Beethoven Pathétique Vocabulary

Sforzando

An accent showing that a note or chord should be played with greater force than other notes surrounding it.

Classical Era

c.1750 – 1810

Romantic Era

c.1810 – 1910

Sonata form

A large scale form invented in the Classical era comprising three sections – exposition, development, recapitulation.

Development

Central section, composers develop one or both of the subjects from the exposition.

Recapitulation

The final section. The composer ‘recaps’ (states again) the first subject in the home key as before.

First Subject

The first theme or melody – always in the home key and usually the most lively and dramatic.

Second Subject

The second theme or melody – a contrast in terms of mood and the key is usually different as well – usually the dominant, relative major or minor.

Bridge Passage

A linking passage often used to change the key of the music (to modulate) in preparation for the second subject.

Coda

A section sometimes added at the end of a piece or movement. A sonata form movement often ends with this short rounding-off section.

Homophony

A texture comprising a melody part and an accompaniment.

Diminished Seventh

A four note chord made up solely of minor-third intervals.

Codetta

A short coda concluding a section

Interrupted Cadence

Chord V - Chord IV

Pedal

A sustained or repeated note in the bass. It may clash with harmonic changes above it.

Transition

A section used to take the music from one key to another by modulation. Sometimes also called a bridge section.

Staccato

Played in a detached fashion

Legato

Played in a smooth fashion – as opposed to staccato

Alberti Bass

A figuration commonly used in the Classical period, made up of broken chords used as an accompaniment.

Enharmonic

Two identically sounding pitches with different names

Augmented

Doubling or more of the original note durations.

Dominant Preparation

A passage focused on the dominant chord to create expectation for a return to the tonic.