Melody and Thematic Development

Development of the Symphony 1750-1900

Stamitz’s Symphony in D Major

• 1750

• Galant Style

• Many Manheim Features- e.g.: Manheim Sigh in Mvt 2

• Simple Diatonic Melodic Material

• 4 Bar Phrases

• Generic Galant Ideas in Mvt4- e.g.: Rising Arpeggio

Mozart Symphony No.40 in G minor

• 1788

• 1st Subject of the 1st Mvt is based of a falling Semiquaver Idea (Mannheim Sigh)

• First Mvt constructed of Short Melodic Ideas

• Second Subject is more legato, descending conjunct shape, More chromatic movement.

• Fourth Movement opens with Mannheim Rocket

Haydn Symphony No.104 in D Major

Movement 1

• Development: Develops motifs with sequences and imitation

• Balanced 4 Bar antecedent and consequent phrases

• Monothematic

Beethoven’s Symphony No.5 in C minor

• 1808

• Famous 4 note ‘fate’ motif in the 1st Mvt- this was repeated extensively in different ways.

• Towards the end of the movement the ‘fate’ motif was used as an accompanying figure.

Berlioz Symphony Fantastique

• 1830

• Idee Fixe used in every movement- transformed by its context, changing rhythm and orchestration.

• Melodic material is based on elements, or fragments of the idee fixe.

• Deliberately simple tune in Mvt 2, in 4 clear bar phrases

• After the opening in Mvt 3 there is a series of theme and variations

• In Mvt 4 the idee fixe does not appear until later just before the guillotine is dropped evoking the idea that the main character thinks about his love before he dies. The theme is cut short.

• In Mvt 5 there is a nightmarish distortion of the Idee Fixe

• Bassoons and Tubas play the Dies Irae

• The "witches' round dance" motif is repeatedly stated in the strings, used as a

  fugue, adding more and more instruments, to create a sense of chaos and frenzy.

Mendelssohn’s Italian Symphony in A Major

• 1833

• Typical First subject of the opening movement is typical in that it is both lyrical but also fizzing with energy

• Third Subject introduced in the development of Mvt1

• In the coda of the last movement, Mendelssohn brings back a minor version of the first subject of the opening movement

Brahms Symphony No.4 in E minor

• 1885

• The melody's first eight notes only contain falling thirds (or their inversion – the rising sixth) and the next eight notes contain only rising thirds.

• In Mvt 4 the Baroque idea of a Passacaglia is incorperated (a repeating melody around which the music is built, often in triple metre – similar to a ground bass, although the ‘theme’ can move around orchestra).