Sarah Foster

MUSI 781W in Italy, 2014, Take-Home Test, 8/14/14

Part One: Beethoven Op. 7, Piano Sonata, Largo con gran espressione

The first phrase, to me, sounded like it was a sentence structure in measures 1-8 ending
confidently with a perfect authentic cadence, mostly playing around with a lot of I-V-I
progressions with the occasional predominant chord, such as the ii6 in measure 6. The next
phrase is measures 9-14. It is an antecedent consequent phrase pair with an embellished
development of its motif in measure 12. Although this phrase doesn't quite end with a strong
cadence, it brings the piece back to its original theme in measure 15. However, instead of
repeating the opening 8 measures, the new phrase goes on to develop the theme through a
chromatic sequence in measures 17-18, moving us into the dominant in measure 20 (almost
reaching a cadence, but not quite). There, a Ger. 4/2 augmented 6 chord is found on beat 1,
leading to V7/V on beat II and continuing the modulating progression. The expansion of the
phrase continues developing stepwise until measure 22, where it then leads into the perfect
authentic cadence between measures 23 and 24. From there, the piano descends the scale in
octaves, giving way to Ab major in 25 (the borrowed chord of bVI) and sequencing from do-sol
until it lands in measure 28 with the perfect authentic cadence on beats 1 and 2. The bass line
continues arpeggiating in octaves to reach C major in measure 29. The next phrase from 29-32
has some interesting chord progressions from I to VII half diminished 7 to VI6 in 30. 31 carries
another modulating sequence into 32, where the bass line plays a chromatic transitional sequence
into measure 33, where a new phrase begins (on Db, the bii of the piece). Measures 33-37 seem
to be a modulating tool as well, since most of the chords are altered frequently and the chords are
a bit bizarre. The bass line transcends up the Db scale by altering the bottom notes of the
arpeggios it outlines until 36. The phrase is then extended a bit longer by playing with a strong g
minor complex in measure 37 to measure 42, heavily emphasizing G as a note and only straying

to notes that clearly define the key as minor. Oddly enough, this is the minor V of the piece. As I
was writing this, however, I noticed that this little section could also just be outlining a German 6
chord with a #4, b6, and "me" standing by itself above the staff. I'd expect a C to be somewhere
in the mix, as well, though, which I don't see. Continuing on, measure 42-51 is the next odd
phrase (before we reach the repeat of the A theme). The piece seems to play around on the VII,
V/VII, and V chords for a bit before being led to a bit of the parallel (c) minor in measure 45. C
minor is then outlined through the descending notes in the next couple of measures until the
phrase becomes more and more isolated, slowing down and finally retransitioning to the original
theme in measure 51. From 51-74, the entire first 23 measures are repeated with very little
variation, save for a few rhythms and several embellishments to fill the once-empty spaces. Once
73 is hit, there is an Italian 4/3 chord that helps to bring the phrase to a close with a perfect
authentic cadence by measure 74 (It. 4/3--V7--I). Measure 75 begins the progression of the V
chord from V6/5--V6/5 / ii-- V6/5 / IV-- Fr. 6 on beat 3 measure 77, back to V in 78. There is a
lot of secondary dominance going on, possibly to extend the phrase, seemingly ending with a
half cadence on V in measure 78. However, because this was preceded by an augmented 6 chord,
I want to say the phrase really continues through to the first beat of measure 84 and that the V
chord in 78 was really set up so strongly so that it could be emphasized until the end of the next
phrase (hence the repeated G through m. 82). In 82, the phrase then descends A-Ab-G to land on
the V7 chord and, ultimately, perfect authentic cadence beat 1 of measure 84. This brings the
movement to its penultimate phrase (which ends in measure 86). Measure 85 contains a I-V7-I
progression into measure 86, where there is a ii chord, omit 5 progressing to I (here is where I
hear another cadence, so perhaps the ii chord really is just holding an accented non-chord tone on
the C so it can hint at the I chord-- this would create a strange authentic cadence). Three eighth
notes then take the measure chromatically (C-B-Bb) into measure 87, where the bass line begins
to descend chromatically (A-Ab-G-F#-F) until the last measure. The progression from there until

the last measure is V7/ii--ii6/4 (pre-dominant setting) to V7--I in measure 88. The piece is then
brought to a close with a perfect authentic cadence in measure 90.
This piece is also in ternary form (AABA). The first A section begins at the beginning,
develops a little, and then repeats itself at the second A section in measure 15. The original
thematic material is repeated and then developed in a different way to reach the B section in
measure 25 (to my ears), where the bass line begins arpeggiating on bVI (a borrowed chord from
c minor). This is a new theme that lasts until measure 51, where A is once again introduced until
the end (with some development and variation).