A2 Music Revision - Corelli

Front 1

Background Information

Back 1

> Published in 1689

> Dedicated to the Duke of Modena

Front 2

Melody

Back 2

> Mixture of stepwise movements and leaps.

> Bars 1 and 2 are an ornamented version of the three note stepwise ascent D-E-F# used in the first and second movement in the beginning.

> Most melodic material derived from quaver and semi-quaver motifs in the subject, often used in inversion. E.G B5 = transposed inversions of B1 in parallel 3rds.

Front 3

Rhythm

Back 3

> Lively movement.

> Use of dotted crotchets, crotchets and quavers -> sometimes semi-quavers.

> Bars 1-4 = clear-cut two bar phrasing.
> Bar 5 = imitative entry of the 'cello halfway through bar 6.

> Cross rhythms bar 26 - tie results in violins sounding like in 3/4 whilst other parts remain.

> Hemiola bar 27 - change from dotted crotchets to straight crotchet beats.

> Syncopation 26 & 27 through violin tie.

Front 4

Texture

Back 4

> Widely spaced: violins in highest register, bass sometimes 3 octaves lower. Space filled by continuo chords.

> Violins often in 3rds, frequently cross.

> Generally contrapuntal, lots of imitation.

> Quasi-fugal passage --> starts like a fugue based on subject in bars 1 & 2, real fugal answer in violin 2 (real bc 4th lower), bass has final entry b6.

> Section B = fugal section heard in free inversion; imitative V2 & bass enter only one bar apart, creating a stretto (B21).

Front 5

Structure / Form

Back 5

> Binary AB form. Each section repeated, clarified by diatonic harmony of the piece.
> Section A: D major --> A Major (P. cadence B10-11)

> Section B: D major --> B minor (B25) then passing through various keys before returning to D Major in B36.
>Wider range of modulations in B typical of binary form.

Front 6

Tonality

Back 6

> Modulations to closely related keys.

> Diatonic tonality.

> 1-8: D major except 3-4 which are A major.

> 8-21: A major.

> 22-25: D Major
> 25-28: B minor (relative minor)
> 28-32: E minor (relative minor of subdom)
>32-33: glace at E minor
> 33-34: through D major
>34-36: G major (subdominant)

>36-43: D major

Front 7

Harmony

Back 7

> Functional harmony - establishes and maintains major and minor keys, mainly through use of chords I and V. New at time of Corelli.

> Mainly root and first inversion chords - decorated with dissonant suspensions that resolve by step to a consonant note (7 onto 6).

> Suspensions provide harmonic tension / rhythmic impetis (e.g. 28-32).

> Figured bass. No number = root, 6 = first inversion.

Front 8

Performing Forces & Performing Circumstances

Back 8

> Trio sonata: 2 melodic instruments (in Corelli's works always two solo violins), supported by continuo part.
> Corelli's church sonatas use organ, whilst in 12 of his chamber works a harpsichord is mentioned. However, the use of organ doesn't always mean church - organs were found in homes of the wealthy

>Church sonatas usually followed 4 movements: slow-fast-slow-fast
>chamber sonatas usually began with a prelude, followed by dance movement.
>Trio in D shows that dance movements also occurred in church sonatas.