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Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Clementi's Sonatina

Alright, it asks for a full analysis, so here goes:

In C major (I):
1 - I
2 - I
3 - I
4 - V
5 - I
6 - I, viio7/V
7 - V, vi6, V64, V/V
In G major (V):
8 - I
9 - V6
10 - I
11 - V43
12 - I6
13 - IV, ii6
14 - V7
15 - V
In C major (I):
16 - V42
17 - i6
18 - vii0, i
19 - V
20 - V7
21 - i64
22 - viio, i
23 - V
24 - I
25 - I
26 - I
27 - V
28 - I
29 - I
30 - V7
31 - I
32 - V6
33 - I
34 - V43
35 - I6
36 - IV, ii6
37 - V7
38 - I

Now the form analysis:

Exposition
  • FTA - m. 1-8 --> key of I, modulates to V
  • STA - m. 8b-15 --> key of V
  • * - phrases overlap at m. 8, with no formal transition
Development
  • m. 16-23, two HC's in I at ms. 19 and 23
  • retrans - arguable, m. 23b (so short, really more of a link)
Recapitulation
  • FTA - m. 24-31 --> key of I
  • STA - m. 31b-38 --> key of I
  • * - phrases overlap again at m. 31, with no formal transition
The FTA theme we'll call the "arpeggiating" motive (do-mi-do-sol-sol), which first appears in m. 1-8. The STA theme we'll call the "scalar" motive (do-re-mi-fa-sol-la-ti-do...), which appears in m. 8-15. The development section (m. 16-23) mainly explores the arpeggiating motive, but sets it in the minor mode and destabilizes the harmony in the bass.

The retransition is really not a full retransition, just a short bass scale borrowed from m. 4 of the FTA - and since there are no transitions from the FTA to the STA in either the exposition or the recapitulation, I'd probably call this little half-measure a link, rather than a full retransition.

The recapitulation begins with the same FTA from the exposition, except that the right hand is one octave lower than before, and of course, it remains in C major instead of modulating. I believe the different octave in the second FTA is to keep the STA's scalar motive, when it arrives in m. 31, in a nice mid-range tessitura; because this time, we haven't modulated.

So, what makes this a Sonatina, as opposed to a sonata? First of all, excluding repeats, the entire piece is only 38 measures long. Also, examining a typical sonata form we find:

EXPO DEV RECAP
P T S K P T S K

Whereas in Clementi's Sonatina, we have:

EXPO DEV RECAP
P S (k*) P S (k*)

...with neither transitions from P (FTA) to S (STA), nor thematic closing material. *(One could argue that the arpeggiated tonic chord in ms. 15 and 38, since it appears at the end of both the expo and the recap, could be Clementi's "K", but again, it's so short the serious viability of this is doubtful.) This piece certainly qualifies as a sonata form-inspired work, but it does not have the length or the extra material that we find in most true sonatas.

I do hope that covers it. Until next time!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

do u have op.36 no.2 first movement?