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Monday, February 14, 2005

Schumann: Carnaval, Op. 9, No. 4, “Valse noble”

This first section I view as an expository function. It is the A section, and it’s repeated twice. So, it is obviously a very important part of the song as a whole. It is phrased as a symmetrical parallel period. I can see and hear the stronger and final IAC in measure eight to end the period. The musical content is almost identical for all four measure when looking at the rhythm and notes of the treble line. The bass line has the same rhythm throughout but different in chord position.

The next section of music I consider to be serving as the transitional function. It is a period (symmetrical parallel period) formed by two, eight bar phrases which are pretty much exactly identical to each other. The reason this section is functioning as a transition is because it isn’t related to the A section at all, but it leads us into a developmental part which puts a new twist on the A section. We are in a new key, and the rhythm has changed in both hands.

This developmental section with is similar to the A section but has different qualities. The bass line sustains a little more, and the texture is different because there isn’t octaves in the treble line. This developmental section is made up of two, four bar phrases. I consider it to be a symmetrical parallel period.

That developmental section runs us right back into the full blow A section which to end the piece takes two, four bar phrases to form a symmetrical contrasting period. The second phrase is was really shows this as a terminative function because it is leading the register down and taking us to the last cadence of the piece.

1 comment:

Jimbo said...

I liked how you described how the development was different from exposition by talking about texture.