Sibelius, Beethoven and Nielsen Comparison

5/20/2018 Sibelius, Beethoven and Nielsen Comparison

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Symphonies

Characteristics

Era

Composition Year(s)

I

AllegroBeginning Key Dmin/Cmaj

Time Signature 4 4

Form

Texture Harmonic

1 subject group: bars 1 to 6

First movt has many parts to it

Idea of continous development (develops idea from start)

[this can be found in Beethoven's 9th Symphony]

Compresses the recapitulation

Second subject/Closing subject tapers off suggesting transition?

Bars 22 and 23 - Timp - Anticipates rythym of second movement

Notes

Orchestration

Division

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Symphonies

II

Poco allegretoGmaj

2 4

Scherzo/Ternary

Polyphonic - Chamber Music

Intermezzo

Soft, playful

Rhythm previously anticpated found in Violin at beginning

Chamber music style in the winds

This movt is primarly winds

Grouped for Ternary:

A - Chamber music

B - Strings join with pizzicato

A - Exclusively windsABA leads us to deduce that it could be a Scherzo/Slow Movement

But it really functions as a dance movt/intermezzo

Symphony No.

Romanti

1914-

3 Flutes (with 1

3 O

3 Cla3 Bassoons (with 1 Co

4 H

3 Tru

3 Tro

Tu

2 Tim

2 Vi

2 Vi

Ce

4 'P

Doubl

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Symphonies

III

Poco adagio quasi andanteEmaj?

4 4

Polyphonic

Orchestral

Minor Mode character

Very motific (long melodies built up of small fragments)

Chamber style again at 34

Minor/Major contrast (at 34)

[rhythm at 35 in Flutes, like Beethoven Piano Concerto 4 II movt]

Major Mode character (at 35)

Carl Nielsen

/Modern

1916

iccolo doubling)

oes

rinets ntrabassoon doubling)

rns

pets

bones

ba

panis

lins

olas

llo

arts'

Bass

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Symphonies

IV

AllegroEmaj

3 4

Harmonic

Begins with first movt's second theme rhythm

Bars 6 and 7 after 45 in the Flutes returns as a strong conclusion later

Struggle between Romanticism and Modernism in the syphony is rife

But in the end, Romanticism triumphs

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Symphonies

I

Allegro con brioCmin

2 4

Sonata

French Horns, Trumpets, Strings prominent through whole symphony

Exposition

1st Theme - Cminor

2nd Theme - Relative major (Cmaj) repeat

Recap

C major

built up on very short periods (choppy, suppressed, angry)

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Symphonies

II

Andante con motoAb maj to C maj

3 4

Double variation

Classical Era: Min work II movt commonly in submediant maj

[eg: Mozart D minor Concerto (Movt II in Bb maj)]

[eg: Brahms Symphony Cmin (Movt II in Ab maj)]

First section in submediant major (Ab maj)

Second section in mediant major (C maj)

Cmaj is the tonic major of the sumphony

Cmaj prepares the listener for the Cmaj of the finale

SYMPH

Symphony No. 5 L

Clas

1804-

2 Fl

2 O

2 Cla2 Bas

2 H

2 Tru

Tim

2 Vi

Vi

3 Trombones (Alto, Tenor,

Ce

Doubl

Piccolo (Mov

4 Mov

Contrabassoon (

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Symphonies

III

Scherzo. AllegroCmin to Cmaj and back

3 4

Minuet (Scherzo) and Trio - Ternary

Scherzo - Cmin - "Mangled Binary"

Theme A

Varied A

Codetta

Trio - Cmaj - Rounded Binary

Theme B

Modified B

Soft transition back to the abbreviated Scherzo

Timps throughout, fragments of the Scherzo heardTransforms to C major

Mysterious, almost threatening

Builds up from dark C minor coda

To a bright dominant 7th tremolo string chord

ONIES

dwig van Beethoven

sical

1808

utes

oes

rinets soons

rns

pets

pani

lins

la

Bass Movement IV only)

llo

Bass

ment IV only)

ments

ovement IV only)

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Symphonies

IV

AllegroCmaj to Gmaj to C

4 4

Sonata

Exposition

Theme 1 - Transtion - Cmaj to Gmaj

Theme 2 - Scherzo - Gmaj, flattened sixth

Development

Almost exclusively develops Theme 2 (Movt III link)

Recapitulation

Theme 1 stays in C maj

Theme 2 stays in C maj , flattened sixth

CodaTheme 2

Followed by a version of Theme 1

Final chord

Open 5th in C - not maj or min

Orchestration note:

Unusual piccolo and trombones

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Symphonies

I

Allegro molto moderatoD Dorian mode creates ambiguity

2 2

Free Sonata form

Polyphonic

Difficult to make out key

No key signature C maj?

