Development of the Symphony - Melody

Question 1

What is ‘developing variation’?

Answer 1

A technique commonly associated with Brahms (he didn’t invent it!). This technique involves making slow incremental changes to a melody over time so the original melody is significantly different later on.

Question 2

What is ‘fortspinnung’?

Answer 2

A technique in the Baroque period by taking a melodic motif and using sequencing, intervallic change and repetition.

Question 3

What symphony uses ‘developing variation’?

Answer 3

Symphony No. 4 in E minor (1885) by Johannes Brahms. In the opening of the first movement the main thematic idea (falling thirds) end up perpetually moving down by thirds each time (even adjusting by octave) until all the thirds of E minor have been used.

Question 4

What were ‘Nationalist’ melodies usually comprised of?

Answer 4

Folk material from specific countries

Question 5

What is a musical mode?

Answer 5

Modes (usually referring to the church modes) are derivations of the major scale, starting from a different position of the scale. The modes are ionian (major) dorian, phrygian, lydian, mixolydian, aeolian (natural minor) and locrian

Question 6

What is a musical period?

Answer 6

A section of music divisible by 2. The first phrase has a weaker cadence at the midway point and the second phrase closes on a stronger cadence.

Question 7

What symphonies use modes?

Answer 7

1. Mendelssohn - Symphony No. 4, ‘Italian’ (1833) uses the Aeolian mode in movement II.
2. Berlioz - Harold in Italy (1834) uses the Mixolydian mode for his saltarello dance in the third movement. A Mixolydian mode is just a major scale with a flattened 7th.

Question 8

What is a balanced phrase?

Answer 8

Usually a phrase that is divisible by 2 - there is a clear midway point with equal bars either side of it.

Question 9

What happened to diatonicism in the Late-Romantic period melodies?

Answer 9

It was weakened by composers - chromatic melody lines became more prominent and melodic phrases were often written to avoid cadences.

Question 10

What Nationalist symphony uses folk music?

Answer 10

Smetana’s Má Vlast, (1879). The third movement ‘The Moldau’ uses a traditional Czech melody.

Question 11

Why was texture important in the development of melody in the Classical period?

Answer 11

There was a development from polyphonic/contrapuntal writing to melody-dominated homophony. This gave heightened importance to a single melody line.

Question 12

What is an idée fixe?

Answer 12

A ‘fixed melody’ associated with Programme composers - idée fixe melodies would often represent an ‘extra-musical’ feature of the music and would return frequently to bind the piece together/help tell the story.

Question 13

What piece can be used as an example of the ‘fortspinnung’ technique?

Answer 13

Bach - Invention No. 4 in D minor (1723)

Question 14

How does Stamitz’ Symphony in D (1750) use Galant melodic techniques?

Answer 14

1. Mostly diatonic melodic material
2. The last movement features a Mannheim Rocket (common Galant feature)
3. Frequent use of ornamentation

Question 15

What is a musical sentence?

Answer 15

It is the structure of a phrase. It is usually a basic idea, repeated/sequenced, fragmented/new idea introduced, followed by a cadential idea.

Question 16

Identify 3 features of the Galant Style melody

Answer 16

1. Diatonic
2. Embellished with ornamentation
3. Often balanced/periodic

Question 17

What symphony (that we’ve looked at) uses an idée fixe melody?

Answer 17

Symphonie Fantastique (1830) by Hector Berlioz. The idée fixe represents the love theme between the artist and his love interest. There are many iterations of this theme over the course of the 5 movements.

Question 18

How did Mendelssohn use melody in the first movement of Symphony No. 4, ‘Italian’?

Answer 18

1. Movement I – Use of a periodic phrase.
2. Movement I - Use of a third theme in the development

Question 19

What is the ‘unending melody’?

Answer 19

A technique associated with Wagner. The harmony would be non-functional (doesn’t direct you towards a cadence as expected) and, as a result, the melody line felt like it would never end.

Question 20

How did Haydn use melody in movement 1 of Symphony No. 104, ‘London’ (1795)?

Answer 20

• Use of a 16-bar period in D Major (first subject), with an imperfect cadence in b.24 and perfect cadence into b.32.
• Use of monothematicism for first and second subjects.

Question 21

How does Mendelssohn use melody in the second movement of his Italian Symphony?

Answer 21

3. Movement II - Use of an ‘incantation’ melody, owing to the religious procession nature of the movement.
4. Use of natural minor (Movement II) in a hymn-like melody.

Question 22

How does Mendelssohn use melody in the fourth movement of his Italian Symphony?

Answer 22

Movement IV uses both a saltarello and a tarantella theme. These are folk themes characterised by leaps.

Question 23

How does Haydn use melody in movement 2 of Symphony No.104?

Answer 23

• Movement II uses an 8-bar modulating period (moves to D Major from G Major)
• B Material is ‘somewhat’ periodic - it involves sequencing of both the melody and harmony so isn’t entirely diatonic/tonally stable with the tonic key. However, it does return back to tonic key at the end of the phrase with an imperfect cadence.

