Piano Trio in G minor - Clara Schumann

Question 1

1st Subject (Exposition)
(Rhythm, metre, tempo)

Answer 1

B1-4: Rocking quavers
B5-6 & 8: Offbeat chords
B24-25: Offbeat chords

Question 2

Bridge (Exposition)
(Rhythm, metre, tempo)

Answer 2

Syncopation in piano RH in bars 39-40.
The falling sequence in the violin avoids the main beats of the bar.

Question 3

2nd Subject (Exposition)
(Rhythm, metre, tempo)

Answer 3

B45-46: Syncopation
B56: Change of tempo (poco rit)

Question 4

Development
(Rhythm, metre, tempo)

Answer 4

B127-138: On/off beat quavers, gives impression of quickness
B143-145: 3 quaver figures

Question 5

1st Subject (Exposition)
(melody)

Answer 5

B1: Perf 5th leaps
B5: Rising sequence
B6: 8ve leap
B9: Melody now in RH piano
B14-15: Rising sequence with 8ve leaps
B18: Descending chromatic scale
B24-25: Descending sequence

Question 6

2nd Subject (Exposition)
(melody

Answer 6

B44-45: 3-2-1 voice leading into 2nd subject
B45-46: Conjunct, descending piano melody
B47: 8ve leap in violin and cello, violin plays lowest note
B47-48 & b51-52: Descending sequence
B54: Repetition, 8ve lower in cello

Question 7

Codetta
(melody)

Answer 7

B83: Highest note on violin
B91: Similar to b3 melody

Question 8

Development
(melody)

Answer 8

B103: Interval diminished to tritone

B104: Interval augmented to min 6th
B123 & 125: Tritones in cello
B124 & 126: Perf 5ths in violin
B149-152: Climactic entry of 1A in piano LH, doubled in 8ves
B161-163: Three tritones in violin (three devils)

Question 9

1st Subject (Recapitulation)
(melody)

Answer 9

B182-184: Descending chromatic scale

Question 10

Bridge (Recapitulation)
(melody)

Answer 10

B198-201: Ascending sequence
B202-205: Fragmentation

Question 11

2nd Subject (Recapitulation)
(melody)

Answer 11

B212-213 & 216-217: Descending sequence

Question 12

Coda
(melody)

Answer 12

B256-259: Ascending chromatic scale in cello and piano LH
B262-264: Descending chromatic scale in violin and cello

Question 13

1st Subject (Exposition)
(Harmony)

Answer 13

B4: Imperfect cadence
B5: #ivdim7 – V imperfect cadence
B7-8: viidim7 – i Perfect cadence
B9-10: Tonic pedal in cello
B11-12: French aug 6th resolves onto chord V
B19-20: Chromatic bass with parallel triadic movement
B21-22: ic V7 i perfect cadence
B23 & 27: ii7b chord

Question 14

Bridge (Exposition)
(Harmony)

Answer 14

B33-34: V7 – I in Bb major
B34: V7 – i in G minor
B35: Cm, ii of Bb maj, iv or Gm
B40: Secondary dominant chord (dom of dom)
B41-44: Dominant pedal of Bb major

Question 15

2nd Subject (Exposition)
(Harmony)

Answer 15

B44-45: Ic – V7 – I perfect cadence cliché into 2nd subject
B45-47: Block chords & tonic pedal
B47: Appoggiatura
B47-48: Ascending dim7 broken chord
B47-49: Inverted tonic pedal

Question 16

Codetta
(harmony)

Answer 16

B73-75: Circle of 5ths
B73-82: Dominant pedals (dom preparation)
B83: Dom minor 9th
B83-84: Broken chords
B84-85: V7 – I perfect cadence in Bb
B87: V in Gm
B91: Chromatic descending chords

Question 17

Development
(harmony)

Answer 17

B99-102: Chromatic descent
B128-129: Preparation, suspension, resolution (PSR)
B139-142: Circle of 5ths in piano LH
B142-143: V7 – I in G major with PSR
B148-149: Italian aug 6th resolves onto Vc
B155-164: Dominant pedal

Question 18

2nd Subject (Recapitulation)
(Harmony)

Answer 18

B171-172: #ivdim7 – V imperfect cadence
B173: Chord i (perfect cadence)
B175: French aug 6ths
B180-181: V7 – i perfect cadence
B187: ii7b chord
B189-190: V7b – i perfect cadence
B191: bIIb chord (neopolitan 6th)

Question 19

Bridge (Recapitulation)
(Harmony)

Answer 19

B192: dim7 chord
B193-194: V7 – i perfect cadence in C minor
B202-206: Dominant pedal
B202-204 & 206-207: Inverted dom pedal

