Clara Schumann, Piano Trio in G minor, Op 17. movement 1

Question 1

In what era and year was this piece completed?

Answer 1

‣Romantic era

‣1846

Question 2

What is a piano trio and who was it popularised by?

Answer 2

A piano trio is a chamber work for solo cello, solo violin and solo piano. It was popularised by Haydn.

Question 3

How many movements are in the complete trio?

Answer 3

Four.

Question 4

Who was Clara Schumann?

Answer 4

‣Clara Schumann was a concert pianist and composer.

‣She was the wife of Robert Schumann and daughter of celebrated piano teacher Friedrich Wieck.

Question 5

Name two other 19th century female composers.

Answer 5

‣Fanny Mendelssohn

‣Maria Szymanowska

Question 6

Are the instruments of this work used conventionally or unconventionally?

Answer 6

Conventionally.

Question 7

What are the ranges of the instruments used, and are these ranges in the extreme or reasonable range of the instruments?

Answer 7

All three instruments use ranges well within their capabilities.
‣Cello and violin - nearly 3 octaves
‣Piano - 5 and 1/2 octaves

Question 8

What technique is used in the cello? How much? Give an example of where this is used.

Answer 8

There is limited use of pizzicato in the cello (e.g. bars 238-246)

Question 9

What technique is used in the violin? Where is this used?

Answer 9

The violin uses double stopping e.g. bars 21-23.

Question 10

How common are pedalling indications for the piano?

Answer 10

Rare.

Question 11

What is the basic notation of this work?

Answer 11

Each part is allotted a stave, with the violin and cello parts printed above the piano’s two staves (Great stave)

Question 12

What clef does the cello change to at bar 122? What does this sound like compared to where it is written?

Answer 12

The cello switches to treble clef at bar 122, sounding an octave lower than written.

Question 13

What is the dynamic range? How common are diminuendos and crescendos?

Answer 13

‣The dynamic range is p-ff

‣Crescendos and diminuendos are used frequently.

Question 14

What language are tempo indications given in?

Answer 14

Italian.

Question 15

What is the tempo marking of this movement? What is the metronome mark?

Answer 15

‣Allegro moderato

‣♩=152 (relatively brisk)

Question 16

How common are tempo changes? What notable tempo changes are there, and where do they occur?

Answer 16

Tempo changes are rare.
‣Poco rit (bar 56 and 220)
‣Animato (bar 266) -‣increase of pace to approach end

Question 17

What is the metre of the work? Does it change?

Answer 17

It does not change. It is common time throughout.

Question 18

Give three rhythmic features, one of which is syncopation. Note an example of where this syncopation occurs.

Answer 18

‣Persistent quavers throughout
‣Syncopation (bars 39-40)
‣Forceful dotted rhythms

Question 19

What are the phrases like (melodically)?

Answer 19

Balanced

Question 20

Where is an example of sequential repetition in the work?

Answer 20

Bars 14-17

Question 21

Give three examples of melodic leaps in the violin part. What are they and where do they feature?

Answer 21

‣Augmented 4th - bar 25
‣Minor 6th - Bar 29
‣Minor 7th - bars 29-30

Question 22

Give two features of the opening violin melody and note where they occur.

Answer 22

‣Strong perfect 5ths - bar 1

‣Leap of an octave - bar 6

Question 23

What intensifies the expressive effect at bar 7, beat 1 (violin)?

Answer 23

Use of appoggiatura.

Question 24

What melodic feature can be found in the strings at bars 66-67?

Answer 24

Chromaticism

Question 25

What type of harmony is used? What is it marked by?

Answer 25

Functional harmony is used. It is marked by a strong drive towards cadences.

Question 26

Give three examples of cadences - the type of cadence and where they occur, in this piece.

Answer 26

‣Imperfect, bar 4
‣Perfect, bars 21-22
‣Plagal, bars 285-286

Question 27

Give an example of a bar in this piece which contains suspensions.

Answer 27

Bar 18

Question 28

Give three examples of chromatic chords in this piece - what chord they are and where they are found.

Answer 28

‣Neapolitan 6th (bar 191)
‣Diminished 7th (bar 13, beat 2)
‣French augmented 6th (bar 11, beat 4)

Question 29

What does the violin part do in bar 5, beat 4?

Answer 29

An anticipation.

Question 30

Where can an example of a dominant pedal be found in this piece?

Answer 30

Bar 155-164 in the cello part.

Question 31

What form is this piece in? What does it most modulate to?

Answer 31

It is in sonata form and mostly modulates to related keys.

Question 32

What bars are the exposition? What happens once the exposition has been played?

Answer 32

The exposition is bars 1-90. It then repeats.

Question 33

Where is the first subject and what key is it in?

Answer 33

Bars 1-21, G minor.

Question 34

Where is the bridge?

Answer 34

Bars 22-45

Question 35

Where is the second subject? What key is it in? What is the relation of this key to the tonic?

Answer 35

Bars 45-85, Bb Major, it is the relative major of G minor.

Question 36

Where is the codetta? What happens tonally in this section?

Answer 36

Bars 85-90, it transitions back to G minor.

Question 37

What bars are the development? What is it largely based on?

Answer 37

The development covers bars 91-164. It is largely based on the 1st subjects.

Question 38

What modulations occur in the development sections? Where do these occur?

Answer 38

‣Cm (bb.92-94)
‣Eb (bb.107)
‣Fm (bb.111)
‣Cm (bb.127)
‣Gm (b 150 onwards + (V) Pedal from 155)

Question 39

What bars are the recapitulation?

Answer 39

Bars 166-249

Question 40

Where and in what key are the four parts of the recapitulation?

Answer 40

165-185 ‣ 1st subject ‣ Gm
186-210 ‣ Bridge
210-249 ‣ 2nd subject ‣ G major
250-288 ‣ Coda ‣ Gm

Question 41

What are the main textures of this work and where are examples of them?

Answer 41

‣Homophony (21-23)

‣Melody-dominated homophony (1-8)

Question 42

Texturally, what happens between the cello and violin from bar 115?

Answer 42

Contrapuntal exchanges

Question 43

What does the cello line do to reinforce the violin line? Give two places where it reinforces the line and describe what it does.

Answer 43

‣Plays in octaves with violin line (47)

‣Plays in 10th with the violin line (17)

Question 44

What is the texture of the piano part?

Answer 44

‣Broken chords (maintaining flow of quavers)

‣Chordal (e.g. bar 41)