Stamitz Op 3 no 2 in D major 1750
written in galant style. simple melodic phrases that are diatonic and used lots of melodic repetition (e.g. b13 of 1st mvt has 3 note idea). simple and direct harmony with lots of pedal notes and primary chords. use of Mannheim hammerstroke, followed by sudden drop to piano then increase in dynamic levels (Mannheim crescendo, Mannheim roller). uses standard 4 mvt form - 1st mvt in almost sonata form, 2nd in binary, 3rd minuet and trio, 4th extended binary (presto). more innovative use of woodwind (gives them melodic lines instead of them being harmonic carriers). harpsichord continuo used, sinfonia a 8 config.
CPE Bach Symphony in E minor 1759
Empfindsamer Stil (simplistic like dances), often changing mood. 3 mvts (early symphonic form), each mvt runs into the next. 1st mvt in ritornello form (baroque equivalent of rondo). uses diminished 7ths, and rapidly changes to unexpected keys. sudden changes in harmony, texture and dynamics. energetic semiquavers and chromatic flavours in the harmony make this piece an example of dramatic and emotional volatility. originally written for string orchestra alone, but he added 2 flutes, 2 oboes and 2 horns later. the winds were used as reinforcements.
Haydn 26 1768
Sturm und Drang, minor tonality, syncopations for unrest. uses basso continuo, and cello and bass play the same part. opening of 1st mvt is highly syncopated with a melody that is almost entirely against the beat. first performed in Easter season; an Easter plainchant is used as the S2 in the 1st mvt, given to the 2nd violins and oboes. S1 uses Sturm und Drang style, influenced from German literature.
Haydn 2 1760
opens with bold octave unison texture. 3 mvts (early symphonic form). both the expo and recap end with a coda/codetta. middle mvt is like chamber music with violins playing the same line, violas double the bass, continuo fills out harmonies. diatonic harmony, circles of fifths, turn to minor in S2 of 1st mvt, followed by a circle of fifths.
Haydn 31 ‘Hornsignal’ 1765
4 mvts. horn material in 1st mvt brought back in last mvt, connecting mvts within a symphony. recap in 1st mvt begins in tonic minor with new material, undermining both elements of the double return. written in celebration of horn section returning to full strength. uses soloists, adds flute + 2 horns to sinfonia a 8. continuo keyboard much less necessary.
Haydn 47 1772
3rd mvt has a palindromic structure - the B section is the A section played backwards. this makes accents and melodic leaps in awkward places, so they stand out. no longer uses harpsichord continuo, replaced by a bassoon doubling the bass line.
Haydn 45 ‘Farewell’ 1772
ends with only 2 violinists. protests at long summer residency that keeps the orchestra from seeing their families.
Haydn 94 ‘Surprise’ 1791
2nd mvt - audience lulled into a false sense of security and then shocked by a heavily accented chord. typical Haydn melodies in small fragments, the themes are broken into small motivic units. fast 3rd mvt, foreshadowing move to scherzo. lots of development and repetition. uses 2 trumpets.
Haydn 100 ‘Military’ 1794
2nd mvt is monothematic. double dotted rhythms frequently used in the intro are a reference to the french overture. allegro in sonata form, has contrasting S2. the development begins in a very unconventional manner. after the expo has ended in the dominant D major, as would be expected, the development begins with 2 bars of silence followed by an unprepared modulation to the bVI key of Bb major. uses 60 players. Turkish-influenced percussion with use of bass drum, cymbal and triangle, as well as timpani. the trumpet fanfare which begins at b152 is the reason of its nickname ‘military’.
Mozart 40 1788
the famous theme with which this symphony begins, with its characteristic falling semitones and rising 6ths, is for the first 12 bars accompanied by moto perpetuo quavers in split violas. the contrasting 2nd theme is in the relative major (Bb). the recap brings back both themes in the tonic key of G minor. the 2nd mvt has no less than 3 themes, demonstrating the seemingly effortless way in which mozart was able to generate melodic material. syncopations and hemiolas in 3rd mvt. 2nd mvt in the style of a Siciliana, a slow 6/8 dance. one of only 2 Mozart symphonies that begins and ends minor. from the relative major at the end of the expo, the development begins in the obscure key of F# minor. the start of the development of the 4th mvt is tonally ambiguous, with its apparent movement from one diminished 7th onto another. independent woodwind and brass in trio, uses 2 clarinets.
Mozart 41 ‘Jupiter’ 1788
emphasis shifted on last mvt rather than first. counterpoint in last mvt - the coda contains all of the 5 main themes in a complex fugato texture - culmination of themes at end, links mvts of symphony. written for vienna audiences.
