Teaching Guide Aos 1c
Teaching Guide Aos 1c
Teaching Guide Aos 1c
solo concerto)
This resource is a teaching guide for Area of Study 1 for our A-level Music
specification (7272). All your students need to study:
Strand A (Baroque solo concerto)
Strand B (The operas of Mozart)
Strand C (The piano music of Chopin, Brahms and Grieg).
Section A
Section A is built entirely on motif a. The trumpet sets the fanfare-like mood of
the movement from the start with this characteristic rhythmic pattern,
emphasising the tonic and dominant notes and adding a distinctive upper
auxiliary on the second semiquaver. A root position D major chord supports the
first bar, and the texture is melody and accompaniment.
The motif is immediately repeated twice more, rising up through the 3rd and 5th
of the tonic triad. By the end of the first beat of bar 2, the solo trumpet has
played every pitch (excepting the G#) it will have in the whole movement. The
second repetition of the motif has a little variant at the end, an extra semiquaver
which enlivens the rhythm further and includes an unprepared 7th, the kind of
unexpected dissonance typical of Purcell.
This phrase is repeated exactly twice more above a rising bass line, before falling
back to the tonic for the cadence, creating a classic arch-shape to the opening
melody. The perfect cadence is heralded with a quickening of the harmonic
rhythm in the third bar, coupled with more semiquavers in the melody. The
dominant chord is decorated on the 4th beat with a 4 - 3 suspension, trill and
anticipatory note in the melody.
Bars 4 - 6 repeat the material exactly, but for two essential differences; a) the
violin takes the melody with the trumpet tacet and b) the melody is a fourth
lower and, after the opening bar of tonic harmony, the music modulates to the
dominant, A major, enhancing the brightness of mood further.
These two three-bar sections are followed by a four-bar section where the motif
is passed antiphonally between the trumpet (largely unaccompanied), and the
strings (violin and bass in parallel 10ths). The first three phrases are on the
dominant chord, the fourth is back to the tonic and then bars 9 - 111 are a
repeat of bars 2 - 41, albeit with one small change in the rhythm of the bass.
This first section of the movement is therefore itself in a distinct ternary
structure.
Section B
After the lively and decisive rhythmical style of the opening section, the B
Section lends itself to a more relaxed, lyrical and plaintive mood. Purcell
achieves this contrast in the following ways:
a stepwise, instead of triadic, motif
falling, instead of rising, melodic shapes
regular quaver movement, without semiquavers
B minor tonality (the relative minor)
a more imitative and contrapuntal texture
a quieter and more legato style (not marked in the score).
This B motif is played four times with the violin in close imitation of the trumpet,
over a bass initially in parallel compound 6ths, then in compound parallel 10ths,
the violin extending the final repetition into a perfect cadence in B minor, again
with 4-3 suspension and anticipatory note.
At bar 14, the trumpet picks up the final three notes of motif b in rhythmic
diminution and starts another antiphonal exchange with the strings, the trumpet
ascending in sequence as the bass descends.
As the trumpet reaches the top of its range, for the first time it shows its ability
to sustain long-held notes over two cadential progressions in the dominant A
major. Bars 17 and 18 reveal Purcell’s adventurous approach to tonality and
harmony with an abrupt switch to A minor after the first cadence, then use of
the secondary chords II and VI under the inverted pedal to heighten the
dissonance and expressive affection.
Note the clever weaving of motif b into the texture, in close imitation between
violin and bass, and the long-descending bass line which reinforces the complete
thematic unity of this B section.
The C# in the A chord at the start of bar 19 equally abruptly restores the major
tonality (it sounds initially like a tierce de Picardie), semiquaver movement
reappears, the b motif is inverted in the violin leading to rising shapes which
bring about the return of the movement’s opening mood.
Section C
The tonic is firmly re-established with root position D major chords in bar 20
(reminiscent of bar 1), the trumpet reasserts itself with the principal melodic line
above the chordal texture, and the phrase shapes rise once again, outlining the
tonic triad. Rather than simply reiterating motif a, Purcell opens with just the
first three notes and then heads in a different direction with greater rhythmic
movement and more passing notes to intensify the excitement.
