Elgar 1st Symphony - Movement 1 (Intro + Exposition)

Question 1

What do the Timpani, Cello and Double Bass do at the start of the piece?

Answer 1

They play the tonic note of Ab for 2 bars.

Question 2

Describe the structure of the motto theme.

Answer 2

Two asymmetric phrases. The first lasts seven bars and ends with an imperfect cadence. The second phrase lasts sixteen bars and ends on the tonic note, Ab.

Question 3

A word to describe the contour of the motto theme’s melody.

Answer 3

Conjunct.

Question 4

Describe the texture of the Flute and Viola parts during the introduction of the motto at the start.

Answer 4

They are playing in octave unison, giving it a spacious feel.

Question 5

What do the lower strings play as the accompaniment for the motto theme?

Answer 5

Simple staccato crotchets. The notes are in key but disjunct.

Question 6

What happens leading up to figure 3?

Answer 6

A crescendo and accents in the low strings.

Question 7

What happens at figure 3?

Answer 7

Everything enters, in a fortissimo dynamic. The harp plays block chords and there are timpani rolls. The lower pitched instruments play the accompaniment, whilst the higher pitched instruments play the melody.

Question 8

What happens in figure 4?

Answer 8

The orchestration decreases, before a descending bassline sequence leads us into figure 5 - the introduction of the 1st subject.

Question 9

What is the tonal center at the start of the exposition?

Answer 9

D minor, completely unrelated to the tonic of Ab.

Question 10

How can you tell that the tonality is less stable in the exposition than the motto theme?

Answer 10

There are a lot more accidentals.

Question 11

How does the melody of the 1st subject contrast to the motto theme?

Answer 11

It’s disjunct rather than conjunct.

Question 12

What is the texture of the 1st subject and why is it there?

Answer 12

Very polyphonic. It adds aggression along with the heavy dynamics.

Question 13

What happens to the melody and texture in figures 7 to 8?

Answer 13

The melody climaxes with a rising sequence in the strings (starting with a piano dynamic and rising to fortissimo), but is met by contrary motion in the bass which expands the texture.

Question 14

What happens to emphasise the climax at figure 8?

Answer 14

The horns begin playing the 1st subject theme, along with some of the woodwind with a fortissimo dynamic. Also, the strings then quickly descend after reaching their highest note, a G.

Question 15

What happens between the Harp and Violins during figure 8?

Answer 15

Alternating rising demisemiquaver flourishes with a fortissimo dynamic.

Question 16

What happens at the start of figure 9?

Answer 16

The metre changes to 6/4. This is the climax of the exposition. A rising and falling figure in the horns is contradicted by a 3/2 feeling in the Violin melody.

Question 17

What happens at figure 10?

Answer 17

A transition period, which leads into a new theme at figure 11 by the Violins, which is met antiphonally by the Clarinets.

Question 18

What happens to the tonality during the transition theme?

Answer 18

The unstable tonality subsides and leads into a cadence in F major at figure 12 and becomes a more diatonic style for the 2nd subject.

Question 19

What happens with the metre in the 2nd subject?

Answer 19

It’s more metrically complex as the 2nd subject is in 2/2 whilst the transition theme underneath remains in 6/4.

Question 20

How does the mood of the 2nd subject contrast to the 1st subject?

Answer 20

It is marked to be played as ‘dolce’, meaning sweetly. The 1st subject was a lot more aggressive.

Question 21

What theme is inverted in figure 12, leading into the 2nd subject?

Answer 21

The 1st subject theme.

Question 22

What instrument is missing from the accompaniment in the 2nd subject? And what effect does this have?

Answer 22

There is no bass playing. This gives it a delicate texture.

Question 23

What figure does the 2nd subject of the exposition begin?

Answer 23

Figure 12.

Question 24

What happens to the 2nd subject theme at figure 13?

Answer 24

The 2nd subject is restated in the tenor register, which means that the Bassoon and Cello are playing high in their range whilst the Clarinet is playing low in its range.

Question 25

What is brought back at figure 14?

Answer 25

The transition material from figure 10, achieved by a metric change back to 6/4.

Question 26

What happens to the feeling of the piece towards figure 15?

Answer 26

An urgent feeling is created as the piece returns to 2/2. Because we are returning to the transition material, it creates a contrast to the previous diatonic section.

Question 27

What theme returns before figure 15, and how?

Answer 27

The 1st subject in the Flute parts, but it has now been rhythmically augmented.

Question 28

What happens to the orchestration through figure 15?

Answer 28

The orchestra builds to the start of a full tutti at figure 16.

Question 29

What tonal center do we return to at figure 16?

Answer 29

D minor, similar to the 1st subject.

Question 30

Describe the new theme that enters at figure 17?

Answer 30

It’s played by the horn section with FFF dynamics. 3/2 time signature. It is treated as the closing theme of the 2nd subject area.

Question 31

What cadence leads us into the codetta at figure 18?

Answer 31

A plagal cadence into C major.

Question 32

What theme returns at the start of the codetta? And by what instrument?

Answer 32

The motto theme, played by muted horns.

Question 33

Describe the accompaniment in the codetta.

Answer 33

The motto theme is supported by tremolando Violas. The Cello’s plays the same staccato accompaniment as before. The Flute and Bassoons play in octaves to add colour.