AoS1 - Beethoven

Question 1

What is a virtuoso?

Answer 1

A master of their art, with amazing talent. They display considerable skill and agility in difficult music.

Question 2

What is the definition of “sonata”?

Answer 2

A piece for solo instrument which contains three or four movements, each with a different tempo.

Question 3

In which musical era was this piece written?

Answer 3

Classical, though there are hints of the Romantic era heard

Question 4

What year was the Pathetique Sonata written?

Answer 4

Between 1796 and 1799

Question 5

What instrument would the piece have been originally written for?

Answer 5

Piano, also known as the fortepiano or nowadays, pianoforte.

Question 6

Why would the harpsichord not have been used?

Answer 6

It was getting less popular since the invention of the piano because of its capabilities

Question 7

What is the difference between harpsichord and piano?

Answer 7

Harpsichord had plucked strings whilst the piano was hammered.
Harpsichord had no way of changing dynamics gradually so was either loud or quiet, and the piano had more dynamic range available.
Harpsichord was unable to sustain notes so had to trill to maintain notes for a long period of time, whereas the piano had a sustain pedal.

Question 8

What form is the piece in?

Answer 8

Sonata form

Question 9

What are the three sections of sonata form?

Answer 9

Exposition, development and recapitulation

Question 10

What is the technical name for the themes heard in the exposition?

Answer 10

First and second subject

Question 11

What happens at the end of the exposition section?

Answer 11

It repeats

Question 12

What key is used for the first subject?

Answer 12

The first subject is in the tonic key (c minor)

Question 13

What happens to the key in the development section?

Answer 13

There are many passing modulations

Question 14

What happens in the recapitulation?

Answer 14

The subjects are both played in the tonic key, as opposed to changing the second subject.

Question 15

What is a coda?

Answer 15

A small section used to round off and finish the piece.

Question 16

What is the tonality of the piece?

Answer 16

C Minor

Question 17

What is a modulation?

Answer 17

A key change

Question 18

What keys does this piece modulate to?

Answer 18

Eb Major (relative major)
F Minor (subdominant IV)
E Minor (unrelated)

Question 19

When the chords aren’t considered to be diatonic, they are called…?

Answer 19

Chromatic - using unrelated keys

Question 20

What is an example of a chromatic chord?

Answer 20

Diminished 7th chord half way through bar 1

Question 21

What type of cadences are used at the end of the movement?

Answer 21

Perfect (V-I) cadences

Question 22

What other cadences are used and where?

Answer 22

An interrupted cadence is used in bar 9

Question 23

What is a circle of fifths and where is it used?

Answer 23

Bars 244-249 there is a pattern in the chords used, where each chord progression has a space of five notes, or a circle of fifths.

Question 24

What other chords are unusual in this piece?

Answer 24

Augmented (made bigger) 6th chords in bar 30

Question 25

What is a motif?

Answer 25

A small theme in which the melody is based around. In this piece it is a six-note motif.

Question 26

What does scalic mean and how is it used?

Answer 26

Virtuosic fast scalic passages are where the notes go up and down in scales very quickly

Question 27

Arpeggios and broken chords are used a lot in this piece - what are they?

Answer 27

Where the notes of a chord are played separately instead of together

Question 28

There is use of ornamentation in this piece - what types of ornamentation are featured?

Answer 28

Acciaccaturas, mordents and trills

Question 29

What is the overall texture of the piece?

Answer 29

The main texture is homophonic, with the introduction being “chordal” (all moving at the same time) and then melody dominated homophony in the second subject.
There is one example of monophony.

Question 30

Where is there an extended monophonic section?

Answer 30

Just before the recapitulation

Question 31

What does “grave” mean?

Answer 31

Very slow

Question 32

What is the time signature for the piece?

Answer 32

Common time, 4/4

Question 33

One particular rhythm is important in this piece, especially in the introduction. What type of rhythm is it?

Answer 33

Dotted rhythm

Question 34

What is the tempo marking when the music becomes fast?

Answer 34

Allegro Di molto e con brio (very fast and with vigour)