Beethoven Pathetique Flashcards
Which movement is it?
The first movement of a piano sonata
What period is it from?
Classical
What is a sonata?
Works in 3 or 4 movements, each different in mood but related in key - written for either piano alone or solo instrument and piano
What year was it published?
1799
What does Pathetique mean?
Passionate or emotional
How does the name reflect the music?
Reflects the romantic features that will be soon arriving in the 19th century
What is the range?
5 octaves (F to F)
How does Beethoven exploit the wide range?
.Long and rapid descents
.Wide leaps
.Use of different registers (both hands in the bass clef or both in the treble clef at points)
How does Beethoven use dynamics?
.Wide dynamic range .From pp to ff .Sudden contrasts .Crescendos and diminuendos .Occasional forceful accents
When is the classical period?
1750 to 1825
What romantic features are in this piece
.Emotional outbursts
.Extreme contrasts in dynamics
.Adventurous choice of keys
.Unusual structure
What are the 3 mains structures of sonata form?
.Exposition
.Development
.Recapitulation
What happens in the exposition
Introduces the first subject in the tonic key and the second subject in the dominant or related key
What happens in the development
Ideas from the exposition are transformed and taken through keys which are more distant from the tonic
What happens in the recapitulation
The music of the exposition returns but altered to stay mainly in the tonic key
What is structuraly unusual in Pathetique
It has a slow introduction
What are the 3 subsections of sonata form?
.Transition
.Codetta
.Coda
What is the transition passage?
.A bridge passage that links the first and second subjects, it modulates to the related key in the exposition but is in the tonic for the recapitulation
What is the codetta?
.Closing section that ends the exposition by affirming the related key to which the music has modulated
What is the coda?
.Litteraly ‘tail’, it ends the movement by affirming the tonic key
What key is the slow introduction in?
C minor but it passes through Eb major in bar 5
Which notes from the intro are important later in the piece?
The last 5 notes in bar 1
What is the key of the first subject of the exposition?
C minor
What happens in the transition in the exposition?
The key modulates to the dominant of Eb (Bb) over a rising chromatic bass
Why is the key of the second subject of the exposition weird?
Expected to be Eb major but instead, it is in the minor
What happens in the second part of the second subject of the exposition?
It goes to the expected key of Eb major
What does the codetta hint at?
The first subject but in Eb major
What happens after the codetta at the end of the exposition?
The exposition repeats
What returns at the start of the development?
Material from the introduction but in G minor, before an abrupt modulation to E minor
What happens at the end of the development?
Modulations through D major to G minor lead to 28 bars of dominant preparation with a dominant pedal on G followed by a cascade of descending quavers
What happens at the start of the recapitulation?
Return of first subject in the tonic key (c minor) but ends on c major chord
What key is the second subject of the recapitulation in?
Unexpectedly in f minor (IV of tonic key) before moving to conventional key of c minor
What happens in the coda of the recapitulation?
Material from the slow introduction with its loud first beat chords removed, followed by a final reference to the first subject in tonic key, loud detached chords end the movement in a stormy perfect cadence
Melody in the slow intro
.six note motif that is varied upon
.scalic
.ends with a rapid descending chromatic scale
Melody first subject
Formed from an ascending c minor scale, bars are repeated an octave higher, balanced by 4 bars of long notes (2+2+4) which creates an arch shape
Melody
Pair of balanced 4 bar phrases, first ends with an imperfect cadence and second with a perfect cadence
What ornaments does Beethoven use?
Acciacatura, mordent, trill
Metre and tempo of the intro
Simple quadruple metre (4/4 or C) with tempo marking grave (very slow)
What does ‘Tempo I’ mean?
Return to the opening tempo of the music (grave)
Metre of the main part
Simple duple metre (2/2 or C with a line down the middle which indicates 2 minim beats per bar)
What is 2/2 time sometimes called?
Alla breve or ‘Cut-C’ time
Tempo of the alla breve section
Allegro de molto e con brio which means very fast and with vigour
Introduction rhythm
Dotted rhythms and very short notes
What is a frequent rhythmical feature?
Syncopation
How is an ostinato effect created?
Constant quaver octaves in the left hand part
How is the music driven forward with rhythm?
Some passages consist of persistant quavers in both hands
What cadences feature?
Second subject has imperfect and perfect
Interupted in bar 9
Ends on a perfect
What types of chromatic chords feature?
Diminished sevenths and augmented 6ths
Texture in the intro
Homophonic, densely chordal at the start
Texture in the main part
Melody and accompaniment, texture thinner
Where is the murky bass?
Left hand of the first subject
Where are the broken chords
Second half of the second subject