Beethoven 3 ‘Eroica’ 1804
contains fugal elements in 4th mvt. minuet replaced with scherzo. chromatic, Neapolitan 6th chord in E minor. the key of the 1st mvt is quickly established by 2 large Eb chords, as opposed to longer sessions in symphonies 1 and 2. throughout the rest of the symphony, Neapolitan chords are used. depicts struggles and triumphs of of a heroic protagonist. dedicated to prince Lokowitz (he allowed him to use the royal orchestra).
Beethoven 5 1808
4 note opening used relentlessly both rhythmically and in terms of pitch - intensive use of motifs. 3rd mvt leads into the 4th and music from the 3rd returns later. dedicated to Prince Lokowitz (he allowed him to use the royal orchestra). first appearance of a trombone in a symphonic work. begins minor, ends major with lots of perfect cadences in C major. uses lots of low instruments - 3 trombones + contrabassoon.
Beethoven 6 ‘Pastoral’ 1808
1st mvt repetition plays an important part in evoking the sense of the countryside and simplicity, as seen from b16. the 3rd theme of the slow mvt is folk-like, with what sounds like a pastiche accompaniment in violins to an off-beat melody in oboe, answered by a simplistic I-V-I bassoon figure. there is no clear phrase structure in the storm. 5 mvts with the addition of the programmatic storm mvt before the finale. the first 2 mvts and the last mvt are in sonata form. slow mvt is a Siciliana (often linked with peasant dances) in 12/8. 2nd mvt subtitled ‘Scene by the brook’. this idea is created by undulating semiquavers or broken chords which run throughout much of this mvt. the 3rd mvt, subtitled ‘Merry gathering of the country people’, is an adaptation of a minuet and trio, though more in the style of a scherzo and trio with its very lively tempo. the fast scherzo is then interrupted by a 2/4 dance based almost entirely on just chords I and IV. there is a particularly interesting rhythmic effect at b21 of the 4th mvt, where semiquaver quintuplets are used against semiquavers (5 v 4) in cellos and basses, representing the swirling rain. diminished 7ths at beginning of storm, dissonant writing in lower strings to depict rumbling of thunder. flashes of lightning in high woodwind. drones and pedals evoke folk music. the 3rd mvt ends abruptly on a C major chord (V), to be followed by a pp Db in low strings (forming an interrupted cadence) for the start of the 4th mvt. the V and I pedals (imitating drones), are a pastoral folk music feature, as heard in the first theme. these pedals are again heard near the start of the development in the violins. 3rd mvt representation of a village band. 1st and 5th mvt folk-like melodies over drones and pedals, 6/8 time. 5th mvt shepherd’s song ranz des vaches. dedicated to prince Lokowitz. 3rd theme of 2nd mvt given to bassoon, not a known solo instrument at the time. birdsong in woodwind: flute melody mimics a nightingale, oboe quail, clarinet cuckoo.
Beethoven 9 1824
development section of the 1st mvt uses a triple fugue and thematic variation is prevalent. 4th mvt sees some quasi-operatic passages with the baritone voice delivering the melody. the ode to joy theme is presented by the orchestra followed by a new theme (used in a double fugue) and then into the finale. in the finale 2 separate double fugues appear. tremolo opening on bare 5ths - unstable/ambiguous tonality. it only contains the root and 5th of an A chord (the dominant) and it is not until b17 that the tonality of D minor is confirmed as the first theme appears in ff tutti. symphony begins minor and ends major. would have cost a lot of money due to large orchestra + choir. sponsorship allowed him to include a choir, double woodwind, piccolo, contrabassoon, 9 brass, 4 percussionists (bass drum, triangle, cymbals). valved 4th horn part. the length of the work (approx 70 mins) reflects the long concerts in London which audiences were used to.
Dvorak 9 ‘New World’ 1893
many modal inflections (flattened 7ths) recalling various folk music it draws upon. the dotted rhythmic pattern which answers the main theme of the 1st mvt reflects the dance-like rhythms of his Slavonic Dances. 2nd theme aeolian. the 3rd theme (with its echoes of Swing Low, Sweet Chariot) starts out with strong suggestions of the major pentatonic scale. the theme of the 2nd mvt is introduced on cor anglais. even more clearly based on indigenous folk music, it is initially based on the notes of the major pentatonic scale. 4th mvt incorporates themes from the previous 3 mvts, particularly at the end where there is a succession of loose quotations from previous mvts leading into the final repetition of the main finale theme. 2nd mvt modulates from E minor to Db major through an unusual chord sequence. uses timpani, triangle, cymbals.
Schumann 3 1850
chorale idea from mvt 4 appears at end of last mvt, transformed first as an expansive brass idea and then in imitative series. structure like Beethoven 6 - contains 5 programmatic mvts. 4th mvt like a chorale, and runs straight into last mvt. scherzo appears before slow mvt, 2nd mvt like a Landler. 3 trombones (alto, tenor, bass). also 4 horns and 2 trumpets. same key as Beethoven 3 and begins in a similar heroic way.