Begins with a slow introduction

Fig Y Oboes 2 bars after A to be developed

Fig X Flutes 6 bars after A to be mainly developed

37 Bars after A strong modal passage ends in dissonance

Beginning of main part of movt at B

Same tempo, but faster rhythms

First 'Subject' Flutes/Oboes 1 bar after BSecond 'Subject' Violin 12 bars after B

Codetta rounds off this beginning at 15 bars after C

Dev based on Fig X at D

Fig X seen - Violins at D

Just before F, Fig X used contrapuntally in overlapping imitation

Fig Y seen Cello 2 bars after F

Fig X seen Cello 4 bars after F

6 Bars after F imitative polyphony based on Fig X

This imitative polyphony continues right until 6 bars after G

A 'hidden' Recap appears 7 bars after G

Apparent slowing down using rhythm rather than tempo

Enters as a sound mass into texture (of slow opening section) of the Dev

The melody of the intro is placed in the warm middle range of the celloIn this way, it dominates the music and becomes prominent in this passage

Recap at I

New figure replaces first subject suggests Modern

Recap is expanded compared to the Expo

Abrupt change to the expected Codetta at K

Coda

First real change of tempo (to Poco allargando)

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Symphonies

Horn chords sound threatening

First negative mood in the movt

2 Bars after L High point of threatening mood

Winds question 5 Bars after L

Brass answer threateningly at M

7 Bars after M Threatening passage resolves

Massive Cmaj chordMost important secondary harmony in dorian mode

Equivalent of perfect cadence in dorian mode

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Symphonies

II

Allegretto moderatoG minor

3 4

Homophonic

Opening

Based on D melodic minor desc

Of major and minor, this is closest to the Dorian

The rising pattern of this scale creates ambiguity

Continues the ambiguity from the first movt

Uses unexpected/ambiguous chords

Bar 10 shows the clear shift to 3 4 (long,short)

The chords created by the flutes and oboes 2 bars before A

suggest, but do not reach the key of Gmin. This continuestonal ambiguity in the symphony as a whole.

This is intensified by the Eb D resolution, which rises a maj 7th

instead of falling a semitone.

Theme 1 Violins A

Theme 2 Violins 7 bars after A

Sequence of rising scales 7 bars after A (see Fig Y)

12 Bars after C rhythm shifts to triplets (once again fast thanks to rhythm)

Sound masses just before E

Texture becomes polyphonic

Theme 1,2 combined Violins 8 bars after E

Fig Z Flutes 3 bars after F

Coda at G

Semiquavers make it seem fasterDevelops figures such as Fig Z

Sibelius's Finnish inspiration?

Describing valley/sunshine he 'puts in his music'?

Final chords

In Gmin: i V IV - i

Plagal cadence (IV i) in minor key with raised 6th(E)

Sustains ambiguity of the key

Symphony No. 6

Mo

19

2 Fl

2 O

2 ClaBass

2 Bas

4 H

3 Tru

3 Tro

Ha

Doubl

Tim

2 Vi

Vi

4 Mov

Ce

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Symphonies

III

Poco vivaceD Dorian mode

6 8

Homophonic

Opening

Theme 1 Violins Bar 1

Theme 2 Violins Bar 13

Subsidiary idea Oboes 5 bars before A

10 bars after A present a 'fuller' version of Theme 2 by the flutes

Alternating accompaniment' at B

Shows homophonic texture with accompaniment alternating between

winds and string with 1stViolin carrying melody

5 bars after D brass interrupts this pattern with a blastChange to triplets (six semiquavers)

This section creates an opening for a gradual return to the opening

7 bars after D Gradual Return to Opening

Free reprise of 1sthalf of movt.

Coda 4 bars after I

Ominous brass chords dominate the Coda

The third movt's themes continue the ambiguity of the other two

movts by generally avoiding the 6thand 7

thdegrees of the scale.

Jean Sibelius

ern

23

utes

oes

rinets larinet

soons

rns

pets

bones

rp

Bass

pani

lins

la

ments

llo

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Symphonies

IV

Allegro moltoD Dorian mode

4 4

Introduction

Choral' melody

Harmonically reminiscent of the 1stmovt

Exposition/Beginning of Main Movt at B

Theme 1 Violins 5 bars after B

Theme 1 alternates between Violin and Viola

Theme 1's Eb gives impression of a Neopolitan

Theme 2 Violins 3 bars after C

Theme 2 has elements from Fig X and ZTheme 2: note the B natural

2 bars after D: Strong modal cadence: Dmin Cmaj

in lieu of codetta

6 bars after D Fully written out repeat of expo

3 bars after F Chromatic sequences and dissident Modern harmonies

create a very tense atmosphere

Development at G

This is based extensively on Theme 2

The threatening brass is strongly present

5 bars after G dev of Theme 2 inverted

Second part of Dev at I

Based on opening choral, but faster and harmonically distorted

19 Bars after D Flutes reveal Theme 1 to be derived from theopening choral

The choral melody would usually return in the Coda, but here the choral

returns in a faster form together with a fragment of Theme 1 which

suggests a Recap

Coda 1 bar after O

Proper, slow version of the choral

16 bars after P Formerly Cmaj cadential chord, becomes an open

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Symphonies

5thin A (the dominant), which resolves into a unison D

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Sibelius, Beethoven and Nielsen Comparison

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