Question 20

2nd Subject (Recapitulation)
(Harmony)

Answer 20

B212-213 & 216-217: Ascending dim7 broken chord
B221: Dominant pedal
B221-222: Ic – ii7 – V7 – I perfect cadence in B major
B223-224: Tonic pedal
B226-228: Chromatic harmony

Question 21

Coda
(harmony)

Answer 21

B276-286: Tonic pedal
B276-282: Alternate dim7 perfect cadences resolving onto Cm, Gm, Cm, Gm, Gm, Gm
B285-286: Plagal cadence

Question 22

1st Subject (Exposition)
(Tonality)

Answer 22

B1: G minor

Question 23

2nd Subject (Exposition)
(Tonality)

Answer 23

B45: Bb major
B53: Eb major
B56: D major
B59: Bb major
B61: G minor
B65: Eb major

Question 23

Bridge (Exposition)
(tonality)

Answer 23

B34: Bridge briefly passes through Bb major, then resolves back to Gm

Question 24

Codetta (tonality)

Answer 24

B87: G minor

Question 25

Development (tonality)

Answer 25

B92: G major B94: Cminor B96: Eb major B97: F minor B100: G minor B135: F minor B143: G major B149: G minor

Question 26

1st Subject (Recapitulation) (Tonality)

Answer 26

B165: G minor B177: Quick D major visit B181: G minor

Question 27

bridge (Recapitulation) (Tonality)

Answer 27

B193: C minor

Question 28

2nd Subject (Recapitulation) (Tonality)

Answer 28

B210: G major B221: B major visit (tertiary related key, very Romantic)

Question 29

Coda

Answer 29

B250: G minor

Question 30

structure

Answer 30

Sonata form B1: Exposition subject 1 1A – b1 & 9 1B – b5 & 13 1C – b21 & 26 1D – b23 & 27 B30: Exposition bridge B45: Exposition 2nd subject 2A – b45 & 49 & 61 & 65 2B – b47 & 51 & 63 & 67 B73: Codetta Repeated exposition B92: Development B165: Recapitulation subject 1 B191: Recapitulation bridge passage B210: Recapitulation subject 2 B236: Codetta material B250: Coda

Question 31

sonority

Answer 31

Violin, cello, and piano B164: Pizzicato cello

Question 32

1st Subject (Exposition) (Texture)

Answer 32

begins homophonic at bar 9, texture thickens with addition of pedal in cello piano LH plays broken chords (b9) violin plays counter melody (b9) POLYPHONICALLY ANIMATED HOMOPHONY End of b17-b19, RH piano doubles violin and LH piano doubles cello b22 homorhythmic b22 double stopping in violin thickens texture b23 briefly monophonic b24-25 homophonic b26 homorhythmic

Question 33

bridge (Exposition) (Texture)

Answer 33

b33 interplay between piano and violin b37 interplayed phrase gets shorter

Question 34

2nd Subject (Exposition) (Texture)

Answer 34

b45 homorhythmic and homophonic for 2 bars b47-48 violin and cello in parallel octaves b53 interplay between violin and cello b61 violin and cello in unison octaves

Question 35

Codetta (Texture)

Answer 35

b73 double stop chords in violin thicken texture b77 piano joins cello on dominant pedal and creates a pedal texture b84 cello doubles violin an octave lower

Question 36

development (Texture)

Answer 36

b92-93, violin and cello in parallel octaves b106, dialoguing between violin and cello – contrapuntal dialoguing based on 1A overall polyphonic texture b115-130 imitation between violin and cello b123 lighter piano accompaniment, gentler but still polyphonic b139 arpeggio textures b155 pedal textures (violin and cello play a pedal)

Question 37

bridge (recapitulation) (Texture)

Answer 37

b202 imitation between piano RH and LH

Question 38

2nd subject (recapitulation) (Texture)

Answer 38

b246 monophonic b249 violin and cello in UNISON

Question 39

Coda (texture)

Answer 39

b278 imitation between violin and cello b282 monophonic b284-287 double stopping in violin and cello thickens texture

Question 40

Context

Answer 40

- Wife of Robert Schumann - Born in 1819 and died 1896 - Pianist to a high level - Composed this piano trio in 1846, she was aged 22. - This was a virtuosic piece of chamber music for high level amateur/ professional musicians. - This piece is moody and dark in places, lighter and hopeful in other parts, signifying Clara’s struggles to be a female composer in the 19th century. - Clara uses diminished 7th chords, which is an influence of Beethoven, who used them in his Pathétique sonata