Beethoven Symphony No. 5, Mvt. 1 - Development

Musicianship 1B – Week 10 Lecture
Steven Knopoff
TOPICS
 Sonata Form, continued: Beethoven Symphony No. 5, Mvt. 1 – Development
 Introduction to Variation Form
Beethoven Symphony No. 5, Mvt. 1 – Development

Last week we looked at the two themes used in the Exposition (and Recapitulation) of the
first movement of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5. Today we will look in detail at the
Development section of this movement:
key/region bar note

F-min 125 established by V chord
C-min 142-146 established via ii, then V/V, then V (at 145) and i (at 146)
G-min 151 via ii-dim and ii, then V/V (at second half of 152), V (at 153) and I (154).
Near the end of the G-minor section we see the first of four appearances of
the second theme fanfare motive (bars 179-182).
C-min 190 established via another appearance of the fanfare motive (bars 187-190)
and a V7, with a I chord only appearing at 195, at which point the same
harmony already serves as V of the next key area, F-minor. (Technically
speaking, since no tonic – i or I – appears in bars 190-194, these bars
could be regarded as C minor or C major. I’ve marked it as C-minor
simply because C-major hasn’t appeared in this movement except as V of
F.
F-min 195 established via another second theme fanfare on V and i harmonies
205 here is the significant first appearance in this movement of a N6 harmony
(in F-min).
Bb-min 207 established via vii-dim (207) and V7 (208) then i (209)
211 N6 in Bb-min
213 A first inv. III harmony in Bb-min (a Db maj chord) acts as dom V of Gb
(or F#)
Gb/F# min 215 F#-min triad (= enharmonic respelling of Gb min triad). Note that in terms
of key or circle-of-fifths proximity, this is as far from the original key of
C-min as is possible to be.
C-min 221 D-maj triad (first inversion) reached by raising C# of previous F#min
chord to D-natural; music has now arrived at V/V (of C-min) but we don't
necessarily hear this yet. This is followed by the fourth and most
prominent second theme fanfare at bars 228-232 (the last note is extended
to 2 bars’ length), with the note ‘D’ held as a top line pedal point.
C-min 233 Here is a vii dim-7th chord in C-min, but given the deliberate tonal
meandering leading up to this point, we don't yet hear 'C' as a tonal centre.
The dim-7th harmony holds for 15+ bars. From within this harmony the
initial emphasis on an upper pedal point ‘D’ gives way to the prominent
m3 interval Ab-F, leading to return of Theme 1 (start of the Recap) at 248-
249.
Things to note in the Development
● Motivically, everything in the development section derives from the first theme and related fanfare
opening of the second theme. The second theme itself does not appear in the development.
● The Development opens in F-minor, a key area which is established by its dominant (implied V,
actually unison ‘C’s approached by Db, the lowered-6th degree of F-minor.
● Activity is maintained for some period of time in the key of G-minor (bars 151-189) and, to a
lesser extent in F-minor (bars 125-141). Most of the other harmonic regions are maintained for
only very brief stretches, such that the notion of passing through a harmonic region is more apt
than that of full-blown modulation.
● Harmonically, the first part of the Development involves movement along the circle of fifths, from
F to C and G; and then back the other way (G-C-F).
● In the first two changes of key area, the weaving/passing-back-and-forth movement (between the
notes C and Ab) --e.g. as between violins I & II from bar 137—is the mechanism through which
the composer moves from one key area to the next. More specifically, the descent from 5th (C) to
3rd (Ab) is eventually extended further downward via stepwise motion; other instrument/s move
up by step and eventually there is a chromatic exit-point to a new harmonic region of C-minor. For
example the down/up movement between the pitches C and Ab in violin I (bars 137-140)
eventually extends down from C to B-natural (bars 141-145). Against this melodic descent the
violas and cellos move up stepwise, eventually reaching F# (effecting a V/V harmony) and G (V).
The same procedure is used to move to V-of-G (bars 150-153).
● Following the return to F-minor at bar 195, Beethoven leads the listener down a sort of harmonic
rabbit-hole, ever farther from the original key via a series of small changes of chordal harmony.
First, there is the swing beyond F-minor to its subdominant area, Bb-minor (see bars 204-209);
then arrival at a first inversion Db major triad (bar 213). This is both III in the key of Bb-minor,
and the dominant of Gb-minor (or F#-minor). An F#-minor triad is sounded 6 times from bar 215.
The C# of the F#-minor triad is then raised to a D-natural providing a first inversion D-major triad,
which is repeated 7 times from bar 221. The D-major triad is V/V in the home key of C-minor,
though the listener would have little sense at this point that this is where the music is headed.
● The characteristic short-short-short long rhythmic which is so persistent in the first part of the
Development eventually disappears, at least for a while. [Here are some questions: What does
Beethoven do with the characteristic rhythm? what is the effect of this rhythm's disappearance?
how does it disappear? what takes its place? how does it re-appear?]
Introduction to Variation Form
(The following is based in part on notes created by Jenny Rosevear for use in Introduction to
Music Theory, 2014)
The basic principle of variation technique is that a musical identity is stated and then treated
in different ways (i.e. it is varied). This is an aspect of all music, not just music in variation
form. Much film music and opera abound with variation techniques e.g. themes may identify
characters etc., and such themes may also be subjected to variation and development (Wagner
leitmotif; Prokofiev ‘Peter and the Wolf’, ‘Star Wars’, ‘Jaws’, ‘Lord of the Rings’). A lot of
jazz is built on the idea of variation where a standard tune is played and then subjected to
spontaneous variation via improvisation. Throughout the history of western ‘art’ music,
variation techniques have been evident, ranging from
● treatment of hymn tunes/chorales, e.g. Bach setting of chorales in cantatas
● use of ground bass, where melody varied over the ground bass
● Theme and variations - ranging from simple variations (close to the original theme) to
large scale, extensive variations (e.g. Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Brahms, Liszt,
Rachmaninoff)
The two main types of Baroque and Classical era variation form are
● Ostinato (repeated pattern) variation – could be called:
– ground bass
– chaconne
– passacaglia
– thorough bass
– cantus firmus
Examples include Purcell ‘Dido’s Lament’; Pachelbel Canon; Haydn String
Quartet (Op. 76, No. 3 – Emperor).
● Melodic variation – often called ‘theme and variations’ or ‘air and variations’.
– Examples include Mozart 12 Variations on ‘Ah, vous dirais-je, Maman’;
Mozart Clarinet Quintet:IV; Mozart Piano Sonata in A major K.331, 1st
movement - in these, the theme and variations are clearly labelled on the
score.
– Sometimes this technique of theme and variations is used but not labelled as
such in the score. Examples include Haydn Symphony No. 94, Surprise, 2nd
movement; Beethoven’s 3rd Symphony: 4th movement; Beethoven’s 7th
Symphony: 2nd movement; Rachmaninoff ‘Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini’.
Techniques of Variation Form

