Professional Documents
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“Surprise” Symphony
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOLy6JxEDLw
CONTEXT: When you listen to this piece, how can you tell that this
is a movement from a symphony (not a concerto or sonata)?
CONTEXT: How can you tell that this is the 2nd movement of the
symphony (as opposed to the 1st, 3rd, or 4th?)
Above is the main theme that we hear at the beginning of this movement. How many bars long are the
musical phrases? How is this a feature of music from this period?
What intervals does this melody mainly use? A. fifths B. thirds C. octaves
At bars 7-8 (and 15-16), the music has modulated to a related key. What can you see written in the score
that show the music has modulated? (Extension: what key has it modulated to?)
CONTEXT: This structure of this movement is called theme and variations. What does this mean?
The theme-and-variations structure allows Haydn to show off his compositional skills. The first variation on
the theme starts at 1:16. Haydn has added a countermelody to his original theme. What is a
countermelody?
At 2:15, Haydn presents his theme again, but this time it’s different from the first time we heard it.
How has he changed the dynamics? How has he changed the instrumentation?
How has he changed the tonality? (Extension: here has he changed the rhythms?)
(Extension: Where has he changed the shape of the melody? )
Listen, and fill in
MUSICAL ORIGINAL THEME THEME STARTING AT 2:15
ELEMENT
dynamics
instrumentation
tonality
rhythms
shape of melody
At 3:17, Haydn gives the melody to the oboe. How has Haydn changed the rhythms of the original melody?
At 3:32, the strings play the original melody. What is the name for what the flute and oboe are playing on
top?