Analysis
Contents
First Movement (Allegro Moderato)
Form: Sonata Form. C Major.
EXPOSITION:
Bars 1-16: First Subject in Tonic. The first subject is a sentence of twelve bars prolonged by cadential extensions to Bar 16. The overlapping of the transition in the last bar gives rise to one of those apparent “elisions” caused by the first measure of a new sentence overlapping the final cadence-measure of the previous one. It will be noticed in Bar 8 that the presence of the auxiliary note on the accent, and the consequential shifting of the third of the tonic chord form that position, removes the effect of the finality from the perfect cadence. And not only this, but it actually leaves in the mind in a state of suspense, a suspense which necessitates the sentence being continued in order to complete the musical idea.
Bars 16-18: Bridge-passage or Transition (overlapping). The transition is only three bars long; it ends on a half-cadence in C major.
Bars 19-54: Second Subject in G major (Dominant). The second section is divided into three sections (Bars19-34, 34-42, and 42-54), followed by a codetta. The character of the various section is well described by the suggestive expressions, Schlusz I ( = the second section) and Schulsz II ( = the third section), and Anhang ( = the Codetta). In the first section, the three bars, Bars 29-31, gives variety to the hitherto unbroken two-bar rhythm in this section. The second section contains two four bar phrases. The first ends on a half cadence; the second, a varied repetition of the first, ends with a full cadence, Bar 42. The third section consists of a six-bar sentence which is repeated with some slightly florid variation.
Bars 54-58: Codetta. The Codetta is formed of simple cadence extensions.
Double bar and repeat.
DEVELOPMENT:
Bars 59-87: The second part of this movement consists of fresh passages which, however, include some references to the first subject, though they contain no real working of previous material. Compare Bars 65-66 with Bars 7-8, and Bars 81-82 with Bar 13, the latter passage being the only place in which there is any approach to thematic treatment. Compare also the bass figures, Bars 59-63, with those at the commencement of the first subject. The music touches transiently the keys of C major (Bars 59-60), and A minor (Bars 60-61). In Bars 69, there is a decided modulation to A minor thence – after incidentally touching the keys of F major (Bars 72-73) and D minor (Bars 73-74) – to C minor and C major (the tonic). This part closes with a passage on the dominant, which starts in C minor and ends in C major. A short link leads to the recapitulation of the first subject. Note the chord of the inverted dominant ninth in G major, both the diatonic and chromatic forms, Bars 61-63.
RECAPITULATION:
Bars 88-103: First Passage in Tonic.
Bars 103-105: Bridge-passage or Transition (unaltered, overlapping).
Bars 106-141: Second Subject in G major (Dominant) and C major (Tonic). An unusual feature in the form in this movement is to be met with the recapitulation of the second subject. Instead of re-appearing according to the usual custom, in the key of the tonic (here, C major), the second subject starts irregularly in the key of the dominant, G major, returning only to the tonic, in Bar 109, at the end of the first phrase. After this, however, the remainder of the subject reappears in the latter key but with slight modifications. The second subject divides into three sections like before (Bars 106-121, 121-129, and 129-141).
Bars 141-150: Coda. The real Coda commences in Bar 145, for up to this point the recapitulation has only repeated in the key of the tonic what has already occurred in the corresponding portion of the exposition in the key of the dominant. The passage, which is founded on the opening bars of the development, is written over a tonic pedal with suggestions of the plagal cadence.
Double bar and repeat.
Second Movement (Andante Cantabile)
Form: Ternary Form. F Major.
PART I:
Bars 1-8: Part i: Eight bar sentence in F major (tonic) and C major (dominant). Frequent use is made of the opening figure (four repeated C’s), it being imitated and repeated several times both in Part I and in the episode.
Double bar and repeat.
Bars 8-20: Part ii: Sentence of twelve bars, starting in G minor, modulating back to the key of F major. The resemblance between the terminations of the first and second parts of Part I, Bars 7-8 and 19-20, should be noted. Such similarity between the terminations of the two parts is a very frequent, though not invariable, feature in binary form. Note also the modulation to B flat major (Bars 14-16), and the earlier modulation to G minor (Bars 9-10), modulation towards the subdominant side of a key being another feature often to be met with in this form, near the commencement of Part II, and during its course.
