Dissertation - World Federation of Music Therapy

• The movement is basically supportive and lyrical-pastoral in character, but the B
section brings some challenges for the listener in the form of tonal/harmonic
drama, dynamic tension and melodic longing.
LONG VERSION – as basis for a STRUCTURE OF EVENTS DESCRIPTION:
Episode A1 (0:00-0:10, Bars 1-2)
The movement opens quietly and very open with two bassoons sounding a major third,
the horns add the fifth below them
Episode A2 (0:10-1:00, Bars 3-14)
A long oboe cantilena unfolds with stable woodwind accompaniment. The melody is
simple, based on the three notes in the tonic major chord [a-f-c, often echoed by other
instruments, before the melody continues], yet sophisticated: it is not a ’multiple 2”,
regular tune, phrases – first time bar 7-9 – are prolonged or sequenced in an
unpredictable, yet pleasant way. The slow adagio tempo makes it easy to follow both the
core melody and the accompaniment, which is all woodwinds. This is very safe – the
only hint at tension and chromaticism is found in a) the transition bars between the
melodic phrases (bars 11,13), where bassoon and oboe or clarinet mark the dominant
function in chromatic ascending/descending, b) the use of small crescendo-decrescendos
(< >, same bars).
Episode A3 (1:00-2:14, bars 15-31)
The episode begins with the same core motif as A2, but this time the motif of bar 4 is
elaborated and sequenced (bars 16-18), and later the closing motif (bar 21) is prolonged
and accompanied by a bassoon ”arpeggio”. The opening motif is transformed
harmonically and sequenced bars 24-25 and 28-29, intensified by a dynamically marked
chromatic turn un an upbeat (bar 28). The resolution on the tonic brings the sound of the
strings for the first time.
Episode B1 (2:15-3:21, bars 32-45)
The entry of the solo violin and the string chorus (prepared by two string bars of T and D)
is a beautiful restatement of the melody, with echoes of the melodic core motif first in
flute, then in French horn. The three-note motif from bar 7 is elaborated in the violin and
echoed in the woodwinds.
Episode B2 (bars 46-51)
This episode begins with the transition motive from bars 11/13 (chromatic counter
movements, < >) and immediately takes the listener into new realms: the key changes
without preparation to the remote G flat/F sharp major; the mood changes
correspondingly (from 4 to 7), and the melodic line of the solo violin (even if the core
motif is based on the ’innocent’ motif cell of bar 10) turns longing and plaintive, with
many seufzers.
Episode B3 (bars 52-55)
This is intensified by another transition and sudden key change (B majo/minor -> F#
minor), by the high position of the solo violin, and by a sudden tutti crescendo up to the
first f level ind the piece.
Episode B4 (bars 56-63, fermata)
The three-note motif is extended to a second theme in F# minor, passionate and yearning,
and a call-response dialogue with woodwinds, playing a double tempo variant of the
transition motif, is brought to an end by an unexpected fermata.
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