Purcell Sonata for Trumpet and String Orchestra

We are studying Baroque solo concertos. So why are we starting with a sonata?
Modern definitions: Concerto = work for solo instrument, accompanied by orchestra, usually in 3
movements. Sonata = work for solo instrument (piano = genuinely solo, orchestral instruments
typically accompanied by piano) in 3 or 4 movements. Also sonata form, a structure which is
typically used in the first movement of a sonata, but also now usually used in at least the first
movement of a symphony, which is a large scale work for full orchestra with no soloists.
Confusingly, sonata form is often also used in the first movement of a concerto! Sonata form =
exposition, development, recapitulation - a more specific and technical version of ternary form
which we will look at in more detail later on.
However, in late Renaissance, the term concerto initially evolved to describe works for voices and
instruments in which the instruments had independent parts (Seconda Pratica); earlier in the
Renaissance period, works for voices and instruments almost always involved the instruments
simply mirroring the vocal parts (Prima Pratica).
The concerto as we know it today really began to take shape in the Baroque period with the
compositions of Archangelo Corelli, but the most common form of concerto was the Concerto
Grosso, in which a small group of instruments (the concertino) acts effectively as the soloist, being
accompanied by a larger group of instruments (although not nearly as large as a symphony
orchestra would typically be today, more like a small chamber orchestra) known as the ripieno.
Later on in the Baroque period, the concerto as we know it today, with a soloist playing with and
against an orchestra, developed, with Vivaldi and J S Bach being chief exponents of this form. The
concerto in this style was intended to be a typically Italian form. Concertos at this time were almost
invariably for a string or wind instrument; remember that the piano wasnt invented yet, and the
harpsichord couldnt compete with an orchestra in terms of volume. There now exist a very few
concertos for orchestra or concert band, in which different sections of the orchestra/band are
treated as soloists at different points, but these really were not composed until the 20th century,
when composers were looking to push the boundaries of what music meant in every way they
could.
Sonata, by contrast, comes initially from the word sonare or to sound, as opposed to cantare or
to sing, and therefore literally means any piece that is played rather than sung. Over the course of
Western classical music, the form sonata has been applied to a wide variety of different musical
works (e.g. Corellis Trio Sonatas); it was not until the early 19th century that the currently accepted
understandings both of a work known as a sonata and of sonata form became clearly defined.
So in terms of the early Baroque, this could easily have been accepted as a sonata, but we would
now categorise it very clearly as a concerto; it is a work for a soloist and orchestra in three
movements, which conform in tempo and style to what we would expect from a typical concerto.

Movement One:

Structure
We can broadly divide the very short first movement into three sections.
Section One: Characterised by the 2 semiquaver 3 quaver motif, bars 1-10
Section Two: Characterised by the smoother 5 quaver motif, bars 11-18, with an interjection of the
semiquaver motif at bars 14-15
Section Three: Return to faster semiquaver movement, could be seen as a development of the
initial motif (e.g. bar 20 can easily be seen as a decorated variation of the 2 semiquaver 3 quaver
pattern) before returning briefing to the smoother 5 quaver motif in the final 4 bars.
This means that we could simplistically describe the movement as being in ternary form.
Tonality
This structural division also makes sense in terms of tonal scheme.
Section One: Begins clearly in D major, modulating to A major bars 5-8, then returning to D major
with a cadence ending this section from bars 104-111.
Section Two: Begins in B minor from the second beat of bar 11, with a clear cadence at bars 134141. Moving then to A major, G#s throughout bar 16 making this clear, cadence at bars 164-171,
then into a slightly unexpected A minor on the second beat of this bar, before returning to A major
at the cadence at bars 184-191, which could therefore be described as a tierce de picardie.
Section Three: Begins with the move back from A major to D major, but this not confirmed by a
cadence until bars 244-251, followed by the definitive cadence to end at bars 284-291.
Keys used are therefore tonic, dominant, relative minor, and dominant minor - very typical of the
Baroque period.
Harmony
Functional harmony throughout, relying largely on chords I, IV and V to structure the harmony, with
perfect cadences used to define the tonality at each modulation.
Consonant and diatonic harmony throughout with very few altered chords. The vast majority of
chords are in root position or first inversion.
Some 7th chords, e.g. F7 bar 152 (ignoring the oddly realised G in the right hand of the continuo)
which add interest to the harmony.
All cadences are perfect (V - I), and almost all are prepared in an identical fashion (I - V - I - Vsus4 V - I); this cadential progression can be seen in bars 32-41, 62-71, 102-111, 162-171 (the first I chord in
the progression here being replaced by a ii chord), and in the final cadence, from the final quaver of
bar 27 to bar 29, with the third chord in the progression (typically I) here being replaced by a vi
chord.

