Elgar 1st Symphony - Movement 3 (Recapitulation + Coda)

Question 1

What is different about the orchestration of the 1st subject when it reappears in the recapitulation?

Answer 1

Elgar doesn’t fuck about with the Woodwind as much as he did before.

Question 2

How does the structure of the recapitulation differ to that of the exposition?

Answer 2

There is no transition section in the recapitulation.

Question 3

What key does Elgar surprisingly move to for figure 102?

Answer 3

He moves to C# major for the 2nd subject.

Question 4

What reappears at figure 103? And what effect does this have?

Answer 4

The transition material reappears and seems to be ending the piece. Elgar then surprises us with the presence of a coda at figure 104.

Question 5

Describe the new theme introduced in the coda at figure 104.

Answer 5

It appears in the Violins and includes a rising minor 7th. The other parts enforce a more dense texture.

Question 6

Describe the Clarinet melody before figure 106? What is it similar to?

Answer 6

It is similar to the start of the development. The Clarinet plays a flourish of hemidemisemiquavers at a pianissimo dynamic, for a delicate texture.

Question 7

How do the Violins end the movement at figure 107?

Answer 7

Muted Violins play the new coda theme in the last figure. In the penultimate bar, there is a motherfucking ritt. As if the piece isn’t slow enough as it is.