Purcell Trumpet Concerto.

Question 1

1st Movement (A): What is the mood of this first movement?

Answer 1

Pomposo- Fanfare-like.

Question 2

1st Movement (A): How does the trumpet set a fanfare-like mood for the performance?

Answer 2

With a characteristic rhythmic pattern, emphasising the tonic and dominant notes. Utilising upper auxiliary notes on the second semiquaver.

Question 3

1st movement (A): What motif is this movement entirely built upon?

Answer 3

Motif A.

Question 4

1st Movement (A): What tonic chord supports the first bar of music (fully describe,) and texture is it in?

Answer 4

A root position D major chord and melody and accompaniment.

Question 5

1st Movement (A): How many times is this first motif played, and how is it played?

Answer 5

Motif is instantly repeated twice more, rising up the 3rd and 5th of the tonic triad.

Question 6

1st Movement (A): What is significant melodically about how the trumpet is played within the first bar and first beat of the second bar?

Answer 6

The trumpet has played every pitched (except G#) it will have in the whole movement.

Question 7

1st Movement (A): What else is special, rhythmically, articulatory and harmonically about the second repetition of the first motif?

Answer 7

It has a little variant at the end, an extra semiquaver (enlivening the rhythm further) and includes an unprepared 7th (typical dissonance of Purcell.)

Question 8

1st Movement (A): How is the first phrase developed in its second repetition and what does this create?

Answer 8

Repeated exactly twice above a rising bass line, before falling to the tonic for the cadence, creating an arch shape to the opening melody.

Question 9

1st Movement (A): How does the perfect cadence in bar two develop the third bar?

Answer 9

It is followed with a quickening of the harmonic rhythm and coupled with more semi quavers in the melody.

Question 10

1st Movement (A): How is the dominant chord on the 4th beat of the 3rd bar decorated?

Answer 10

It is decorated with a 4-3 suspension, trill and an anticipatory note in the melody.

Question 11

1st Movement (A): What two essentials are found in the repeat in bars 4-6 and what affect does this have on the mood?

Answer 11

Violin plays the melody and is played at a fourth lower, modulating to the dominant (A major) enhancing the brightness of the mood further.

Question 12

1st Movement (A): What are the first two 3-bar sections followed by?

Answer 12

4 Bar section where motif is passed antiphonally between an unaccompanied trumpet and strings in parallel 10ths.

Question 13

1st Movement (A): During the four bar section, what chord are they played on?

Answer 13

The dominant chord.

Question 14

1st Movement (A): How does the fourth phrase in the four-bar section change harmonically?

Answer 14

It is played on the tonic chord.

Question 15

1st Movement (A): Are bars 9-11(1) an exact repeat of bars 2-4(1)?

Answer 15

Not exact, as there is a small change in the rhythm of the bass.

Question 16

1st Movement (A): What structure is this first section of the movement in?

Answer 16

A distinct ternary structure.

Question 17

1st Movement (B): How does the mood of the B section contrast that of the A?

Answer 17

It is much more relaxed, lyrical and plaintive in its mood.

Question 18

1st Movement (B): How does Purcell achieve such a contrast in mood?

Answer 18

• A falling stepwise, instead of triadic motif.
• Regular quaver movement, without semiquavers.
• Modulates to B minor (relative minor).
• More imitation, more contrapuntal texture.

Question 19

1st Movement (B): How is the B motif played initially?

Answer 19

It is played four times with the violin in close imitation of the trumpet, above a bass initially in compound 6ths (then compound 10ths.)

Question 20

1st Movement (B): What does the violin do in the final repetition of motif B?

Answer 20

The violin extends the final repetition into a perfect cadence in B minor, with a 4-3 suspension and an anticipatory note.

Question 21

1st Movement (B): What happens in the trumpet at bar 14?

Answer 21

It picks up the final three notes of motif B in rhythmic diminution and starts another antiphonal exchange with strings. (The trumpet ascending in sequence while the bass descends.)

Question 22

1st Movement (B): What does the trumpet do at the top of its range?

Answer 22

It shows its ability to sustain long-held notes over two cadences in A major.

Question 23

1st Movement (B): How does Purcell show off his adventurous approach to tonality and harmony?

Answer 23

An abrupt switch to A minor after first cadence. Then he uses chords II & VI under inverted pedal (trumpet) to heighten dissonance and expression.

Question 24

1st Movement (B): What does Purcell do in bar 19 with the switch to a major third in the A minor tonic chord?

Answer 24

It suddenly restores a major tonality (like a Picardie third) called a false relation.

Question 25

1st Movement (B): What happens in the final repeat of motif B and what does it lead to?

Answer 25

Semiquaver movement reappears, the motif is inverted in the violin, leading to rising shapes which reference the movements opening mood.

Question 26

1st Movement (C): How does the first bar re-establish itself in the 1st movement?

Answer 26

The tonic is firm in root position D major chords in bar 20 (like bar 1). Trumpet returns back to principle melody above chordal texture. Melody has rising shapes again (outlines tonic triad.)

Question 27

1st Movement (C): What does Purcell do rather than simply repeating motif A and how does it affect the mood?

Answer 27

He opens with the first three notes and then shifts to greater rhythmic movement and more passing notes to excite the mood further.

Question 28

1st Movement (C): How does the the C section further develop after the first passage?

Answer 28

An antiphonal exchange is shared between violins and bass in parallel 10th. The trumpet uses variants of the first seven notes of motif C.

Question 29

1st Movement (C): In the development in motif C, what chords are in rising sequence?

Answer 29

IV-IIb-V-IIIb-VI-IVb-Vb

Question 30

1st Movement (C): What does the trumpet do half way through bar 24?

Answer 30

Trumpet changes motifs and picks up last four notes of motif B in inversion, and in rhythmic diminution (imitated by strings) before trumpet make descent into tonic (in unison with violin for first time in movement)

Question 31

1st Movement (C): How is the falling sequence of first inversion chords significant?

Answer 31

It is typical of baroque harmonic progressions.

Question 32

1st Movement (C): How is motif repeated at the end of the C section?

Answer 32

It is in its original falling shape in quavers, and the final perfect cadence is decorated with a trill and 4-3 suspension.

Question 33

1st Movement (C): What makes the anticipatory note in the last repeat of motif B in section C so special?

Answer 33

It coincides with a falling 7th, creating a pair of consecutive fifths in the harmony, a rare case where this is musically okay.

Question 34

1st Movement (C): What key is section C in?

Answer 34

D major.