Another antiphonal exchange follows between violin and bass in parallel 10ths
and the trumpet using a variant of the first seven notes of motif c, this time
rising in sequence through chords IV, IIb, V, IIIb, VI, IVb and Vb. At this point,
halfway through bar 24, the trumpet changes tack and picks up the last four
notes of motif b in inversion (so now as a rising pattern), and in rhythmic
diminution, which is imitated twice by the strings before the trumpet embarks on
a broad final descent back to the tonic with the violin in unison for the first time
in the movement.
This falling sequence of parallel first inversion chords is a typical baroque
harmonic progression, using motif b in its original falling shape in quavers. The
final perfect cadence is again decorated with a trill and 4-3 suspension, and the
falling 7th which coincides with the anticipatory note creates a pair of
consecutive fifths in the harmony - a rare example where this is musically valid.
The whole of this 10 - bar C section is resolutely in D major.
3rd Movement: Allegro ma non troppoIf the first two movements can be regarded
as serious and regal, as might be fitting for a performance at the royal court, this
final movement allows for some spirited dancing in the manner of a Gigue.
Although at 80 bars this appears to be the longest of the three movements, its
brisk tempo and metre result in performances which last less than one and a half
minutes.
Features of a Gigue:
• fast tempo
• 3/8 metre (one-in-a-bar), with occasional hemiolas
• D major key is typical of folk music (use of open strings), with little
modulation
• easily memorable, conjunct melody
• imitative texture
• binary structure, with the theme inverted in the second half
• 32 - bar sections.
The texture is fugal in character and for the first time in the work, the 2nd
violins and violas get an opportunity to share some of the principal melody
writing. The absence of any significant modulation allows the trumpet full
access to all the musical material.
Bars 1 – 16
The four-bar ‘subject’ is stated in the first violins in a regular rhythmical pattern
which emphasises the strong beats of the bar. It utilises just five pitches of the
tonic scale, firstly in descent from the dominant and then rising sequentially to
finish on the third. The harmonic implications are I - I - V - I, in a harmonic
rhythm which changes chord once every bar, a pattern maintained throughout
this first section of the movement. In bar 3 the violas imitate the subject an
octave lower, and in bar 5 the second violins imitate on the dominant a 5th
higher than the violas. As there are no leading notes in the subject, this entry
has no implication of modulating to the dominant key. The texture has now
increased to three voices, an extra bar of sequence is added whilst the first
violins give a brief reference back to the falling appoggiaturas of the previous
movement (marked ‘x’ on the score). During this clever piece of thematic
transformation the basses enter with the subject, again starting on A. One more
dominant entry in the violins follows in bar 10 before finally the trumpet makes
its entry in bar 13 with a final statement of the subject at its original pitch. Note
how the bass rises by step from the second bar of its entry in bar 9 up a
complete octave to reach top D at bar 16.
Bars 16 – 33
At this point the material changes. The strings introduce a fresh idea which
slows the harmonic rhythm to a chord change every two bars, at the same time
as creating a greater rhythmic vitality and energy with five rapidly repeating
chords in a typically dramatic Italian fashion:
The trumpet pares down the opening subject motif into a three-note descending
triadic figure, the two ideas alternating in antiphonal dialogue. After ten bars of
this material the harmony reaches chord VI, the trumpet picks up the figure
from the second bar of the subject and the II - V - I cadence arrives courtesy of
a distinctive hemiola pattern, the strength of the dominant chord on the second
beat of bar 26 being emphasised by a trill. The one-in-a-bar harmonic rhythm is
restored at bar 27, and the section closes with a short descending sequence
followed by another hemiola heralding the perfect cadence.
Bars 33 – 46
The second half of the movement begins with a return of the opening subject,
this time inverted and with the second entry in the second violins entering after
only a single bar. These bars are for strings only and after the bass entry the
music modulates for the only time in the movement - four bars of the relative
minor.
