Beethoven Pathetique

Question 1

Which movement is it?

Answer 1

The first movement of a piano sonata

Question 2

What period is it from?

Answer 2

Classical

Question 3

What is a sonata?

Answer 3

Works in 3 or 4 movements, each different in mood but related in key - written for either piano alone or solo instrument and piano

Question 4

What year was it published?

Answer 4

1799

Question 5

What does Pathetique mean?

Answer 5

Passionate or emotional

Question 6

How does the name reflect the music?

Answer 6

Reflects the romantic features that will be soon arriving in the 19th century

Question 7

What is the range?

Answer 7

5 octaves (F to F)

Question 8

How does Beethoven exploit the wide range?

Answer 8

.Long and rapid descents
.Wide leaps
.Use of different registers (both hands in the bass clef or both in the treble clef at points)

Question 9

How does Beethoven use dynamics?

Answer 9

.Wide dynamic range
.From pp to ff
.Sudden contrasts
.Crescendos and diminuendos
.Occasional forceful accents

Question 10

When is the classical period?

Answer 10

1750 to 1825

Question 11

What romantic features are in this piece

Answer 11

.Emotional outbursts
.Extreme contrasts in dynamics
.Adventurous choice of keys
.Unusual structure

Question 12

What are the 3 mains structures of sonata form?

Answer 12

.Exposition
.Development
.Recapitulation

Question 13

What happens in the exposition

Answer 13

Introduces the first subject in the tonic key and the second subject in the dominant or related key

Question 14

What happens in the development

Answer 14

Ideas from the exposition are transformed and taken through keys which are more distant from the tonic

Question 15

What happens in the recapitulation

Answer 15

The music of the exposition returns but altered to stay mainly in the tonic key

Question 16

What is structuraly unusual in Pathetique

Answer 16

It has a slow introduction

Question 17

What are the 3 subsections of sonata form?

Answer 17

.Transition
.Codetta
.Coda

Question 18

What is the transition passage?

Answer 18

.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

Question 19

What is the codetta?

Answer 19

.Closing section that ends the exposition by affirming the related key to which the music has modulated

Question 20

What is the coda?

Answer 20

.Litteraly ‘tail’, it ends the movement by affirming the tonic key

Question 21

What key is the slow introduction in?

Answer 21

C minor but it passes through Eb major in bar 5

Question 22

Which notes from the intro are important later in the piece?

Answer 22

The last 5 notes in bar 1

Question 23

What is the key of the first subject of the exposition?

Answer 23

C minor

Question 24

What happens in the transition in the exposition?

Answer 24

The key modulates to the dominant of Eb (Bb) over a rising chromatic bass

Question 25

Why is the key of the second subject of the exposition weird?

Answer 25

Expected to be Eb major but instead, it is in the minor

Question 26

What happens in the second part of the second subject of the exposition?

Answer 26

It goes to the expected key of Eb major

Question 27

What does the codetta hint at?

Answer 27

The first subject but in Eb major

Question 28

What happens after the codetta at the end of the exposition?

Answer 28

The exposition repeats

Question 29

What returns at the start of the development?

Answer 29

Material from the introduction but in G minor, before an abrupt modulation to E minor

Question 30

What happens at the end of the development?

Answer 30

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

Question 31

What happens at the start of the recapitulation?

Answer 31

Return of first subject in the tonic key (c minor) but ends on c major chord

Question 32

What key is the second subject of the recapitulation in?

Answer 32

Unexpectedly in f minor (IV of tonic key) before moving to conventional key of c minor

Question 33

What happens in the coda of the recapitulation?

Answer 33

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

Question 34

Melody in the slow intro

Answer 34

.six note motif that is varied upon .scalic .ends with a rapid descending chromatic scale

Question 35

Melody first subject

Answer 35

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

Question 36

Melody

Answer 36

Pair of balanced 4 bar phrases, first ends with an imperfect cadence and second with a perfect cadence

Question 37

What ornaments does Beethoven use?

Answer 37

Acciacatura, mordent, trill

Question 38

Metre and tempo of the intro

Answer 38

Simple quadruple metre (4/4 or C) with tempo marking grave (very slow)

Question 39

What does 'Tempo I' mean?

Answer 39

Return to the opening tempo of the music (grave)

Question 40

Metre of the main part

Answer 40

Simple duple metre (2/2 or C with a line down the middle which indicates 2 minim beats per bar)

Question 41

What is 2/2 time sometimes called?

Answer 41

Alla breve or 'Cut-C' time

Question 42

Tempo of the alla breve section

Answer 42

Allegro de molto e con brio which means very fast and with vigour

Question 43

Introduction rhythm

Answer 43

Dotted rhythms and very short notes

Question 44

What is a frequent rhythmical feature?

Answer 44

Syncopation

Question 45

How is an ostinato effect created?

Answer 45

Constant quaver octaves in the left hand part

Question 46

How is the music driven forward with rhythm?

Answer 46

Some passages consist of persistant quavers in both hands

Question 47

What cadences feature?

Answer 47

Second subject has imperfect and perfect Interupted in bar 9 Ends on a perfect

Question 48

What types of chromatic chords feature?

Answer 48

Diminished sevenths and augmented 6ths

Question 49

Texture in the intro

Answer 49

Homophonic, densely chordal at the start

Question 50

Texture in the main part

Answer 50

Melody and accompaniment, texture thinner

Question 51

Where is the murky bass?

Answer 51

Left hand of the first subject

Question 52

Where are the broken chords

Answer 52

Second half of the second subject