These 4-3 suspensions add emphasis to the cadences and would be considered typical of the
Baroque style. Cadence at bars 184-191, could be described as a tierce de picardie, moving back
from A minor to A major.
Inverted tonic pedal in the trumpet bars 17-18. Harmonic sequence in bars 20-24. Harmonic
rhythm increases towards cadence points.
Melody
At the start, the melody is essentially triadic, with (upper) auxiliary notes used to decorate the
melody (in bar 1-2, the E, G, and Bs being auxiliary notes). The majority of the melodic movement
is conjunct.
The trills at some cadence points are another form of decoration to the melody.
The melody in the second section makes use of accented auxiliary and passing notes (bars 11-12,
the Gs and Es)
See use of motifs in Structure section.
Use of sequence in connecting motifs e.g. 1-3
Uneven phrasing - first section essentially consists of 3 + 3 + 4 bar phrases.
Overall contour of the melody in the first section is an arch-shape
Sonority/Timbre
Modern trumpets have 3 valves, which players use in conjunction with their mouth shape to change
pitch. It wasnt until the mid-19th century (mid 1800s) that these valves were developed and
became widely available; until then, the different pitches were created purely by the player varying
their mouth shape. Consequently, the trumpet had a fairly small pitch range, and was limited
largely to diatonic music. However, the Baroque era has been called The Golden Age of the
Natural Trumpet, with a great deal of music written for the virtuosic players who could navigate the
limitations of the natural trumpet at the time. This would certainly require a virtuosic player on the
natural trumpet, due to the speed of the semiquavers. However, the range for the trumpet is very
small, encompassing only a major 9th (A4 - B5). The range for the other instruments is also
comparatively small.
Neither the trumpet nor strings use anything other than their most common playing techniques;
strings are arco throughout. Some slurs in the trumpet part, few in the strings (bars 12-13).
The basso continuo is played in this recording (John Eliot Gardiner, Purcell Essentials) by a
harpsichord; the bass is clearly audible, and mirrored in the cello part (as you would expect of a
basso continuo), but the figured chords are not the same as in our score (Edition Schott), and are
barely audible.

Texture
The texture is very much determined by which group of instruments are playing; the trumpet and
strings very rarely play together (excluding the cello which, as a basso continuo, plays throughout).
The only occasions when the trumpet and strings play together in this movement are at the
cadence point at the end of section A (bars 103-111), the cadence point at bars 154-171 and the
subsequent bars to bar 191 where the trumpet has the inverted pedal over the string part, and in the
final 5 bars, in which, for the most part, the trumpet and Violin I play the same part (263-29); this is
the only instance of doubling in this movement.
When the trumpet is playing, the texture is very obviously melody and accompaniment. When the
strings play, the texture is more accurately described as melody-dominated homophony; there is
still a clear melody in the Violin I part, but the strings are playing broadly homophonically
underneath.
The relationship between the trumpet and strings can be described as antiphonal in places; bars 79 and 20-24 are good examples of this, where a clear call and response can be heard.
Tempo, metre, and rhythm
Typical for a three movement work, this first movement is fairly fast, although no tempo marking is
actually given. The metre is common time (4/4) which is consistent and not challenged throughout.
First and last sections rhythmically characterised by their greater use of semiquavers; the middle
section uses mostly quavers, creating contrast. Slight rhythmic interest in the Violin I part in bar 22
with demisemiquavers, which create a mordent-type effect.
Very little use of dotted rhythms, which are only used to emphasise cadence points.
Although there are rests in each of the parts, once the trumpet and string parts are combined, the
music is completely continuous from beginning to end.

Movement Two:
Structure
This movement is in two distinct sections, each of which consists of one section which is then
repeated in a different key.
Section One: Bars 1-4 (30-33), then repeated in bars 5-8 (34-37)
Section Two: Bars 9-14 (38-43), then repeated in bars 15-20 (44-49)
The movement is therefore in Binary Form.

