Mozart- Overture

Question 1

Melody in the First Subject

Answer 1

• violins play lower auxiliaries in bar 1
• bass line is reinforced by bassoons from bar 1-6
• violin plays sequences rising through the tonic triad finishing in the dominant with rising passing notes and chromatic lower auxiliaries during an open 2 bar phrase (2-3)
• violins play chromatic scurrying quavers that add a sense of unrest and mystery (2-6)
• 4 bar phrase falls quasi sequentially through pitches of dominant triad (4-7)
• in bar 31 trumpets and horns forcefully repeat tonic at 3 octaves
• melodic shape is doubled in thirds by violins with ornaments

Question 2

Harmony in the First Subject

Answer 2

• entirely diatonic harmony pinned to tonic pedal until bar 16
• in bar 16, a iib7 chord plays
• from bars 17-24 harmony features chords I, II, V, VI and VII with some extensions such as V7 and II7 and suspensions such as Vsus4
• perfect cadence in bar 18 exudes confidence

Question 3

Rhythm in the First Subject

Answer 3

• crotchet rests of 4th beat offers a moment to catch breath
• scurrying violin quavers (2-6)
• rhythmic vitality sustained via use of repeated quavers in the cello and double bass (24-40)
• in bar 33, quavers are passed from lower strings to upper woodwind briefly

Question 4

Texture in the First Subject

Answer 4

• strings sound in octaves
• antiphonal between horns and oboes bar 8-11
• lively tutti in bar 12