement is Theme and Variations form; however, I think that this movement could possibly be a double variation form because the first and second theme appear to be in different modes (theme I, Major; theme II, minor). Another reason I think this is a double variation piece is because of the placement of the Major and minor themes: Since the Major theme opens the piece, the variations are ordered in such a way as to close with the Major theme. The theme is introduced in mm.1-10. Variation I is mm.11-22 in the keys of bm and EM. Variation II is mm.23-37 in the key of em. Variation III is mm.38-51 in EM, and Variation IV is mm.52-59 also in EM.

In the second movement, there is an interesting chord in measure 8, G dominant 7. I think that Haydn uses this chord to possibly poke fun at the fact that this quartet piece is in gm, and to "reminisce" on the close of the previous movement, which ends in Gmajor. What do you think about measure eight and the role it plays in this Haydn quartet?

Sunday, September 9, 2007

Here we go! (Haydn Piano Sonata No. 52)

OK people, here's the first analysis. Feel free to disagree w/ me (as always, at your own peril). Piano Sonata no. 52 (Haydn at his oldest and wackiest):

As with almost all piano sonata first movements, this one is clearly sonata form. Theme I starts right off the bat in E-flat major (m. 1) and lasts until the PAC in m9. We then have a transition lasting from mm. 9-17 that modulates from E-flat to B-flat major. So far so good? Theme II begins in m. 17 (B-flat Major) and lasts until the PAC in m. 33 and includes a little modal switch to b-flat minor in m. 29. Haydn then includes a closing theme that lasts from mm. 33-40 and then a codetta from mm. 40-43.

The development lasts from mm. 44-78 and goes through keys C major, F major, g minor, c minor, A-flat major, back to c minor. There's a truly jarring modulation to E major in m. 68, and finally the retransition in meausre 77 that leads to the recap in m. 79.

The recap is really pretty straight-forward. Theme II begins in mm. 93, and the closing theme begins in m. 104.., and there's a codetta from mm. 112 (middle of the measure) to the end. The entire recap is in E-flat major, of course.

So, that's what I want you all to do this semester. It doesn't have to be polished, really, but please give the form concisely with key areas and measure numbers.

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

First Item of Business. . .

Do you like the color? Not so much? I thought the black background might make us all seem smarter, but then again, maybe it's overdone. Tell me what you think--particularly if you have good taste.

Welcome to the class. . .

Here's wishing everyone a fantastic and productive semester!