Bars 47 – 64
The trumpet returns to state the inverted shape of the subject, and a bar later
the tonic is restored for the remainder of the work. A change of shape at the end
of the phrase brings about the first imperfect cadence in this movement (bar
51), and further new material is presented, characterised by intervals of the
rising 4th and falling 3rd in another antiphonal exchange, this time with the first
violins doubling the trumpet against the lower strings. Note the unexpected false
relation between the bass C♮ and treble C# in bars 54 - 55. A final statement of
the subject in its original descending form starts at bar 59, apparently bringing
the movement to a close with another hemiola and perfect cadence at bar 64.
Bars 64 – 80 (Codetta)
The fanfare figure of repeating chords returns, this time with the trumpet
joining in with the same material in antiphony with the strings, first rising and
then falling through the notes of the tonic triad. This is the only passage in the
whole work where the trumpet plays bottom D and F#, adding an extra
authority to these final moments. After 11 bars of tonic harmony the cadence
figure from bar 32 returns, repeated with the same phrase by the trumpet, and
two more tonic chords for the curtsey to bring the dance to a close.
Melody
• A section characterised by leaps on the strong beats (rising 5ths and 4ths,
falling octaves and 7ths)
• B section almost entirely conjunct, until the rising 4ths and falling octaves
in the final three bars
• Upper auxiliaries, passing notes and echappee notes
• Sequences
• Irregular phrase structure
• Range of a minor 9th (octave + lower leading note)
Rhythm
• Repeated rhythmic pattern in bass throughout
• Placing of the dotted rhythm on the down beats of the first four bars in
section A, and again on the down beats of bars 7 - 11 in section B, but on the
weak beats in the last two bars of each section
• Syncopations
• Varied harmonic rhythm - a full bar of I (bar 1) and Vb7 (bar 4), but
moving more frequently towards cadences, and at a faster rate in section B
Harmony
• Diatonic throughout, except for the two diminished 7ths in bars 7 and 9
which act as dominant minor 9ths in first inversion
• Consonant, excepting the diminished 7ths, Vb7 (bar 4), IIb7 (bars 5, 8 and
10) and II7 on the third beat of bar 12
• Six perfect cadences (bars 3, 6, 8, 10 and 13) and a quasi-interrupted
progression in bar 2
• Cadential 6/4 progressions in bars 3, 5, 6 and 13
• Two bar sequence in bars 7 - 8 and 9 - 10
• Inverted tonic pedal from bar 11 beat 3 to bar 13 beat 1
Texture
• Melody with chordal accompaniment, the melody and bass polarised,
extending to four octaves apart in the final bar.
• The bass frequently moves in contrary motion to the melody, expanding
apart as phrases begin, and then closing back together at cadence points.
• The falling bass line which characterises the openings of both sections is
extended to full octave scale in bars 11 and 12 underneath the decorated
inverted pedal in the flute.
The last three bars of the movement show Vivaldi’s creative imagination at play.
Instead of simply repeating the opening three bars, he takes the beginning of the
first phrase (x), and the end of the second phrase (y), extending it as an inverted
tonic pedal (*) with the added delight of syncopated rhythms, whilst the bass
extends its original descent into a full octave to reach the point of maximum
separation at the start of the final bar, a satisfying resolution of the dissonant II7
in the previous bar.
First ritornello
The ritornello has an immediately appealing and memorable opening. An
anacrustic two-note rising 4th motif accompanied by the upper strings, outlining
the tonic chord of A minor, is imitated with a rising octave by the bass*. This
antiphonal texture is a taste of the more complex contrapuntal textures to come
later in the movement. The whole pattern is then repeated in the second bar
with smaller minor 2nd interval in the melody, and then at the third hearing the
motif develops into a falling sequence of semiquavers, the two violin parts
moving in parallel thirds. The melody has fallen an octave, from top A to lower
A, through the course of the four bars, contrasting with the rising octaves in the
bass at the beginning.
