Schumann - Rhythm/Metre/Tempo

Question 1

What is the tempo of the 1st movement of the trio?

Answer 1

Allegro moderato. (moderately lively/quick)

Question 2

Does the tempo ever change during the movement?

Answer 2

There is a short poco rit. (get momentarily slower) in the second subject group, but otherwise the tempo is unchanged.

Question 3

What is the metre of the music?

Answer 3

4/4

Question 4

Why do some argue that the metre is more like 2/2, than 4/4?

Answer 4

The 4/4 metre – four crotchet beats are heard in the passages with more rapid harmonic rhythm (bars 5–6), but quite often the feel is more of 2/2, due to the regularity of the harmonic changes.

Question 5

Why is rhythm an important part of the melodic ideas?

Answer 5

They each have their own distinctive rhythmic character, e.g. 1(c) has dotted rhythms, and 2(a) is syncopated.

Question 6

What rhythmic feature is used at the start of ideas 1(c) and 1(d)?

Answer 6

Anacrusis. (upbeat)

Question 7

What rhythmic feature is used to help the more lyrical ideas, such as at bar 139?

Answer 7

Ties

Question 8

What rhythmic feature does Schumann often use to create more lively passages?

Answer 8

Quavers/shorter note values.

Question 9

What is Schumann careful of when using syncopation.

Answer 9

She never lets the syncopation make the sense of pulse/metre become too obscured or unclear.