Tempo: Significantly faster ( Piu mosso): Due to fast tempo, the otherwise typical ‘martial’ episode is perceived rather ironically – very typical of Shostakovich’s grotesque vision (hereinafter referred to as the grotesque or farce effect) Genre: march-like: 3/4 time changes to 4/4 time (in contrast to the song-like first theme) a ‘primitive’ chordal accompaniment (a constantly repeated tonic triad) The secondary thematic section of the exposition ( Example 3) contrasts with the primary theme in almost all aspects: As will be seen from further analysis, this type of thematic development becomes a pattern for many sections of the Sonata. The primary thematic section ends in bar 51, followed by the four-bar transition.Īs can be seen from this discussion, in the primary thematic section Shostakovich employs the polyphonic methods of thematic development (‘phased-in’, ‘non-stop’ development ). Moreover, the texture becomes denser by the addition of another layer – triads in the middle voice and, starting from bar 35, the main triadic motive, which is doubled in octaves. Starting from the upbeat to bar 31, the third, climactic phase ‘takes over’ in the development process here, the first triadic element is transposed to Bb Major. This second introduction of the main motive initiates the intensive development that quickly reaches the climactic point of this section (bars 30–31). The second phase begins at the upbeat to bar 17 – an obvious repetition of the beginning of the first phase, but here it is doubled in sixths and moved from the bottom to the top textural layer. The first phase ends in bar 17 – an authentic cadence (dominant – tonic progression) in the bass is also ‘hidden’ in a relentless semiquaver motion. Starting from bar 7, the second element, ‘hidden’ in the melodic contour (starting from Bb), initiates a long unfolding process that can be split into three phases.
It introduces the main elements in more detail: bars 4–6 introduce the first element – a deliberate unfolding of the tonic triad. The actual theme starts from the upbeat in bar 3 marked semplice. The two introductory leitmotives appear to be a model for the sequence containing two transpositions (see the first two bars of Example 2). First Movement, the Primary Theme, first phase. Both diminished tetrachords will later become a modal quintessence of the variation theme in the third movement of the Sonata (see Example 24 on page 24). The ‘ LDT’ and the ‘ UDT’ can be easily distinguished, if transposed, by their structure: the ‘ LDT’ consists of half tone - half tone - whole tone the ‘ UDT’ consists of half tone – whole tone – half tone (symmetrical structure). The two tetrachords are hereinafter defined as the Lower Diminished Tetrachord (the ‘ LDT’) and the Upper Diminished Tetrachord (the ‘ UDT’), respectively. The first version is the four-note structure notated as Eb – D – C# - B the second version is the aforementioned structure notated as Bb – A – G – F#. There are two distinctive versions of the diminished tetrachords in the Sonata. (See the musical examples attached to this article.)
The diminished tetrachord later becomes Shostakovich’s musical ‘self-portrait’, the most identifiable stylistic element used for the expression of the composer’s ‘self’. This structure is hereinafter defined as the diminished tetrachord, which will then be explicitly exposed and developed in the theme and variations of the third movement. The second element exposes the downward tetrachord (four-note structure notated as Bb – A – G – F#) within a diminished fourth. It begins from the short introduction exposing the two leitmotives of the Sonata: the first element is an upward B minor six-three (T6/3) chord. The primary thematic section of this sonata form is in a 50-bar constant semiquaver motion, combining the exposition and the following development of the theme. The first movement of the Sonata is in sonata allegro form although as might be expected, the form Shostakovich constructs in this movement strays far away from the traditional (classical) examples of sonata form.Įxposition: In the Sonata, almost every theme forms a section consisting of the local exposition, development, climactic area and conclusion. First Movement (Moderato)-Modified Sonata Form The Sonata consists of three movements ( Allegretto, Largo, Moderato) that demonstrate three major aspects of Shostakovich‘s works: dramatic (first movement), lyrical (second movement), and tragic (third movement).