You are on page 1of 18

Fast & lively tempo

Sonata-rondo form - fusion of sonata & rondo forms

Eb major
Passage for solo instrument with light accompaniment
Horns in Eb

Solo horn

The rondo theme

Strings play2 chords per bar on main beats


Soft dynamic for accompaniment Viola notes revolved around tonic/ dominant
Cellos & double basses

Homophonic texture - solo with An episode chordal accompaniment

Wide leaps
Loud dynamic for whole orchestra

Immediate reinstatement of the rondo theme by tutti orchestra

Exposition: 1st subject/rondo A - tonic key (Eb)

Passage for whole orchestra between solo sections - known as 'episodes'

Oboes used to thicken the harmony - rhythmic interest rather than melodic interest

Divisi oboes and horns

Violins in octaves

Rhythmic interest - unusual in context of the work

Accompaniment figure - bass note on beat 1 with 5 repeated quavers in upper strings
Violins play in 3rds Use of double stopping

Transition to 2nd subject begins here (bar 17)

Homophonic texture

Hand-stopped note Lipped note

Legato upper strings playing in 3rds & 6ths

Divisi viola - players split notes between themselves

Violin I takes the melodic lead whilst the solo horn isn't playing

Both players play the same line

Exposition: 2nd subject/rondo B (from bar 38) - dominant key (Bb)

Oboes doubling string quavers


Horns give added volume to loud passages Hand-stopped note

Octave unison

Sustained slow-moving harmonies

Bb pedal

Tutti forte passage within solo section - bridges gap before the soloist enters - allows the player to rest Oboes add extra attack to the string chords Hand-stopped note

Percussive triple stopping in the strings

Descending scale

Tutti forte passage to bridge gap to next solo horn passage


Dominant pedal (Bb)

Triple stopping

Repeated figure

Arpeggio passage

Chromatic lines - 2 notes altered by lipping


High note for the French horn

Melody in violins here

Countermelody in viola

Dominant pedal (Bb) - helping to modulate back to Eb major

Rondo theme

Staccato creates a contrast against the previous legato feel

Exposition: 1st subject/rondo A - catering for the rondo structure by repeating the A section - tonic key (Eb)

An episode

Divisi oboes and horns


Octave leap

Divisi violas

Acciaccatura

Bb arpeggio

Development: solo section - C minor (relative minor)

Double stopping

C minor key is highlighted by the B natural - leading note is usually raised in a minor key, hence Bb to B natural

Descending scale fragment

Hand-stopped note

Ascending scale fragment

Hand-stopped notes

Legato feel in the strings

Syncopated accompaniment figure - bouncing off the basso note

Divisi violas - given important melodic material

Modulation to Ab major - notice the Db accidentals

Passage with many lipped notes/subtle movements of hand in bell


Sequence in violins (bar 101-104)

Use of sequence across all string parts

Modulation to G minor - notice the F# accidentals

Repetition of cell at bar 101 in violin II part - 8ve higher

Recapitulation: 1st subject/rondo A - tonic key (Eb)


Rondo theme

Short solo for 2nd violins Descending scale fragment

Rhythmic unison in strings

Return of an episode

Transition period from bar 137

Syncopated accompaniment

High note

Further use of sequence in violin II & viola

Recapitulation: 2nd subject/rondo B in tonic key (Eb)

Descending sequence in all but horns


Dominant pedal (Bb)

Tonic pedal

Fast repeated notes - technically demanding on player

Triple stopping

Tonic pedal (Eb)

Divisi oboe
Descending chromatic scale
Eb arpeggio (ascending)

Triple stopping

High note

Triple stopping

Further use of sequence

Eb arpeggio (ascending)

Tutti pause mark - signalling the solo horn cadenza

Recapitulation: 1st subject/rondo A - tonic key (Eb)

Rondo theme

Oboes are given melody line - most technically demanding music for the instrument in the movement

Octave horns

Staccato (short & detached)

Repeated suspensions in oboes and accompanying horns

Tremolo - the note is repeated in equal semiquavers "scrubbed"

Octave unison between cellos/basses & violas

Coda - reminiscent of the rondo theme

Exposed oboes - brief freedom from strings

Tonic pedal in horns Eb

Outline of triads, slurred in groups of six


Rhythmic unison to finish

Wide range used

Low note

Triple stopped chords on beats 1&3

Triads slurred in threes

May have been possible that the solo horn player played the accompanying horn parts during the episodes in original performances.

You might also like