Cadential Structure in Beethoven's Op. 2 No. 1 (First Movement), continued |
| The development section opens with a statement of the opening two-measure motive transposed to a-flat major (mm. 49-50). What would have been a repeat of m. 3 is omitted, the transposed version of m. 4 coming immediately, creating a three-measure phrase. |
| The next three measures repeat this pattern, starting on the dominant of a-flat. (The opening motive is truncated in m. 52, just as it was in m. 3.) Notice the use of the grace note, originally a compressed reference to the opening motive (mm. 5 and 6), reprised in the codetta, but here having a life of its own (m. 53) - octave d-flats, again and again, building intensity. Notice the harmonic progression, which instead of returning to the tonic from the dominant seventh (as in mm. 1-5), the harmony moves on, also increasing the intensity. (Want to have some fun? Re-write this passage with b-flat, e-flat g-natural, b-flat in m. 52, no grace note in m. 53 and e-flat instead of e-natural in the harmony; m. 54 would consist of three a-flat major triads in the left hand, and the melody would consist of an e-flat grace note moving up to the c-natural followed by the embellishment concluding on the a-flat. Also, change the grace note in m. 51 to an e-flat. You like? No?) |
| As Beethoven wrote it, there is a wonderful counterpoint between the flat repetition of a rhythmically identical three-measure phrase and the increasing intensity of the harmonic motion and the (fairly subtle) motivic development. |
| This passage moves to the dominant of b-flat minor, at which point the repeating octaves and the second theme return. Part of the substructure that holds this movement together is the occurrence of the repeating octave figure on e-flat (mm. 20-25), then on f-natural (mm. 55-60), then on g-natural (mm. 63-65) - a 3-4-5 progression, first heard in mm. 5-7 in the top line and in mm. 7-8 in the bass. Also, it relates to the rising minor sixth g-natural to e-flat of mm. 9-10, just as the a-flat to b-flat to c-natural of mm. 5-7 relates to the rising minor sixth c-natural to a-flat in mm. 1-2. |
| More significant is the progressive modulation from the key of a-flat (continuing from m. 49 onward) to b-flat (mm. 55-62) to c-natural (mm. 63-67) and then back from c-natural (mm. 68-69) to b-flat (mm. 70-71) to a-flat (m. 72-74). This reiterates the opening idea of a-flat to b-flat to c-natural (mm. 5-7 and 7-8) and its subsequent modulations and developments. |
| What happens in mm. 73-78 is that the key of a-flat major is dissolved. In the harmonic sequence (a circle of fifths), the a-flat major chord of m. 74 becomes the mediant of f-minor, approaching the f-minor tonic (m. 78) by way of subdominant and dominant harmonies in mm. 76 and 77. |
| The return of the home-key tonic in m. 78 performs a crucial function. I call it tying-the-knot. In cadential structure, all of the developments and modulations from the first measure to this point constitute a prolongation of the initial structural tonic. (Symphonic composition could be called the art of prolonging the initial structural tonic.) |
| The structural subdominant (mm. 79-80) and the structural dominant follow immediately. (This is not always the case. In the first movement of opus 10 no. 1, Beethoven lingers on the tonic at this point. On the other hand, in the first movements of opus 2 no. 3 and of opus 111, the tonic passes in an instant.) The structural dominant is strung out at length, mm. 81-100 (including a returning passage, mm. 95-100). |
| In terms of the cadential structure of this movement, this is the end of the first half. Measures 1 through 100 constitute a half cadence [I-IV-V], of an overall binary harmonic structure. Measures 101 to the end (m. 152) constitute a full cadence [I-IV-V-I]. |
| Beethoven was a hard worker, and his symphonic movements are tightly constructed. |
| Notice the falling melodic line in mm. 69-80, from c-natural (approached by a b-natural) down to e-natural, recalling the falling melodic line in mm. 7-8. |
[I-IV-V-I] Prolongation of Function Elaboration of Motion In Symphonic: Back / Next |
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Introduction The Chaconne Cadential Structure --- Unitary & Binary Structures Linear & Periodic Structures Riff Modalities Structural Counterpoint Modular Composition Appendices |
| RIFFS Cadential Structure In Symphonic Composition: Analysis of Beethoven's Op. 2 No. 1 (First Movement), continued Lester Allyson Knibbs, Ph.D. |
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| Sonata Movements Op. 2 No. 1 (I) 1 2 3 4 Op. 10 No. 1 (I) |
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