Arturo Zamora
Professor Cope
Elementary Theory 2
April 30 2024
Theory Final: Composition analysis
1
This piece is made up of three phrases, Phrase A, B and 𝐴 . Phrase A is immediately
introduced in the beginning and plays out for sixteen measures, all mostly in E-flat major but
ends on a V chord making it a half cadence. This cadence proceeds Phrase B, and it starts in the
dominant chord B-Flat major and overall it is a very playful phrase which ends on a perfect
cadence. Although a notable detail to the difference between Phrase A and B is their lengths.
Phrase A, aforementioned, is sixteen measures long and Phrase B is eight measures long, which
builds up a case for Rounded Binary or Ternary Form, in which this will be discussed later. After
1
the perfect cadence, Phrase A returns only in half which is now considered as Phrase 𝐴 . The
phrase is interrupted with an A-natural and then starts a section known as the “coda”, which is a
section that concludes the piece, resolving back to the tonic in a perfect authentic cadence. I play
around a little using neighbor tones surrounding the E-flat arpeggio after we reach the resolution
point at measure forty-three. Returning back to our case on whether this piece is Rounded Binary
or Ternary Form, evidence suggests that this piece is in Continuous Rounded Binary Form as
Phrase B is much shorter than Phrase A, only half of A returns in the second section of the piece,
and lastly it is continuous. This evidence provided strongly approves for this piece being in
Continuous Rounded Binary Form.
The rhythmic motif coined here is a small but very potent quarter note trill and chromatic
16th grace-note placed on the weak beat, more specifically, the pick-up that drives into the next
measure. Another rhythmic motif that appears is the broken descending arpeggios, and by
broken, the arpeggio is interrupted with incomplete neighbor tones and sevenths. Although it
changes in the coda section as it is mainly scales and short clear arpeggios, then the rhythmic
motif is inverted to a E-flat major ascending arpeggio.
There is a very visible romantic language being used here, such as the playful phrases,
chromaticism and the playful singing-like texture. The coda section is foreshadowed with the
four sixteenth grace-notes and is also dramatic, very frantic compared to the slow calm moderato
section before. The ending is also very old-school, usually most modern pieces end in a
predicting manner and don’t really elongate like romantic era symphonies, quartets, solos, etc.
This ending is very grandiose and really stretches out the ending completely seven measures
after it resolves to the tonic.
In terms of any modulation, there isn’t any. It stays in the key of E-flat major throughout
the piece, if anything there is one secondary leading tone in measure 38 on the A natural, vii◦7/ii
and naturally followed by a F minor scale, catching the listener's surprise as this serves as an
interruption to the phrase we heard at the beginning.
Although this piece looks complex, it is rather really basic and only padded with scales
and romantic language. The scales used here in particular are in major, corresponding to the key;
there is a small sequential modulation from B-Flat major to F major, a half step between but
quickly returns to E-flat in the form of an arpeggio.
I tried to milk every single last bit about this piece, as stated before it is quite more
simple than it looks. When showing this to my section, they argued that this was in the style of
an etude as they believed the technique of barring notes between strings and perfecting the trill
technique was a direct focus. I would like to classify this as a small miniature, although there are
some indirect technique focuses, you could say the same of any other piece. I had a lot of fun
experimenting with several melodies and being inspired by romantic era works. I hope I captured
the spirit of an old-school romantic miniature you’d find in a music store in the 1920’s for
five-cents.