melody

Question 1

how would you describe the melody of this piece?

Answer 1

melodic contrast- a key feature of sonata form

Question 2

what are features of the first subject (a and b)?

Answer 2

• an 8 bar themed split into balanced halves, antecedent and consequent phrase (purely diatonic in nature)
  -bars 1-4, downward 5th, concludes with an imperfect cadence
  -bars 5-8 answers with a more animated rhythm with a rising sequence and an upwards octave leap

Question 3

what are features of the first subject (c and d)?

Answer 3

shorter ideas but are more contrasted, setting a dotted idea against a more lyrical answer through a falling sequence

Question 4

what are features of the second subject?

Answer 4

made up of 2 two-bar ideas
-bars 45-47 syncopated descending stepwise ending with an appoggiatura
-bars 47-49 repeated ‘chattering’ quaver figures beginning on the 6th quaver of the bar, against a melodic diminished 7th in the violin

Question 5

what material is the development section based upon?

Answer 5

the first two bars of subject 1a- the falling 5th is expanded or contracted to fit the surrounding harmonic sequence
-chromatic writing in bars 243-245