MUSICAL COMPOSITION

DANGER SIGNALS 181young composer, who is ill-equipped with fingertechnique, may console himself with the knowledgethat Richard Wagner (teste Dannreuther) played thepianoforte abominably.(§ 13) The danger of anticipating the introductionof a key towards which a modulation is in progress.This is a very common trap for the beginner. It hasbeen described in every-day language as knocking atthe door and running away. For instance, the followingshort modulation from F major to A minor is spoilt bythe anticipatory chord of A minor at *:which can be avoided thus:This snare is most frequently set in the developmentsection of sonata form, where, unless the modulationsare carefully designed, the original key of the movementwill appear before its natural place of re-entry, thereturn of the first subject. The reappearance of the