Question 24

How does Haydn use melody in movement 3 of Symphony No.104?

Answer 24

• Movement 3 begins with an 8-bar phrase in D major, that has a plagal cadence at the midway point (5th in the upper voice = weak) and a perfect cadence to end (tonic in upper voice = strong). This is repeated.
• B material is also periodic, but is a modulating period (resolving in A major - dominant key).

Question 25

How does Haydn use melody in movement IV of Symphony No.104?

Answer 25

• Movement IV begins with an 8-bar period in D Major. Implied imperfect cadence at the end of antecedent phrase and a perfect cadence at the end of the consequent phrase.
• Is it based on a Croatian folk melody (use of drone and ‘stamping’ (Fig. X).
• It is monothematic.

Question 26

How does Stamitz use melody in movement I of Symphony in D (Op.3, No.2)?

Answer 26

Movement I definitely uses 4/8-bar balanced ideas, but not always periodic in nature. For example, many of the 8-bar ideas end with 2 successive imperfect cadences (weak-weak), instead of a strong cadence.

Question 27

How does Stamitz use melody in movement 2 of Symphony in D (Op.3, No.2)?

Answer 27

It has a periodic type of melody, but ends bar 4 on a strong cadence (not weak) and then is followed by a 5-bar idea, not 4, making it unbalanced.

Question 28

How does Stamitz use melody in movement 3 of Symphony in D (Op.3, No.2)?

Answer 28

The melody is also proportioned (8-bars), but the final bar is interrupted by material that effectively functions as a repeated closing idea, extending the consequent phrase (making it 12 bars in total).

Question 29

How does Stamitz use melody in movement 4 of Symphony in D (Op.3, No.2)?

Answer 29

Clear use of proportioned 8-bar ideas. Movement 4 actually has some similarities to sentence form (sequenced initial idea down an octave), but again, it isn’t rigidly established like it would be in later symphonies.

Question 30

How does Beethoven use melody in movement 1 of his Ninth Symphony?

Answer 30

There is a 4-bar idea that is regularly fragmented and developed throughout the movement. This motivic ideas will drive most of the material in the movement.

Question 31

How does Beethoven use melody in movement II of his Ninth Symphony?

Answer 31

Most of the material is based upon a recurring 3-note conjunct idea that is sequenced and developed (often using retrograde) throughout the scherzo.

Question 32

How is melody used in the third movement of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony?

Answer 32

There are a collection of 4-bar melodies presented in the strings that are separated by single bars of woodwind material. The 4-bar ideas are usually cadential, but not period/sentence-based. They are only connected in a limited way.

Question 33

How is melody used within movement 4 of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony?

Answer 33

The Ode to Joy melody is periodic in nature ending on a weak cadence at the mid point and a strong cadence at the end.

Question 34

How does Mahler use melody in movement I of his ‘Resurrection’ Symphony?

Answer 34

The main theme of movement I is the funeral march. It uses balances phrases (4-bars) but is not periodic. The material is derived from the opening motifs presented in the lower strings and reworked into a melody.

Question 35

How does Mahler use melody in movement 2 of his ‘Resurrection’ Symphony?

Answer 35

It starts with a sentence based idea that is periodic in nature. However, in the sections that follow, the material is fragmented and developed and the sentence/period structure vanishes.

Question 36

How does Mahler use melody in movement 3 of his ‘Resurrection’ Symphony?

Answer 36

• Melodic material is primarily derived from scalic ideas supported by harmony.
• Use of Jewish-style modal inflections on the melodic ideas.

Question 37

How does Mahler use melody in movement 4 his ‘Resurrection’ Symphony?

Answer 37

Melody is derived from the text sung by the Alto. It is not periodic but rather balanced and can reflect the word painting of the text.

Question 38

How does Mahler use melody in movement 5 of his ‘Resurrection Symphony?

Answer 38

Mahler uses a series a phrases that capitalising upon the previous themes that were introduced in earlier movement. Much of the later melodies in the movement are reflecting the text that Mahler uses.

Question 39

What is a ‘cyclical melody’?

Answer 39

It is a melody that binds the symphony together. Similar to an idée fixe, but cyclical melodys don’t have to mean anything extra-musical. They can just be a melody that comes back

Question 40

What is an example of a symphony with a ‘cyclical melody’?

Answer 40

Beethoven’s 5th - the 4-note ‘fate knocking at the door’ motif appears throughout each movement of the symphony.

Question 41

What is ‘borrowed material’ in terms of melody?

Answer 41

When a composer ‘borrows’ a melody from a pre-existing place. This could be folk music (an already existing melody) or a church theme (Dies Irae)

Question 42

What composers have used ‘borrowed’ church melodies?

Answer 42

• Berlioz - Symphonie Fantastique (Movement V - Dies Irae)
• Mahler- Symphony No. 2 ‘Resurrection’ - Movement I (Dies Irae)