The whole of the collection is linked to the calendar for sight reading. Please consult this sign-up sheet for a list of movements acceptable for the assignment. Below are the basics of this assignment.
This assignment, in simple, concise terms: Step 1 is a graph of the work that clearly shows the cadences, and clearly shows a “prolongation”, both in terms of melody and harmony. Step 2 is a graph that more completely describes the melody, in terms of any of several types of melodic elaboration, and as a result, shows "melodic coherence" that connects all elements of the melody, from the beginning of each phrase to the end.
STEP 1
1. Write-out the melody, stems-up, on horizontal staff paper. Represent the harmony in the work with unstemmed non-melodic notes, leaving out all rhythmic information. In simple pieces like these, generally every note should be represented roughly in its position relative to the melody, excepting highly repetitive notes. Identify the main harmonies of the work, focusing first on cadential harmony, and then tracing a path back from the cadence to the beginning of a phrase.
2. Mark the bass notes associated with cadential harmony, for example, using longer, downward-reaching stems: a V and a I (or i) with any full cadence; a “V” with one antecedent (usually a I or i) for any half cadence..
3. If possible, identify a bass note prior to each full cadence, that you think *leads* to the V — a “predominant” bass note (PD). Draw a slur connecting it to the V.
4. Examine the melody with in the context of what you’ve learned in the first three points above, and consider the following question:
Are there two notes in the melody principally associated with the two cadential harmonies? If not, can the melody be further reduced (via melodic reduction), in such a way that its basic progression (from dominant to tonic, or vice versa) is shown more simply?
Is there likewise a note best associated with “prolongation”, such that it connects coherently with the cadence? Feel free to guess at this, even if you aren’t sure.
STEP 2
With slurs and abbreviations, mark all *elaborations* in the melody — using page 40 of the Kennan as your guide.
Mark structure in the melody: For each elaboration you identify that is *not a passing tone*, draw a higher, bolder stem, representing the note that you hear as *being* elaborated.
— For example, if you mark an appogiatura, or a suspension, place a higher, stronger stem on the resolution of that NCT.
— For accented passing tones, stem the note that it passes *to*. For unaccented passing tones, no mark needs to be made at this stage.
— For neighbor notes, you will usually have two choices—but they will be the same pitch—so just choose one that you think sounds stronger, in the rhythmic or metric sense.
— For cadential 6/4 chords, stem one note corresponding to the 6/4, and another for its resolution. This is the only example where we will stem a note that is technically unstable, or ornamental.
3. Having marked the structure above, does any other possibility for coherence (in the melodic structure) emerge?
Choices:
I:
TRIO (p 4)
ADAGIO (p 5)
II
TRIO (pp 10-11)
III
MENUATTO (p 16)
RONDO (p 17-18)
IV
ANDANTE GRAZIOSO
TRIO (pp 20-21)
V
ADAGIO (pp 24-25)
MENUETTO (pp 25-26)
POLONAISE (p 28)
VI
MENUETTO (p 32)
TRIO (p 33)