Note the strong harmony which establishes the A minor tonality. One bar of the
tonic, a bar of the subdominant over the tonic note, creating a short tonic pedal,
and then the pace of harmonic rhythm quickens in bar 3 into the perfect
cadence.
* In this analysis, bass refers to the whole of the basso continuo part, ie ‘cellos,
double basses (sounding an octave lower than the printed score) and the
keyboard (harpsichord, organ or lute) providing the inner harmonies.
In the next four bars the melody rises back up the scale, using a typical
fortspinnung technique of semiquavers, in parallel 10ths with the bass over a
dominant pedal, leading to a Phrygian cadence in bar 8. Bach disguises the
cadence with a sophisticated web of counterpoint and cross-phrasing.
After the homophonic melody and accompaniment texture of bars 5 and 6, the
music changes into four-part counterpoint, with each part pursuing its own
independent line through the texture. It is one of the most thrilling experiences
playing chamber music like this, everyone having their own rhythmic and melodic
shape combining to produce music of great complexity and vitality. Note how the
viola and ‘cello imitate each other with a mixture of two patterns (a) a
descending triad in quavers and (b) the figure x (first heard in bar 4), but played
in the reverse order and with an inversion of x in the ‘cello. The second violins
dovetail the cadence and then proceed with descending semiquaver scales
(imitating the first violins in bar 8) whilst the first violins soar above the texture
with a series of suspensions. The four * show how each phrase starts in a
different part of the bar, the cross-phrasing increasing the rhythmic energy and
disguising the underlying metre of the music.
A cycle of fifths in bars 8 to 12 underpins the descending harmonic sequence, as
the tonality begins to move towards the dominant E minor. Bach cleverly
extends this ritornello section with two interruptions to the expected perfect
cadence. Firstly, in bars 17 – 18 the Ic - V progression (with cadential trills) is
followed by a diminished 7th chord, and then the IIb - V progression two bars
later is turned into an interrupted cadence before all the parts hurtle downwards
to a perfect cadence at the third attempt in bar 24, and the first structural
resting point of the movement. One final surprise, a tierce de Picardie on the
final chord prepares nicely for a return to the tonic, A minor, at the start of the
first episode.
In the first ritornello the solo concertato violin and ripieno first violins play
together in unison. From the first episode onwards, the soloist’s part is largely
independent.
First episode
In earlier solo concerti of the Italian model, the ritornello and episodic material
was mostly contrasting in character. In this concerto, and indeed in many others
by Bach, there is a sophisticated integration, lending a much stronger unity to
the whole movement.
As the texture thins towards a typically Baroque polarised melody and bass (and
Bach adds a cautionary piano dynamic for the ripieno), the soloist takes a first
opportunity to shine, creating a decorative melody which quickly rises to the
highest note of the movement so far. The melody is based on the rising 4th and
y motifs from the ritornello, and the antiphonal accompaniment patterns the
rising 4th imitatively and motif x. Notice how all three upper string parts are
very high in tessitura to lighten the sound after the robust finish to the
ritornello.
The tonality stays firmly rooted to the tonic A minor, notwithstanding another
cycle of fifths in bars 32 – 37 suggesting brief nuances of C and then F majors,
before a strong reminder of the opening four bars of the ritornello in bars 40 –
43 with its perfect cadence in A minor. All the while, the soloist has been
describing long runs of semiquavers in sequential patterns, often using the
descending scale first heard in bar 7.
A second idea is introduced at bar 44, a rhythmically syncopated shape which is,
melodically, a development of motif x. This time it has a different character,
more buoyant and skittish, and markedly contrasting with the steady repeated
quavers in the chordal accompaniment. The second bar of the phrase is a simple
arpeggio figure with a cheeky reference to motif y, the lower auxiliary note D#
helping to confirm the harmonic progression to E minor. Meanwhile, the bass
adds a playful counterpoint to the texture using the x motif. The whole two bars
are then treated as a descending sequence, firstly to D minor and then a darker
C minor (as the first violins move to Ab), but in bar 49 an abrupt change to C
major and the soloist rises triumphantly to herald the return of the ritornello in
the relative major.