Double bar and repeat.
PART II:
Bars 20-28: Part i: Eight-bar sentence in F minor (tonic) and A flat major (relative major). More unusual than the similar of the terminations spoken of in the previous paragraph – and therefore to be specially noted – is the resemblance between them and the final cadence in this passage, Bars 27-28.
Double bar and repeat.
Bars 28-36: Part ii(a): Eight-bar sentence modulating back to F minor.
Bars 36-40: Part ii(b): First phrase of Part II repeated repeated on Tonic pedal, slightly modified, and ending on perfect cadence in F minor.
PART III:
Bars 40-60: Repetition of Part I (without repeats).
Bars 60-64: Coda. The Coda to the entire movement is founded on the first phrase of the episode. In this case, however, it occurs, of course, in the major instead of in the minor mode, as in the episode.
Third Movement (Allegretto)
Form: Sonata Form. C Major.
EXPOSITION:
Bars 1-20: First Subject in Tonic. The first subject consists of a sentence of sixteen bars with a full close in Bar 16, afterwards extended to Bar 20 by cadential repetitions. Bars 9-16 are a varied repetition of Bars 1-8, the full close in Bars 15-16 replacing the half-close in Bars 7-8.
Bars 21-32: Bridge-passage or Transition. The first portion of the transition is of a very melodious character. Starting at one degree higher than the first phrase, the second phrase (Bars 25-28) commences with an imitation of the opening figure of the first. The passage modulates, in Bar 31, to G major, in which key it closes on a half-cadence in the following bar.
Bars 33-61: Second Subject in G major (Dominant). The first section of the second section (Bars 33-47) is of unusual construction. Its first phrase is two and a half bars in length, the bass however carrying on its own figures to the full four measures; Bars 37-39 repeat the phrase of two bars and a half, after which the responsive four-bar phrase (Bars 39-43) enters immediately without any repetition of the foregoing unaccompanied bass figures. In the repetition of the latter phrase the expected full cadence is abruptly interrupted, the finality of its effect being suddenly arrested by the sounding of the fifth alone – instead of the whole – of the tonic chord on the strong accent in Bar 47. The second section (Bars 47-61) is built mainly on broken chord figures in striking contrast to the “stepwise figures in the first section. It commences with a two-bar phrase, which is repeated, the responsive phrase (commencing on the second semiquaver/sixteenth note in Bar 51) continuing to Bar 55 where, after a transient modulation to C major in Bars 52-53, it ends with a perfect cadence in G major. This phrase is also repeated, its repetition being lengthened to six bars.
Bars 61-68: Codetta. With the exception of the break at the final cadence, the codetta is written on a tonic pedal.
Double bar and repeat.
DEVELOPMENT:
Bars 69-95: This portion of the movement consists of an episode which, beyond one slight exception (in Bar 85, which compare with Bar 1), bears no reference whatever to Part I, the slight thematic “working” it contains being founded on its own figures. Bars 74-84 form a short ascending sequence accompanied throughout, however, by the recurrent G. Note the slight working of figures in the passage on G, which follows. Compare also the figures in Bar 75 with those in 71. Beyond a momentary suggestion of the key in A minor, modulation in this episode is confined to the return from the key of the dominant to that of the tonic – the latter occurring, first in the major, and afterworlds in the minor mode. Note the chord of the Italian sixth in C minor, Bar 91.
RECAPITULATION:
Bars 96-115: First Subject in Tonic (unaltered).
Bars 116-131: Bridge-passage or Transition. The transition reappears slightly lengthened and modified. Bars 124-129, which modulate through F major and D major to C major form, in the treble, a descending sequence.
Bars 132-160: Second Subject in Tonic. The second subject divides into two section: Bars 132-146 and 146-160.
Bars 160-171: Coda. The coda is a slightly extended repetition of the original codetta. It is of interest to note that, in Bars 164-168, the descending figures are immediately followed by responsive ascending figures.
Double bar and repeat.