Some compositional techniques include:
● Embellishment of melodic line (same harmonic structure)
● Rhythmic variation – subdivision (e.g. triplets, semiquavers); meter; tempo
● Tonality change (e.g. minor)
● Harmonic variation
● Change of voice/register
● Extend pitch range of melody
● Change of texture
● Contrapuntal treatment
The following examples of music involving variation form are provided in MyUni. Only the
first four of these is discussed in these lecture notes.
● Purcell ‘Dido’s Lament’ from Dido and Aeneas
● Mozart Piano Sonata K.331, 1st movement
● Beethoven 3rd Symphony, Eroica, 4th movement
● Beethoven Symphony No. 5, 3rd movement
● Mozart 12 Variations on ‘Ah, vous dirais-je, Maman’
● Mozart Clarinet Quintet, 4th movement
● Haydn Symphony No., 94 (‘Surprise’), 2nd movement
'Dido's Lament', from Purcell's Dido and Aeneas

'Dido's Lament' makes use of a 5-bar repeating ground bass. Most of the ground bass involves
a chromatic descent from tonic to fifth. This type of 'chromatic fourth' descent has proven
popular from the Baroque era to the present, in both classical and popular song.
The underlying ground bass is unchanging throughout this piece. What is varied is the
melody, harmony, and instrumentation that sits atop the ground bass at any given time.
One interesting feature of 'Dido's Lament' is the asymmetrical relationship between the
ground bass and melodic phrases. The melodic part has two main phrases, each of which is
repeated twice (AABB). The A parts begin with 'When I am laid' and are 9 bars each (with a
bar rest between) and the B parts begin with 'Remember me' and are 11 bars each. A
YouTube poster called Jon Anderson has created a graphic representation of how each
successive melodic phrase fits against the repeating ground bass. The audio behind his
graphic features the voice of Jesse Norman.
Side Bar – Harmonic Analysis of 'Dido's Lament': 'Dido's Lament' provides a good example
of the way in which Baroque era composers sometimes made very liberal use of dissonance.
This may be seen in the example below (the vocal part's opening phrase) which features quite
a few embellishing tones, including those which take up most of the respective beats they fall
on (e.g. the vocal F# at the end of bar 16 and the vocal Bb in middle of bar 18).
The extent of embellishing tones could make an example like this difficult to analyse,
harmonically. The 'solution', at least in this case, would be to first analyse just the
instrumental parts, ignoring the vocal line. In the five bars below there are only two points of
dissonance in the instrumental parts. This makes the continuously mode-changing harmonic
progression easier to analyse. Once the basic progression has been analysed, it is a relatively
simple matter to take the vocal line into account, including identification of its seven
embellishing tones.
vii○43/iv
Mozart Piano Sonata K331 in A major, 1st movement: Theme & Variations
A summary analysis of this relatively simple example of melodic analysis follows. Students
should be able to follow the descriptions, noting the location of each variation in the score.
● Theme (6/8 time) is in rounded binary form; material in opening bar characterises
the theme and is treated sequentially
● Section A: bars 1-8; Section B: bars 9-18