Second ritornello
Three main features in comparison with the first ritornello:
i) it starts in C major
ii) it is seven bars longer
iii) the soloist takes 4 bars to realise it has started!
Ritornello 2 Ritornello 1
bars 52 - 59 bars 1 - 8
solo interlude
x and y featured
solo interlude
x and y featured
bars 68 - 72 bars 13 - 17
bars 73 - 78
solo interlude
over a walking bass
bars 79 - 84 bars 19 – 24
Second episode
The second episode is considerably longer (58 bars) than the first episode (27
bars) and takes the music through a much broader spectrum of tonalities with
bolder harmonic progressions and more interplay between the soloist and
ripieno. It begins with exactly the same material (for four bars) as the first
episode, but a 4th lower in the key of E minor.
At bar 89, the solo violinist sets off again on a long passage of development
which uses motif y as a decorated inner pedal point, whilst motif x rises in
augmentation in a figure taken from bar 5 of the opening ritornello. The ripieno
first violins shadow the soloist’s line in an heterophonic texture.
Note another cycle of fifths as the harmony changes from Em in bar 88 to E7,
Am to A7, Dm to D7, G to G7, C to C7 and F at bar 99.
Now for the first time in the movement, Bach explores the flat side of the A
minor tonality. Material from the first episode (bar 40 – 43) returns, a
restatement of the opening ritornello theme marked forte in the ripieno parts,
but this time in the subdominant key, D minor.
At bar 106 the soloist takes over again, continuing with the same material from
bar 89, but this time in extended three-bar phrases, and with a greater sense of
dialogue between solo and ripieno forces. More flat keys are explored (F major
in bars 108 – 111) and G minor in bars 112 – 113) before returning to D minor
(bars 114 - 117), C major (bars 118 - 120) and then A minor, apparently for the
start of the final ritornello in bar 123.
Note the detailed attention to dynamics in the ripieno parts during this second
episode, and also the articulation in the solo violin part which requires as many
as fifteen notes to a single bow in places.
The passage above is the first occasion in this movement where the first violins
in the ripieno have a sustained melodic role in counterpoint to the soloist. It
creates a typically Baroque three-part polarised texture with two closely
entwined lines high above the bass. The soloist articulates motif y in a different
part of the bar, creating an exciting cross-rhythmical effect with the accent on
the second quaver of the bar.
Note the tied suspensions which appear to resolve upwards in parallel 7ths with
the bass, although the true resolution comes at the start of the next bar.
At bar 123, the ritornello theme returns as expected in A minor, although the
soloist is seemingly unaware. After four bars, the soloist embarks on further
development and the second episode continues. It was a false recapitulation, and
Bach surprises the listener with an extraordinary passage remarkable for its
boldness of harmony and texture.
The music from bar 89 is now treated as a long rising sequence (a two-bar
pattern repeated three times) as the soloist ascends over two complete octaves
to top C while the bass descends in contrary motion to bottom C (its lowest
string). A passage that begins with the two parts a minor third apart finishes
with them four octaves distant. Meanwhile, the tonality moves through another
cycle of fifths from A minor through to F minor, the flattest moment of the
whole movement, resting on a dominant pedal point before sidestepping back to
G minor through a crafty diminished 7th chord.
Throughout this, the first violins of the ripieno have their own countermelody, a
strong line which starts above the soloist, dives down to its lowest note (bottom
G), before soaring back over the solo part. Second violins and violas play in
unison, providing inner harmonies, at the beginning of this passage, but then
divide to create a thrilling five-part texture at the moment of climax.
Third ritornello
The final ritornello eventually returns for real at bar 143, although once again,
Bach cleverly conceals the entrance with the soloist dovetailing its lively
passagework until the end of the fourth bar. From bar 1462 the ritornello takes
an identical path to the music of the second ritornello (starting at bar 592) for
the final 25 bars of the movement, except that it is a fifth lower in C major and A
minor rather than G major and E minor.