Tonality
The first part of the first section is in B minor, with the repeated section being in E minor.
The second section then begins in A minor (final cadence A major), with the repeated section then
in D minor (final cadence D major).
Relative to the home key of D major, it therefore begins in the relative minor (typical for a second
movement in the Baroque period), before moving to the supertonic (the dominant of the relative
minor). The second section moves from back from dominant to tonic.
Overall, the tonal structure follows the cycle of 5ths (B --> E --> A --> D)
The shifting tonalities within a very short movement make the movement overall feel transitory.
Harmony
Again uses functional harmony; chords are almost all in root position, and the majority are primary
chords of I, IV or V.
Harmonic interest is added by the variation in these chords between major and minor, for example
in bars 23-31 the 3rd is raised to move from a B minor to a B major chord. There is also a wider
variety of chords used; for example 94 (384) and 154 (444) shows chord vii used as a substitute V
chord (confirmed by the inclusion of the root note of the V chord in the figured right hand of the
basso continuo, although this is not seen in any of the string parts).
Harmony is much more chromatic than the first movement, with chromatically altered chords such
as the augmented (C+) chord in bar 131 (421), and seventh chords such as the E7 chord in bar 34
(324). This leads to some dissonance, although the majority of chords are consonant.
Cadences at the end of each part are prepared in the same way as in the first movement, with the
final cadence of each being a Vsus4 - V - I. Both cadences in the second section of the movement
are tierce de picardie, and all are perfect.
Cadences are delayed at bars 11-12 (40-41) and 17-18 (46-47).
Again, harmonic rhythm increases towards cadence points.
The second section is characterised by accented suspensions.
Melody
Melody is predominantly scalic (and therefore predominantly conjunct), and is chromatic in places
(e.g. movement from bars 2-3 (31-32) or in bar 10 (39)).

The melody is slightly varied to adapt to the shifting tonalities, e.g. in bar 3 (32) the movement is
entirely scalic, but in bar 7 (36) the melody instead consists of two pairs of notes joined by a
diminished 5th.
Trills at each cadence point emphasise the cadence.
Periodic phrasing throughout.
Sonority/Timbre
Its unusual for this movement not to include any trumpet! It is a string only movement, and again,
the strings dont use any performance techniques other than arco.
Vibrato is more noticeable in this movement as it is slower, but there would never be a huge
amount of vibrato in performance as this would be atypical for a Baroque work.
The range is small, and does not exploit the higher register of the violin at all; it never moves
beyond first position. This means that the timbre remains more similar to the viola and cello than it
would if the violins pitch was higher.
Texture
The texture of this movement is melody-dominated homophony. There is no doubling of parts.
Tempo/Rhythm/Metre
Tempo is slower than that of the first movement, which is typical of a three movement work.
Note values are much longer, which contributes to the more sombre feeling of this movement; there
is no quaver movement throughout.
Dotted notes used in the same way as in the first movement in the preparations for cadences.
Much greater use of rests in this movement than in the first movement.
The second section is characterised by use of anacruses and subsequent accented suspensions.

Movement Three:
Structure
Difficult to define exactly; certainly more difficult than either of the previous movements.
Section A: begins with fugal entries of a motif (bars 50-651)
Section B: an antiphonal strings/trumpet section, 65-76, finishing with a clear tonic cadence at 761

