Mendelssohn's Concert Overtures

Extramusical associations
o MNDO (Shakespeare)
o Hebrides (Scotland)
o Ruy Blas (Hugo)
o Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage (Goethe poems)
o Melusine (Grillparzer libretto

Influence
Beethoven's cantata setting of Goethe's two poems.
Like Beethoven, Mendelssohn set his work in D major and used the
structural plan of two sections joined by a transition
Both begin with hushed, open-spaced sonorities sustained in the strings.
MNDO Link
o Used Beethovens Overture to Fidelio as a model (influence from
vocal work, but does not use actual vocals, but rather adapts
programmatic influences)
o Sustained woodwind chords in Beethovens Adagio sections like
Mendelssohns use of sustained winds to interrupt the fairies music
o Juxtaposition of contrasting types of music
Form
3 sections:
Adagio: Calm Sea
o Thematically static: music filled with variations of contrabass motif in
bar 1
o Important motif, as the subsequent main themes are actually
variations of this motto theme, in recurring guises
Allegro e molto vivace: Prosperous Voyage
o Exposition
Primary theme: Flutes (bar 99)
Marcato recurring motif: in strings (bar 107, 109, 111)
Bridge (transition) theme: Bar 149
Secondary theme: Cellos, followed by clarinets (bar 185)
Closing section (driven by dotted rhythm of contrabass
motif)
o Development
Bridge theme in the dominant (bar 271)
Trumpet fanfare recalling end of expo. (bar 283)
Development begins proper in Bar 286

Reappearance of secondary theme in C Major (bar 335), G

Major/minor (bar 367-78), D Major (reprise: bar 379) - PLAGAL
RELATIONSHIPS that obscure conclusion of development

Recap
Inverted recapitulation (truncated)
2nd theme before 1st theme (to strengthen the elision between
development and reprise by using the 2nd theme as a bridge)
Prepares for the coda with a trumpet fanfare
Allegro maestoso: Epilogue (Coda)
o Final destination of the musical journey
o

2 tableaux - 2 different scenes of Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage

The division of the overture into two tableaux had been determined by
Goethe's pairing of the two poems
o Each section has its own metrical and rhyme schemes.
Attempts to give both parts equal weight
o Mendelssohn avoids a strong cadence at the end of the Adagio to
ensure smooth transition
o Extended 50-bar transition between 'Calm Sea' and 'Prosperous
Voyage'
Delay the onset of the exposition to de-emphasize it
o Extra-musical
Gathering of winds from calm to pompous
o Beethoven influence
Borrowed ideas from Beethoven's original 14-bar transition in his
cantata
While technically in a sonata-form movement, Mendelssohn modifies the
general structure of the form in order to accommodate his tableaux
structure and other extra-musical ideas.

Inverted recapitulation
o Second theme (b. 379) is recalled before the first (b. 401)
o Like Les Preludes
o Extra-musical ideas
Smooth, everlasting voyage?

Melody
Thematic unity
Contrabass motif = Motto theme (of sorts)
Primary theme in expo (b.99)
o Rhythmically drawn from the opening contrabass motive of Calm Sea
o Melodic and rhythmic shape of motto theme is reinforced by marcato
motif in the strings
Secondary theme (b. 185)

o Derived from the primary theme, reuses the dotted rhythmic pattern
Closing section
o Rhythmic drive is provided by the dotted rhythm
Coda
o Dotted rhythm alludes to primary theme
o Melodic contour alludes to the secondary theme
Link to MNDO
o 4 wind chords are the impetus for the melodic ideas
Recycling and restatement of motives in different forms and combinations
Texture
The introduction (Meeresstille) I have planned this way... that in the slowest Adagio
now the basses, now the violins, rest on the same pitch for several bars. The whole
stirs sluggishly from the passage with heavy tedium. Finally it comes to a halt with
thick chords, and then the gliickliche Fahrt sets out. Now all the wind instruments,
the timpani, oboes, and flutes begin and play merrily until the end. Piccolos also
enter toward the middle, and there is a murderous uproar. I think the thing will
please you, for it strikes me as fresh

Wave-like quaver passage (b. 59) in strings

o This symbolizes the rolling waves through the scalar quality of this
flurry, in which the passages contours match the rising and falling
waves.
o Like Hebrides

Instrumentation
Unusual devices in orchestration:
o Addition of serpent, contrabassoon, piccolo and third trumpet
o Used for it grotesque, uncouth quality
MNDO Link
o Unusual devices in orchestration:
Division of violins
Use of ophicleide
Solo contrabass and solo cello in the development to bring out
unique tone colour

Similarities
Instrumentationb
Meeresstille
o Addition of serpent, contrabassoon, piccolo and third trumpet
o Used for it grotesque, uncouth quality
MNDO
o Division of violins

o
o

Use of ophicleide
Solo contrabass and solo cello in the development to bring out unique
tone colour

Reordering of themes in recap

MNDO
Inverted recap
o Melusine
2nd principal theme appears first
o Meeresstille
Second theme (b. 379) is recalled before the first (b. 401)
Motto theme
MNDO
Hebrides
Meeresstille
o Contrabass motif = Motto theme (of sorts)
o Primary theme in expo (b.99)
Rhythmically drawn from the opening contrabass motive of Calm
Sea
Melodic and rhythmic shape of motto theme is reinforced by
marcato motif in the strings
o Secondary theme (b. 185)
Derived from the primary theme, reuses the dotted rhythmic
pattern
o Closing section
Rhythmic drive is provided by the dotted rhythm
o Coda
Dotted rhythm alludes to primary theme
Melodic contour alludes to the secondary theme
Structure is changed to fit the programme
Frame form
o MNDO
Fairies theme reappears at the end
Fits the narrative of the play
o Hebrides
Create sense of closure, of memory fading in and out

Meeresstille
o Read above

Musical writing to fit the programme

MNDO

Donkey braying
Anyone who knows the play will automatically associate this as a
descriptive representation of the donkey
Hebrides
o Undulating semiquavers to depict waves
o Gapped scale common In Scottish folk music
Meeresstille
o Coda = allegro maestoso evokes the sighting of land and arrival
o

Exposition to development
Clear distinction
o Fortissimo transition
Unclear distinction (no formal break or definitive cadence, increase the sense
of interconnectivity)
o Hebrides
o Merrestille
Tonal relations
MNDO
o Ambiguous E-G#
o Common 3rd linking C#m to EM
o Joining the development and recap
Hebrides
o Ambiguous D-F#
o Mediant to tonic relation
o Joining the tonic and development