Piano Quintet in F minor, Op. 34, movement 3 - Brahms.

Question 1

What is the context/background of the Piano Quintet in F minor, Op. 34, movement 3?

Answer 1

1865.
19th century romantic -  classical elements.
3rd of 4 movements - scherzo and trio.
Originally written as a string quartet.
Now piano/string quartet.
Professional ability.

Question 2

What is the instrumentation of the Piano Quintet in F minor, Op. 34, movement 3?

Answer 2

5 solo instruments.
Piano - virtuosic e.g. 22, 6 note successive chords.
Exploited piano range e.g. low bass line tessitura 53.
Low cello C - fully exploited.
Violin I - pizzicato double stopping - 18.
High Bb - 3 octaves above middle C - violin I - 64.

Question 3

What is the texture of the Piano Quintet in F minor, Op. 34, movement 3? 11

Answer 3

1. Monophonic start - pedal cello.
2. Viola I and viola - octaves.
3. Free imitation - piano and strings - 5.
4. Homorhythmic - 22.
5. Fugal style - 68 - contrapuntal.
6. Subject - viola, with 3 LH piano countersubjects.
7. Answer - 71.
8. 4 part counterpart - 82.
9. Stretto - 5 part texture - 92.
10. Top violins in unison, bottom in octaves.
11. Trio - melody dominated homophony.

Question 4

What is the structure of the Piano Quintet in F minor, Op. 34, movement 3?

Answer 4

Scherzo and trio.
ABA - ternary form.
A - Scherzo.
B - Trio.
A - Scherzo repeated.

Scherzo: three main themes (X= varied).
A: theme 1, 2, 3, 1X, 2X.
B: fugato, stretto - starts 68.
A: theme 2, 3, 1, 2 - starts 100.

Trio: clear ternary form.
A, B, A varied - new bass line.

Question 5

What is the tonality of the Piano Quintet in F minor, Op. 34, movement 3? 5 keys

Answer 5

Tonic key - C minor - starts/ends.
Dominant Gm - 57.
Distant keys - Ebm - fugato.
Remote Bmj key - 206.
C major used (tonic major) - 194.
Keys established by cadences/pedals.

Question 6

What is the harmony of the Piano Quintet in F minor, Op. 34, movement 3? 9

Answer 6

1. German augmented 6th - 5.
2. Half diminished 7th chords - 223.
3. Diminished 7th - 232.
4. Some diatonic harmony, with root position chords e.g. 3rd theme - 22.
5. Lack of perfect cadences - imperfect cadences.
6. End of sections - plagal cadences.
7. Secondary 7ths - 26.
8. Tierce de Picardie - 189.
9. Tonic cello pedal - 1.
10. Dominant pedal - 225.

Question 7

What is the melody of the Piano Quintet in F minor, Op. 34, movement 3? 8

Answer 7

1. Scherzo 1st theme - arpeggiated sequence.
2. 2nd theme - G repeated note pattern.
3. 3rd - augmentation.
4. Trio - theme built on 3rds.
5. Highly motivic.
6. Falling minor 2nd - 190.
7. Chromaticism - 166.
8. Fragmentation.

Question 8

What is the rhythm/metre of the Piano Quintet in F minor, Op. 34, movement 3? 6

Answer 8

1. Compound 6/8.
2. Simple duple - 2/4.
3. Syncopation - 1.
4. March rhythm - 13.
5. Offbeat accents emphasised by sforzando markings - 26.
6. Rhythmic augmentation - 3rd theme - 23.