1
Q
Context of the work
A
- Romantic era, completed in 1846
- Piano trio is a chamber work with arts for Violin, Cello and Piano. Popularised by Haydn and taken up by composers such as Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms and Shostakovich
- This work has 4 movements but only doing the first one
- Clara Shumann: daughter of Friedrich Wieck, a piano teacher and wife of composer Robert Shumann.
- She was one of a limited number of 19th century women composers, other near contemporaries being Fanny Mendelssohn, sister of composer Felix Mendelssohn.
2
Q
Describe the sonority
A
- All three instruments are treated in a conventional manner
- Ranger are well within each instrument’s capabilities: nearly 3 octaves for violin and cello and 5 1/2 for piano
- Limited use of pizzicato in cello (bars 238 - 246)
- Double-stopping in violin (e.g. bars 21-23)
- Piano pedalling indications are rare
3
Q
Describe the tempo, metre and rhythm
A
Tempo:
- Allegro moderato though 152 crotchets per minute is relatively fast
- Changes in tempo are rare notably ‘poco rit’ (bar 56 and 220) although the ‘animato’ at bar 266 invites an increase of pace to approach the end
Metre:
- Common time throughout
Rhythm:
- Persistent quaver movement
- Syncopation (e.g. bars 39-40)
- Forceful dotted rhythms
4
Q
Describe the melody
A
- Balanced phrases
- Sequential repetition (e.g bars 14-17)
- Melodic leaps in the violin part include: augmented 4th (bar 25) minor 6th (bar 29) minor 7th (bars 29-30)
- Opening violin melody is marked by strong perfect 5ths (bar 1) and a leap of an octave (bar 6)
- Use of appoggiatura to intensify expressive effect (e.g bar 7, violin)
- Chromaticism (e.g strings bars 66-67)
5
Q
Describe the harmony
A
- Schumann’s harmony is functional and marked by a strong drive towards cadences:
1. Imperfect (bar 4)
2. Perfect (bars 21-22)
3. Plagal (bars 285-286) - Suspensions (bar 18)
- Chromatic chords:
1. Neapolitan 6th (bar 191)
2. Diminished 7th (bar 13)
3. French augmented 6th (bar 11) - Anticipation (bar 5, violin)
- Dominant pedal (bars 155-164, cello)
6
Q
Describe the strucuture
A
- Sonata form:
- Exposition (repeated) bars 1-90
- Development (based largely on 1st subject) bars 91-164
- Recapitulation, bars 165-249
7
Q
Describe the texture
A
- Mainly homophonic (e.g. bars 21-23) or melody-dominated homophony (e.g. bars 1-8)
- Some contrapuntal exchanges between violin and cello (bar 115)
- Melodic interest usually kept in the violin or right hand of piano
- Cello reinforces violin line in octaves (bar 47) or in 10ths (from bar 17)
- Piano part is often made up of broken chords (maintaining a flow of quavers) or is chordal (bar 41)
Music
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