This category is for works and topics that fall into the time range 1700-1799. Use it to find works of the High-Baroque, such as those by Bach, Handel and Vivaldi. Or, for those works by the classical composers such as Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven. (Not that we have covered all of these composers yet!)
A nifty way in which Bach modulates, particularly from a minor to a major mode, is by simply pivoting around the tonic of the previous minor key. In the final movement “Badinerie”, of his Orchestral Suite No. 3, for instance, he will often give the tonic chord a cape, turning it into a super-tonic chord […]
George Friedrich Handel’s “Overture” to the Royal Fireworks Music boasts a majestic stately opening that presents a melody and homophonic texture. Repeating this melody immediately in a similar form, Handel provides a subtle but poignant reharmonisation of the melody. Where the first statement presents more triadic harmony, the second adds more extensions or tension notes
Mozart, when introducing a theme in his Sonata form movements, often repeats the melody with subtle variations. For example, in his E minor Violin Sonata (K. 304, I have an extended analysis of the first movement of this piece here), he changes the texture from monophonic to melody and accompaniment. In his D Major Sonata
Analysing Bach’s Badinerie, I discuss texture, harmony, tonality and melody. It is a treasure trove of composition technique presented by the prolific master and 18th-century musical craftsman Johann Sebastian Bach.
Badinerie (Orchestral Suite No. 2 – B-Minor) – J. S. Bach – Composition Technique Read More »
In early 1778, Mozart was touring from his home in Salzburg to Paris. Stopping in Munich and Mannheim first, Mozart composed many sonatas on this journey. A collection of these includes seven Violin Sonatas (No. 17 – 23). The E-Minor Violin Sonata, No. 21/K. 304, is the only minor key sonata in this collection. I decided to take a look at this sonata, in part for that reason, but also because I found the clarity of its composition compelling. Using texture to clearly state themes and then present interesting variants, I think it’s a good demonstration in what I think can be easily forgotten as a composer or arranger: less can be more. Below I explore the works contextual origins, before analysing the first movement in more detail, focussing on its composition.
Mozart’s E-Minor Violin Sonata, K. 304: music composition techniques Read More »