Dvorak 8 1889
like Haydn 104 starts with an intro in the tonic minor. the introductory material is brought back at major structural points, including beginning of development and recap. by 1890 dvorak had an international reputation, and his publisher (Simrock) commissioned his 8th symphony. this shows the emerging power of publishing houses, as they anticipated recouping their commissioning costs from hire and sales of the music from a prominent composer. it was premiered in Prague for a series of concerts called ‘Popular Music Concerts’, and the appeal to Prague audiences (and the rise in nationalism in music) is reflected in the inclusion of Bohemian and Czech folk elements: modal writing in 1st mvt (aeolian) and 2nd mvt (phrygian), Bohemian folk waltz for the 3rd mvt, 4th mvt uses fast Czech folk rhythm.
Liszt Les Preludes no 3 1854
initial melodic idea represents a character that experiences a range of situations. motif represented with different rhythms, textures, tonalities to portray different situations. symphonic poem, a single mvt broken into episodes by changes of metre, tempo, etc. uses bass trombone, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp.
Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique 1830
idee fixe which begins the Allegro section represents his beloved, and is present in every mvt. it appears in a different guise in each mvt, emphasising the obsession Berlioz has with his beloved, but also carrying the narrative of the symphony, and the transformation of the idea of the beloved from beginning to end. Dies Irae - Gregorian chant sung in the Catholic Mass for the Dead - begins at bar 127, initially stated in unison between the unusual combination of 4 bassoons and 2 tubas. the bells which precede this modal theme emphasise the programmatic, dramatic nature of the piece. atmospheric opening of the witches’ sabbath finale sees the strings divided into 10 parts. this eventually leads to a passage of fugal writing, and col legno in the strings. 5 mvt programme symphony. 4th mvt orchestration is strikingly original. double basses play 4-part G minor chords, while the timpani play 2-part chords (G and Bb) to an ominous triplet rhythm. the mvt is also strikingly original harmonically;. just after figure 58, Db major and G minor chords are juxtaposed (a tritone apart). 2nd mvt is a waltz in which the artist sees his beloved. this mvt uses 2 harps, and the waltz theme and idee fixe are combined. huge orchestra - strings, 2 flutes and piccolo, 2 oboes and cor anglais, 2 clarinets and Eb clarinet, 4 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 cornets, 3 trombones, 2 tuba, 2 harps, 2 sets of timpani, cymbals, snare, bass drum, bells. different types of beaters used on timps (e.g. sponge beaters). col legno to depict rattling of bones. valved horns. Eb clarinet to create a distorted version of the idee fixe. muted strings at beginning. orchestral debut of tuba.
Liszt Faust 1862
melodies represent characters. Mephistopheles cannot create, so his themes are mutations of Faust’s motifs, so there is no original thematic material in the last mvt. Gretchen’s theme remains the same. first example of a conscious 12-tone row. 3rd mvt creates a fugue out of distorted versions of each character’s themes. slow intro with a prolonged augmented triad - unstable. opening leads to subdominant instead of tonic. based on Goethe’s Faust, written to commemorate a new statue in Weimar (the German town where Goethe lived) - appeals to the German taste in Romantic literature. 1st mvt anguish depicted by features such as the start, where a sequence of unharmonised augmented triads a 12-tone chromatic tone row. slow 2nd mvt depicts Faust’s love. 3rd mvt portrayal of the Devil character by fast tempo, tremolo dim7 chords in strings, tritone melodic shapes, chromatic scales. uses tuba, timpani, cymbals, triangle, harp, organ, tenor soloist, male chorus in final mvt for chorus mysticus.
Tchaikovsky 5 1888
expands sonata form with several 2nd subject ideas. 3rd mvt waltz. complex syncopations in middle of 3rd mvt.
Tchaikovsky 6 ‘Pathetique’ 1893
after the dark and ominous 1st theme, the andante 2nd theme is contrasting in the relative major of D. the fluidity of tempo at which this theme is played is a very typical romantic gesture. the theme is based around a D major scale, initially just D major pentatonic. there is chromaticism in the harmonisation of this theme. a little later in the expo, the D major theme returns, but set in compound 12/8, so whilst the theme itself remains unchanged, the accompaniment is in triplets. unusually, only 10 bars into the development there is a rapid fugal section, based on the main theme of the mvt. waltz 2nd mvt in 5/4. 3rd mvt starts like a scherzo but turns into a triumphant march. the final mvt is unusual with an adagio lamentoso tempo, followed by andante, rather than a typical presto. ends minor.
Brahms 3 1883
1st mvt sonata form with a not closely related key to F of A major for S2. 3rd mvt waltz. syncopations, rhythmic complexities e.g. 6/4 - contrast between 2 dotted minims in a bar and 3 minims in a bar. tonal instability with Ab in F major. uses contrabassoon and timpani. motif based on F-Ab-F (Frei Aber Froh). 2nd mvt in modified sonata form.
