Steve, HEEEELP!

Beethoven Piano Sonata, Op. 2, no. 1 in f minor, (1st movement) Beethoven Piano Sonata, Op. 2, no. 1 in f minor, (1st movement)

6t

I______________ _ 6t I VII 6 or V4/3 I6I6 II 6 V How many harmonies in this passage? V_____________

N Tonic(I) Nb harmony Tonic P har m. Tonic II 6 or Interm. Dom(V) Opening Progression (Schenkerian Explanation) Prolongation of Tonic

#1: Harmonic Prolongation: Progressions ≠ strings of chords, but means of prolonging more basic harmonies. #2: Chord vs. Harmony Distinction ( Beethoven passage therefore has 7 chords, but only 3 real harmonies ) (Structural harmonies I-II 6 -V vs. chords of prolongation V 6/5, VII 6, I 6 ) I tonic prolongation II 6i interm. V dominant

#3: Composing-Out (Auskomponieren): Melodies linearize harmonies ( here via arpeggiation, PT, and NN, but often in much more subtle ways! )

#4: Diminution or Elaboration: Schenker theory recognizes a distinction btw. structural tones and ornamental tones or diminutions, (chordal skip, NN, PT, etc.).

#5. Structural Levels: great music has structural depth; behind embellished surface lurks deep structure or background (structural levels=foreground, middleground, background). NN Foreground or Surface Background Middleground NN

#6: Linear Progressions = stepwise patterns that prolong a harmony or connect two harmonies via stepwise melodic motion 3rd-prg. What is the most important motive in mm. 1-8?

Can you find a 6 th -progression elsewhere on p. 1? There’s something very interesting about that 6 th -prg.

Mm fill in 6 th span, Eb – G = 5 = 7 in A! (relative Maj) Opening fills in span of a 6 th, = in f minor 6-prg. 6-prg

Any more 6 th progressions on p. 1?

Remember ME? What do you notice about my melodic shape? b inflects c as lower NN

Holy S &*^! another Linear Descent of a 6th: 5 – 7, C-E! #7: Motivic Parallelisms: Great music is unified by motives below the surface level Great works are therefore like Variations on an unannounced theme

#8. Melodic Fluency: Structural lines (middle/background) are melodically fluent—they move mostly stepwise, recover leaps

Recall the melodically fluent Schenkerian line in the upper voice?

NN

Find the melod- ically fluent line in the “jumpy” bass starting here: (hint—the D that follows is an upper NN)

Combine the 2 fluent lines in the outer voices. pt What does this remind you of from MU ?

#9: The Outer-Voice Contrapuntal Framework In great music, the middle/background, esp. outer voices, resemble strict species counterpoint: pt Elegantly fluent lines Dissonance subordinate to consonance Follows rules of strict voice leading

is a regular background framework of strict counterpoint: pt Corollary: Beneath irregular foreground with leaps, Dissonance, etc:

#10: Compound melody (polyphonic melody): Single-line melodies w/ leaps almost always imply 2 or more voices. V. A Radical Idea about Melody 3 rd 6 th 5 th unfolded unfolded unfolded pt Melodies compose-out harmonies Soprano Alto Tonic Dom. Tonic

Conventional View of Tonal Form in minor key sonata form Exposition 1. First theme in _________ 2. Modulation to second theme__________ 3. Closing theme also in _____________ Development 1.Tonally unstable, eventually retransition leads via __________ back to ___________ Recapitulation 1. First theme in ___________ 2. Second theme in_________ 3. Closing theme in__________

Establish Tonic Modulate to Relative Major Modulate through a series of remote keys, Eventually modulate via V back to tonic End in Tonic

#11: Illusory Keys: Schenker is skeptical of the idea of modulation. He calls modulation motion to “illusory keys.” (e.g., regards minor-key sonata form as one expansive progression, I-III-V-I in the tonic key)

#12: The Fundamental Progression = I-V-I The trek from I-V followed by return to I is music’s natural law. Tonal composition = the prolongation or composing-out of the I-V-I fundamental progression.

Let this triangle be sacred to him!

#13. Bassbrechung (the breaking of the bass) = The funda- mental progression I-V-I is itself a prolongation of the tonic. = The ascending 5 th of the Bassbrechung creates I-V tonal space that is often filled via dividers (II, III, IV or related harmonies)

tonic divider dominant tonic divider dominant Harmonic Shape of Entire Movement: Harmonic Shape of First Phrase:

III. Schenker’s Concept of Counterpoint Why does Beethoven use the RH sf markings in this passage?