Transition: 762-82
Section A1: Another set of fugal entries an inversion of the first section, 82-1001
Section C:Another antiphonal strings/trumpet section, but much shorter, 100-107
Section A2 a brief return to the initial theme, 108-112
Section B2: Another antiphonal strings/trumpet section creating almost a fanfare effect, finishing
with the same final melodic idea as at bar 112 - a coda
My interpretation would be a precursor to the Ritornello form later favoured by Vivaldi. Ritornello
form is characterised by a main theme, made up of small cells, which recurs throughout the work in
between episodes. Typically, the Ritornello will be tutti, whereas the episodes are for the solo
instrument, and are often virtuosic. Since the Ritornello is usually made up of short cells of music,
it often recurs in between episodes in abbreviated forms.
Vivaldi was the first composer to make use of the Ritornello form that we know today, and used it
typically in the first movement of his concerti; Purcell died long before Vivaldi even began
composing.
Here, the Ritornello and episode sections are not differentiated by being for solo and tutti, but more
by their fugal and antiphonal textures, respectively. They are also clearly brought out by the use of
dynamic contrast; each Ritornello theme is marked at forte, whereas the episode sections are
marked at mezzo piano or piano.
Tonality
The tonality is clearly D major, almost throughout - there is less modulation here than in either of
the other movements.
Section A is in D major, with a perfect cadence 64-65
Section B is also in D major, with another perfect cadence 75-76
Transition section does not modulate, remaining in D major, with a perfect cadence 81-82
Section A1 begins in D major, with another cadence at 89-90, then modulating to B minor with a
cadence 94-95, before moving straight back to D major at 96, then finishing with an imperfect
cadence 99-100
Section C is in D major moving through a harmonic sequence
Section A2 remains in D major, with a perfect cadence 112-113, another at 124-125, and a final
cadence at 126-127.
The only keys then are the tonic and the relative minor.
Harmony
This movement, like the others, is overwhelmingly functional in its harmony. Chords are entirely
root position or first inversion throughout, and are mostly limited to I, V, IV, and, less often, vi or ii.
An interesting chromatic moment (the only real moment of chromaticism) at 1033 with a flattened vii
chord; the diatonicism is then emphasised when bars 1002-1041 are essentially repeated

immediately (1042-1081), but this chromaticism is not repeated, instead remaining on a iib chord
leading back to the Ritornello theme.
Only other chromatic harmony in this movement is in the brief b minor section; otherwise, it is
totally diatonic and consonant.
Some 7th chords; mostly V7, but also including ii7 and one example of a vii7 used as a substitute V
within a ii7 - V - I cadence (641 within the cadence 63-65).
Same preparation for cadences as in the first and second movements (Vsus4 - V - I) in some cases
(89-90 and 94-95, with V7 as V), although ii - V - I (also typical of the Baroque period) is also used
(75-76 and 112-113).
Cadences are perfect except the cadence 99-100, which is a typical imperfect cadence (I - V) in D
major. No tierce de picardie in this movement as there are no extended minor sections; the short b
minor section cadences in the minor but moves directly back to D major subsequently.
Harmonic rhythm increases towards cadence points as seen in the two prior movements.
Melody
The melody is diatonic in this movement, and, similarly to the first movement, is mostly triadic with
passing and auxiliary notes as decoration. This is particularly true of the fanfare at the end of the
movement 113-123, which is entirely triadic on the D major triad.
The initial Ritornello motif is a good example of the triadic motif, made scalic by the passing notes.
There are the typical trills for trumpet and Violin I at cadence points, but also some use of
mordents in this movement, as in bars 57 and 99.
Use of sequence in the initial Ritornello motif e.g. Viola 53-55, and imitation between trumpet and
strings e.g. 100-107 and in the fanfare section
Sonority/Timbre
Range for both trumpet and strings is very similar to that of the first movement, so is similarly fairly
small. Again, the strings and trumpet do not use any unusual playing techniques, with only a few
slurs in the trumpet part (77-79).
Cello plays with the harpsichord as a basso continuo again, as in the first movement. Due to the
fugal entries at bars 50-56 and 83-89, the basso continuo does not actually play constantly, unlike
in the first movement.
Texture

Fugal entries at the beginning of the movement lead to an almost polyphonic texture in places (5761). The episodes return to the antiphonal idea between trumpet and strings, with the strings
playing homophonically. The transition section is melody and accompaniment (76-81).
Throughout, the melody is dominant, either in the trumpet part or Violin I, in both Ritornello and
episode sections.
In contrast to the previous movements, where the trumpet did not play with the strings at all, the
trumpet does play with the strings at the end of the Ritornello sections.
There is also some doubling of the Violin I and trumpet parts, e.g. 100-112
Tempo/Rhythm/Metre
The tempo is quick, as is typical for the third movement of a Baroque concerto. The metre is 3/8, in
triple time, contrasting to the previous movements. The speed at which it is played on this
recording gives it very much a dancing feel of being in 1 rather than in 3.
Semiquaver rhythms are characteristic of this movement, and feature almost continuously, with one
main exception at 100-107.
Little use of rests; the music is continuous throughout the lesson.
Again, dotted rhythms are mostly used in the preparation of cadences, as in the first movement,
although they are occasionally found elsewhere, e.g. bar 57