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Elgar: Symphony No. 1: Figure 93 and Before

The third movement of Elgar's first symphony is an adagio movement that features a lyrical first subject based on the scherzo theme. The movement explores complex polyphonic textures and features intricate solos passed between different instruments. A transition section leads to the presentation of a second subject in A major. In the development section, the orchestra is reduced in size and melodic material is fragmented and passed between solo instruments. A recapitulation of the first subject returns to D major before an unexpected shift to C# major for the second subject. The movement concludes with a coda that introduces new melodic ideas.

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69 views3 pages

Elgar: Symphony No. 1: Figure 93 and Before

The third movement of Elgar's first symphony is an adagio movement that features a lyrical first subject based on the scherzo theme. The movement explores complex polyphonic textures and features intricate solos passed between different instruments. A transition section leads to the presentation of a second subject in A major. In the development section, the orchestra is reduced in size and melodic material is fragmented and passed between solo instruments. A recapitulation of the first subject returns to D major before an unexpected shift to C# major for the second subject. The movement concludes with a coda that introduces new melodic ideas.

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Lea
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Elgar: Symphony no.

THIRD MOVEMENT: ADAGIO

Figure 93 and before


 1st subject – D major
 Based on scherzo theme
 Slower pace, more intricate rhythms
 Bassoons enrich tenor register
 Violins, viola and cello in unison
 Cello and bass clarinet working together, supporting
 Irregular phrasing; e.g. 5 bar phrase (first 5 bars of mvmt)
 Lots of syncopation e.g. 5th bar in bassoon
 Range of melody: sat around middle C at beginning
 Countermelody in flute 1, violin 2, viola, 2 bars before 93
 Fig. 93: 2nd ‘ravishing’ phrase
 Thicker texture
 Cor anglais and violin 1 in unison
 Minor 7th fall (arpeggio) – Bmin7 – in melody in 1st 2 bars of 93
 Almost contrary motion between violins, violas & cellos, basses 2 bars before 94

Figure 94
 Transition section
 Flutes homophonic in first bar
 Some chromaticism; suggests modulation soon
 Imitation; tenuous links to fig. 57 (transition of 2nd mvmt) in violin 2 at 94
 Texture: ‘delicate web of interweaving lines’ – polyphonic
 2 bars before 94: flute almost reminiscent of falling figure from fig. 16 in 1st mvmt

Figure 95
 ‘Quietly throbbing chords’ in violas and cellos
 Triplet anticipation in violas and cellos
 Music seems to be heading towards minor key; Emin heard 5 bars before 96
 F# minor (possibly); up 1 tone like at fig. 60 in 2nd mvmt
 F diminished 7th chord; leaves options open. Could move F to E to make E7 to make
perfect cadence to A in 2nd subject (but doesn’t)

Figure 96
 2nd subject – A major (dominant of D major)
 Melody in violins – rising disjunct
 Countermelody in violas and upper cello, supported by flutes and clarinet – falling
conjunct
 Polyphonic texture
 Violas voiced in 3rds
 Elgarian leap in violin melody
 Both melody and countermelody begin on mediant; tenuous links to motto theme
 Kind of contrary motion/contrasting contour between melody & countermelody
Figure 97
 Inverted texture; violins play countermelody and violas/cellos play melody
 (Sounding) thicker texture
 Octave triplets in violins stem from transition (fig. 94)
 Falling figure from transition heard echoed on approach to development

Figure 98
 Development
 Reduced orchestra down even further – chamber music scale
 Melody & accompaniment texture
 Solos in clarinet, violin 1 – ‘florid’, intricate, elaborate. Almost arabesque,
arpeggiated. Passed around orchestra – from clarinet to violin back to clarinet
 Transition material echoed – triplet octave motif heard in 4th bar of 98 in violin 1
and fragmented in flutes. Diminished pattern from transition heard 6 and 7 bars of
98 sequential
 Violin solo in bar 2 of 98: sequential to clarinet solo

Figure 99
 ‘Throbbing chords’/triplet anticipation heard in violas and lower cellos, from fig. 95 –
building tension
 Rumbling in timpani, suggesting tension/lead up to something new
 Dynamics 4 after 99: building up then dying down as if building up to something
 C#7 chord heard 2 bars before 100
 Interrupted cadence 1 bar before 100 leading into recapitulation – dominant 7th of
F# min

Figure 100
 Recapitulation: 1st subject – back to D major
 Melody and accompaniment (violin 1 melody and other strings except bass
accompaniment)
 Violin 1s in unison – quiet, peaceful
 No added colour from woodwinds – complements rich wind writing in development
 ‘Brief gesture’ from clarinet and bassoon 4 bars after 100
 5 bars after 100: bass arco; was pizzicato in exposition
 Lots of chromaticism; indecisive of key
 Sounds like it is going to a minor key 6 bars before 101

Figure 101
 Triumphant – reminds of motto theme
 Strong A major
 No transition section
 2 bars before 102: shift in tonality, sounds like it will go to minor key

Figure 102
 2nd subject: C# major – surprise
 Flute melody sounds sweet
 Minor feel 3 bars before 103; major feel 1 bar later
Figure 103
 Unpredictable harmony; don’t know where it is going next
 Transition material in flutes – triplet octave motif
 Falling transition figure in violins

Figure 104
 Coda – D major
 New ideas, new melody – starts on mediant (F#), like ataca into 3rd movement and
motto theme melody
 Sequential melody
 Leap of 7th, not Elgarian 6th

Figure 105
 2 bars before 106: solo in clarinet almost same as at fig. 98

Figure 106
 Transition falling idea 4 bars after 106 in clarinet

Figure 107
 Slowing down to end of mvmt
 Con sordini and con sordino in trombones towards end
 Triplet motifs towards end of mvmt in horns and trombones

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