● Material from section A returns at bar 13 with a 2 bar extension
● Variation 1 – melodic embellishment
● Variation 2 – LH triplet semiquaver accompaniment
● Variation 3 – in key of A minor (parallel minor)
● Variation 4 – A major; LH crosses over RH and has melody in 3rds
● Variation 5 – Adagio
● Variation 6 – Allegro, common time
Beethoven Symphony No. 3 “Eroica”, 4th movement
NOTE: THIS MOVEMENT WILL BE COVERED IN LECTURE IN WEEK 11
Homework: Prior to the Week 11 lecture, using the following analysis and with the aid of the
annotated score (in MyUni) listen to the movement (audio also in MyUni) and note the
occurrence of each of the 10 variations as they occur.
This movement, in the key of Eb major, is in variation form, although the variations are not
labelled as such on the score. The movement starts with an 11-bar introduction (‘signal’).
Then the ‘theme’, in Eb, occurs initially as a bass part, and contains 4 x 8 bar phrases with the
basic binary structure of:
||: A :||: B :||
‘Theme’
● A1: 8 bars - pizzicato strings, in octaves
● A2: 8 bars – pizzicato strings and off-beat woodwind echo
● B1: 8 bars – staccato quaver chords, ff, woodwind & brass, pause chord, p,
followed by string pizzicato
● B2: 8 bars - staccato quaver chords, alternating brass and woodwind, pause chord,
p, followed by string pizzicato with woodwind on off-beat echo.
This theme functions as a bass part and is later heard in the bass – hereafter referred to as the
‘bass theme’
● 1st variation, b.44. Violin II has bass theme, played arco

● 2nd variation, b.61, Violin I has bass theme played arco, with triplet string
accompaniment
● 3rd variation, b.78. The principal melodic theme appears in oboe, clarinet and
bassoon, while the original theme appears in the bass part played by cello & bass,
pizzicato. A 9-bar extension leads to next variation.
3rd variation (b.78) - Principal Melodic Theme in ob, bass theme in lower strings
● 4th variation, b.119. Violin I begins with bass theme, in C minor. Then 4-part fugal
treatment with entries in Vln I, Vln II, Viola, Cello/Bass. Fugal development
occurs.
● 5th variation, b.177, Principal Melodic Theme in b minor --> D major, flutes and
Vln I.
● 6th variation, b.213, G minor, bass theme combined with ‘gypsy’-like melody
featuring dotted rhythm variation of the principal melodic theme. 4x8 bar statements
followed by extended cadential section.
b.213
● 7th variation, b.260, C major, Principal Melodic Theme in Fl and Vln I

● 8th variation, b.279, Eb major, fugal treatment of bass theme (now inverted) – Vln
II, Viola, C/B, Vln I
b.279
● 9th variation, b.351, Poco Andante, Eb major, Principal Melodic Theme

● 10th variation, b.383, Eb major, Principal Melodic Theme, ff, triplet semiquaver
accompaniment
● Coda, b.398 to end. Incorporates some of earlier elements, including opening signal
(see b.433).
Beethoven Symphony No. 5, 2nd movement
NOTE: THIS MOVEMENT WILL BE COVERED IN LECTURE IN WEEK 11
This movement is an example of double variation form, in which the there are two separate
themes, each of which is differentially subject to melodic (and to some extent harmonic)
variation. The original statements of each theme also incorporate transitional material to
move between themes and their keys.
The opening thematic material includes the following:

● Theme A bars 1-22
*Much of A (approx. bars 10-22) consists of extensive cadential material
● Theme B, bars 23-49
*The opening bars of B (bars 23-26) is in Ab major; this is followed by
*A transition to C major ending on Ger+6 in Cmajor (bars 27-29)
*The middle part of B (30-38) is in Cmajor; this is followed by
*A soft, harmonically 'murky' transition from Cmaj back to Abmaj (bars 39-49)
More Homework
Prior to the Week 11 lecture, using the provided score and audio, note the bar number
marking the start of each variation, and note whether it is the A or B theme which is varied.
For each theme variation, note whether the harmonies sound more-or-less the same as in the
original statement of that theme.
Note anything distinctive in the rhythms or instrumentation of each theme.
Note any distinctively 'new' transitional material (i.e., material which wasn't already
presented in one form or another in the opening bars 1-49)

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Musicianship 1B – Week 10 Lecture

Beethoven Symphony No. 5, Mvt. 1 – Development

key/region bar note

Techniques of Variation Form

'Dido's Lament', from Purcell's Dido and Aeneas

● Section A: bars 1-8; Section B: bars 9-18

● 1st variation, b.44. Violin II has bass theme, played arco

● 7th variation, b.260, C major, Principal Melodic Theme in Fl and Vln I

● 9th variation, b.351, Poco Andante, Eb major, Principal Melodic Theme

The opening thematic material includes the following:

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