Revision Notes: Vol. 5 (Schumann)
Schumann’s Piano Trio in Gminor,
Op.17 Mvt.1:
All Mvts.
BACKGROUND
- Born in Leipzig, Germany, known in her lifetime as a concert
pianist, and now as a composer, as works have recently been
rediscovered. Female composers in Europe at the time were not
encouraged.
- Married composer Robert Schumann who had been her father's
pupil. She was the main breadwinner but household
responsibilities increased as she raised 8 children and her husband
suffered from mental illness.
- The Piano Trio: one of the most important forms of chamber
music from the 18th-19th century. First performed in salons, then
in concerts. Style established by Classical composers and further
developed in the Romantic Period.
- Op.17: 4 movements: Allegro moderato, Scherzo and trio, Andante,
Allegretto
, Revision Notes: Vol. 5 (Schumann)
Mvt.1
STRUCTURE
Point Explanation Reference(s)
Sonata form Sonata Form opening movements: 1st Movement of his Piano trio
- Exposition, Development & - Commonplace by the 1840s in E minor No.25 Hob XV:12
Recapitulation - Established by Hayden
- Exposition = 1st subject + 2nd - And then Mozart + then
subject - They were then expanded upon
[Each subject contains several by the early Romantics, such as 1st movement of Mozart’s
different motivic ideas] → 1st + 2nd
Beethoven and Schubert Symphony No.40
subject group
- Sonata form structure - Development became longer, - Carries out motivic
consolidated by use of exploring less related tonalities, development in the
modulations and the Coda began to take on Development section
∴ tonality = functional much greater tonal and motivic based upon one melodic
- Each section + theme within development fragment from the 1st
each section is defined by the - These expanded types became subject
key in which it inhabits the model for the mid-Romantic
- EXPOSITION: Modulate from Sonata form structure
tonic (1st subject) to - Schumann’s Sonata Form
dominant relative major (2nd reflects the models of the time,
Subject) Development is more
- DEVELOPMENT: Return to substantial than Classical 1st mvt. Op.49 No.1,
tonic for Recapitulation models and the Coda contains Mendelssohn (1839)
- RECAPITULATION: altered to developmental material, not
accommodate 2nd subject in merely acting as a tonal
tonic or tonic major key consolidator
- Clara’s adoption of the Sonata
For model is relatively
conventional in both length,
proportion and use of tonality
--------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------
Minor key:
- Follows a model conventional in Piano Trio Op.69 No.2,
most minor key Sonata forms of Mendelssohn (1845)
the time, e.g modulating to the
relative major key for the 2nd
subject and exploring more
tonalities
- In this sense, articulation of the
Sonata Form tonally is
conventional, conforming to the
expectations of a minor key
Sonata form movement in the
early-mid Romantic era
Schumann’s Piano Trio in Gminor,
Op.17 Mvt.1:
All Mvts.
BACKGROUND
- Born in Leipzig, Germany, known in her lifetime as a concert
pianist, and now as a composer, as works have recently been
rediscovered. Female composers in Europe at the time were not
encouraged.
- Married composer Robert Schumann who had been her father's
pupil. She was the main breadwinner but household
responsibilities increased as she raised 8 children and her husband
suffered from mental illness.
- The Piano Trio: one of the most important forms of chamber
music from the 18th-19th century. First performed in salons, then
in concerts. Style established by Classical composers and further
developed in the Romantic Period.
- Op.17: 4 movements: Allegro moderato, Scherzo and trio, Andante,
Allegretto
, Revision Notes: Vol. 5 (Schumann)
Mvt.1
STRUCTURE
Point Explanation Reference(s)
Sonata form Sonata Form opening movements: 1st Movement of his Piano trio
- Exposition, Development & - Commonplace by the 1840s in E minor No.25 Hob XV:12
Recapitulation - Established by Hayden
- Exposition = 1st subject + 2nd - And then Mozart + then
subject - They were then expanded upon
[Each subject contains several by the early Romantics, such as 1st movement of Mozart’s
different motivic ideas] → 1st + 2nd
Beethoven and Schubert Symphony No.40
subject group
- Sonata form structure - Development became longer, - Carries out motivic
consolidated by use of exploring less related tonalities, development in the
modulations and the Coda began to take on Development section
∴ tonality = functional much greater tonal and motivic based upon one melodic
- Each section + theme within development fragment from the 1st
each section is defined by the - These expanded types became subject
key in which it inhabits the model for the mid-Romantic
- EXPOSITION: Modulate from Sonata form structure
tonic (1st subject) to - Schumann’s Sonata Form
dominant relative major (2nd reflects the models of the time,
Subject) Development is more
- DEVELOPMENT: Return to substantial than Classical 1st mvt. Op.49 No.1,
tonic for Recapitulation models and the Coda contains Mendelssohn (1839)
- RECAPITULATION: altered to developmental material, not
accommodate 2nd subject in merely acting as a tonal
tonic or tonic major key consolidator
- Clara’s adoption of the Sonata
For model is relatively
conventional in both length,
proportion and use of tonality
--------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------
Minor key:
- Follows a model conventional in Piano Trio Op.69 No.2,
most minor key Sonata forms of Mendelssohn (1845)
the time, e.g modulating to the
relative major key for the 2nd
subject and exploring more
tonalities
- In this sense, articulation of the
Sonata Form tonally is
conventional, conforming to the
expectations of a minor key
Sonata form movement in the
early-mid Romantic era
