Mozart - Horn Concerto

Question 1

Give 5 features of the classical period

Answer 1

simple memorable meoldies, with question and answer phrasing
ornamentation of acciaccatura and trills
texture is mostly homophonic
dynamics have gradual changes (cresendo and dimuendo)
more variety and contrats within a piece than the baroque period ( more than one mood or tempo )

Question 2

Who is the composer of this piece?

Answer 2

Mozart

Question 3

What is the Classical Era dates

Answer 3

1750-1810

Question 4

Name three instruments in the classical era

Answer 4

piano
strings (most prominent section)
clarinet

Question 5

Time signature of Mozart “Horn Concerto”

Answer 5

6/8

Question 6

What key is Mozart “Horn Concerto” in?

Answer 6

Eb major

Question 7

What is a fanfare

Answer 7

used to announce something
catches your attention
played by brass instruments

Question 8

What is a Concerto

Answer 8

a piece of music written for a solo instrument accompanied by orchestra

Question 9

What is a Rondo Form

Answer 9

a form where the main theme keeps returning (ABACA)

Question 10

What is sonata-rondo

Answer 10

A FORM that blends characteristics of SONATA FORM and RONDO FORM. One frequent structure is ABACABA, in which A and B correspond to the first and second THEMES of SONATA FORM and B appears first in the DOMINANT and returns in the TONIC.

Question 11

What is an episode

Answer 11

a passage of music which is unrelated to the rest of the piece in terms of melody and key / the bit that comes after a rondo theme

Question 12

What is Balanced phrasing

Answer 12

where one phrase is answered by another phrases of equal length

Question 13

What is Primary triads

Answer 13

I, IV, and V chords ( the three main triads )

Question 14

What is an Orchestration

Answer 14

the arrangement of a musical composition for performance by an orchestra

Question 15

What is an Acciaccatura

Answer 15

An ornament which involves squeezing in another note just before the main note

Question 16

What is a Dominant Seventh

Answer 16

a dominant chord but with the minor seventh from the root (e.g. Bb D F Ab (Ab added) )

Question 17

What is a Cadenza

Answer 17

an improvisation for the soloist

Question 18

What is an Interrupted cadence

Answer 18

V-VI (5-6) sounds like a surprise, when the anticipated perfect cadence (1-5) is replaced with (5-6)

Question 19

what happens in theme a solo horn (first 8 bars)

Answer 19

the rondo theme
begins with an anacrusis (upbeat)
repeated pitches
triadic movement
falling and rising scale
ornamentation of acciaccatura

Question 20

What is the melody of theme a

Answer 20

melody played by solo horn
has a falling and rising scale
moves by step and leaps?
imitated by strings

Question 21

what happens after the first 8 bars?

Answer 21

full orchestra (tutti) repeats previous 8 bars
louder dynamics
mixture of triadic and scalic movement in the melody

Question 22

what is used to accompaniment theme a

Answer 22

detached string chords

Question 23

What is the harmony of theme a

Answer 23

alternates between Eb major and Bb major

Question 24

What is the theme b solo horn (bars 38-41)

Answer 24

imitated by the violin
triadic and scalic movement
falling and rising scale
played by solo horn
horns add a countermelody

Question 25

melody of theme b

Answer 25

played by horn
moves by step and leaps
imitated by the violin
based on arpeggios
has a falling and rising scale

Question 26

accompaniment of theme b

Answer 26

strings play sustained notes
counter melody on the horn 2nd time when strings imitate

Question 27

key of theme b

Answer 27

Bb major

Question 28

Harmony in theme B

Answer 28

Bb dominant

Question 29

theme c solo horn (bars 84-91)

Answer 29

in the relative minor (c minor)
repeated notes
harmonic development
has accidentals
announced by three repeated notes

Question 30

melody of theme c

Answer 30

played by horn
starts with three repeated long notes

Question 31

accompaniment of theme c

Answer 31

accompanied by strings , short quaver movement

Question 32

harmony of theme c

Answer 32

theme announced in c minor (relative minor)
first phrase ends in a imperfect cadence and then there is a modulation to the subdominant (Ab major)

Question 33

what is the form of this piece?

Answer 33

sonata rondo

Question 34

main instruments in “Mozart: Horn Concerto”

Answer 34

natural horn and strings

Question 35

describe the ending of this piece

Answer 35

-brief coda with alternating tonic and dominant harmonies over a tonic pedal point
-descending arpeggios in the soloist

Question 36

How is a sense of anticipation created in Mozart : Horn Concerto?

Answer 36

-an eight bar dominant pedal in cellos, double basses and violas
-an ascending sequence in the first violins imitated by the second violins
-descending chromatic scale and ascending sequence in the solo horn

Question 37

How is a sense of expectancy resolved in Mozart : Horn Concerto ?

Answer 37

• return of the rondo theme and the tonic key
• theme a in solo and orchestral form

Question 38

How is the rondo theme played twice at the end of the piece?

Answer 38

-four bar segment of the rondo theme is played twice
-first with different harmonisation ending in an interrupted cadence
-second version has a perfect cadence

Question 39

describe how theme b/the first episode is introduced in the piece

Answer 39

-solo horn in the dominant key accompanied by sustained string chords
-violins imitate the five bar melody while the horn adds a countermelody
-four detached chords played in forte by the full orchestra
-answered by the solo horn’s rising arpeggios and falling scales

Question 40

describe how theme c is introduced in the piece?

Answer 40

-begins in c minor with three repeated notes
-first phrase ends with an imperfect cadence in C minor
-the second phrase modulates to the subdominant (Ab major)
-ascending sequence

Question 41

describe what leads to the first episode in this piece?

Answer 41

F major is emphasised by four bars and there is then a descending sequence based on an inversion from the start of the piece, which leads to the first episode

Question 42

describe theme a when is it repeated

Answer 42

-there is perfect cadence and a descending sequence to bring the music back to Eb major
-then there is the reprise of them a in the tonic key , eight bars solo and the eight bars of the full orchestra
-the second phrase of the rondo theme is reprised this time but turns minor before modulating to the dominant

Question 43

how is theme b developed in the piece? (2.36)

Answer 43

theme b in brought back in the tonic key but with a few pitches altered, a horn fanfare is added when it is repeated by the violins

Question 44

describe the second half of the rondo theme

Answer 44

-Triadic and scalic movement
-parallel thirds in the violas and violins
-descending sequence
-horn interjections
-auxiliary note

Question 45

what happens before the first episode ?

Answer 45

-solo horn is imitated by the violins
-F major is emphasised
-describing sequence based on inversions

Question 46

describe theme a when is it repeated

Answer 46

-eight bars solo and eight bars full orchestra
-solo horn plays the melody accompanied by detached strings chords
-orchestra repeats in forte
-anacrusis and acciaccatura

Question 47

describe the second half of theme a when is it repeated

Answer 47

-turns minor before modulating to the dominant
-triadic and scalic movement

Question 48

describe theme b when is it repeated

Answer 48

-tonic key with a few pitches altered
-horn fanfare is added when repeated by the violins
-four detached chords play forte by the full orchestra
-short cadenza in some of the soloists

Question 49

describe theme a when is it repeated for the third time

Answer 49

-orchestral repeat is extended upwards by sequence
-returns to tonic key
-two perfect cadences

Question 50

What is the name of this piece ?

Answer 50

Mozart Horn Concerto No.4 in Eb major, third movement