Note the small alterations of details in the passage from bars 154 to 157 which
take the violins into a higher tessitura for the last part of the movement, the top
E in bar 166 being the highest note of all.
Melody
The subject uses three distinct patterns, each of three quavers:
x falling scale (also in sequence, and in inversion - x’)
y featuring a lower auxiliary note
z rising triad.
Also important are the opening anacrusis and rising 4th interval (a reminder of
the first movement), and the widely sweeping contour (tracing a large W) and
range (an octave and a half). Combinations of patterns (a and b) become
important vehicles for development later in the movement.
The countersubject also uses patterns x and y, but is distinctive for its trochaic
rhythms (often repeated as a pedal point) and narrow range (a 5th). The subject
and countersubject are wholly diatonic.
The answer is identical to the subject, except it is in the dominant key (E minor),
and the opening anacrusis is lowered by one note so that the subject's dominant
- tonic is answered as tonic - dominant. This is known as a tonal answer.
Texture
The design of the texture looks like this:
Solo + Vlns Subject Countersub Free part Developme Free part Developme
I ject nt nt
Unlike a normal fugal opening, the subject and countersubject are announced
together above a supporting bass line. The three threads of the counterpoint are
immediately distinguished by their own place in the tessitura and the rhythmic
hierarchy. When the answer arrives in bar 5, the four parts are separated
further (the bass descends a 4th and the first violins rise above the stave) to
allow its entry a clear space in the texture, but very quickly the violas’ free part
weaves above and below this line. As the answer is now underneath the
countersubject, this is an example of invertible counterpoint at work. The texture
becomes even more exciting and aurally challenging once the basses join in with
the subject at bar 9. Crossings of parts becomes more adventurous with the
second violins first swooping above the first violins and then diving below the
violas and there is even a moment in bar 18 when the violas are at the very top
of the texture. The x and y motifs frequently appear in parallel 3rds and 6ths,
and their compounds.
Tonality
Bars 1 - 4 Tonic (A minor)
Bars 5 - 8 Dominant (E minor)
Bars 9 - 12 Tonic (A minor)
Bars 13 - 14 Modulatory passage (D minor, G major)
Bars 15 - 18 Relative major (C major)
Bars 19 - 20 Tonic (A minor)
Bar 21 Subdominant (D minor)
Bars 22 - 24 Tonic (A minor)
Harmony
The first three bars firmly establish the A minor key, using only chords I and V.
Bach enhances the lightly dancing character of the music by using Vb and the
higher tonic on the strong beats, and indeed the absence of any harmony on the
very first down beat. The harmonic rhythm is largely one harmony per bar until
bar 4 when it moves faster into the modulation to the dominant - achieved
through VIIb rather than V7 for a lighter touch. After the entry of the subject in
the bass in bar 9, chords I and V appear in 2nd inversion, and then the harmonic
palette broadens in the modulatory passage of bars 12 - 14, with a IIb - Vc7 -
Ib in D minor, followed by IVb - Vb - I in G major (repeated in C major) in a
much faster-moving harmonic rhythm to give the impression of a cycle of 5ths.
If the harmony has been wholly consonant up to this point, then the last four
bars of the ritornello bring about increasing levels of dissonance. The change of
motif b (the 4th bar of the subject) into b’ creates appoggiaturas on the 3rd
main beats of bars 21 and 22 (a melodic feature which Bach develops further in
the following episode) and simultaneously lower auxiliaries clash with the
appoggiaturas’ resolutions. Suspensions drive the harmonic movement forward
at the starts of bars 22 and 23, and at the beginning of bar 24 a double
appoggiatura coincides with the descent of a 7th in the bass to propel the
ritornello to its conclusion. Note also the leaping octaves in the bass part of the
sequential passage in bars 21 and 22 - an embellishment of the dancing bass
line of bar 2.