Robert Walker

MUS 307

Analysis of Mozart’s Oboe Quartet in F Major

Mozart’s Oboe Quartet in F Major is in sonata form, beginning with an

exposition, moving to a development, and ending with a recapitulation. All of these main

sections follow Caplin’s ideas of sonata form very closely with only slight deviations

from the norm.

The exposition opens with a 16-measure sentence. The presentation involves two

compound basic ideas with two measures of a basic idea and a contrasting idea in mm. 1-

4 and mm. 5-8. The next 8 measures is a continuation that starts with a fragmented idea

in m. 9 and repeated in m. 10. There is a short cadential passage of two measures in mm.

11-12. There is also acceleration of harmonic rhythm in the continuation, as the

harmonies are changing every bar or every two beats rather than every other bar in the

presentation. Mm. 13-14 appear to be repeating the same basic fragmented idea but are

interrupted in m. 15 by what I see as an interpolation of four measures in length from

mm. 15-18. I call this an interpolation because if one were to take mm. 15-18 out of the

piece, mm. 1-14 would match up perfectly to mm. 19-20 to form the 16-measure sentence

that ends with a perfect authentic cadence. Mm. 19-20 also make up the rest of the

second half of the repeated fragments in the continuation of the 16-measure sentence.

Starting in m. 21, we move to the transition of the exposition. It begins with a 4-

measure presentation moving back and forth from only a I and a V7. The basic idea is

formed in mm. 21-22 and is repeated in exact harmony in mm. 23-24. The continuation

then begins and lasts for only two measures in mm. 25-26 due to compression. We then

move immediately to the modulating section of the transition. A new presentation starts

in m. 27 with a two measure basic idea, and it gets repeated exactly in mm. 29-30. Then

there is a 4-measure continuation with a 2-measure basic idea in mm. 31-32, that is

fragmented, and a contrasting idea in mm. 33-34 that has acceleration of rhythmic

activity. There are two added measures to the end of the continuation, and these to

measures function as short standing on the dominant after the half cadence.

The music is now fully in the new key of C major and the subordinate theme area.

The section begins as another 16-measure sentence with a restatement of the main theme

material in the accompanying strings for two measures as a basic idea. Then in mm. 39-

40, the oboe brings out the new subordinate theme as a 2-measure contrasting idea. The

same material is repeated exactly in mm. 41-44 as the second compound basic idea. It

then moves to an 8-measure continuation with cadential material in the second half of the

continuation. The continuation opens with a 2-measure basic idea fragmented twice, and

it is then repeated exactly in mm. 47-48. This is also accompanied by an acceleration of

harmonic rhythm in mm. 45-48. There is then a 4-measure cadential section to end out

the continuation section and the entire 16-measure sentence, where it ends on a perfect

authentic cadence. The closing section immediately follows with a 4-measure

antecedent, which begins a hybrid theme of an antecedent and a continuation. The basic

idea is in mm. 53-54, and it is followed by a contrasting idea in mm. 55-56. There seems

to be an imperfect authentic cadence in m. 57, which is the starting point of the

continuation. It lasts for 4 measures with a basic idea that is repeated exactly and ends

with a perfect authentic cadence. The cadence is followed by a 4-measure codetta that

justifies the perfect authentic cadence in C major at the closing of the exposition.

The development is the next major section of the piece. It begins in C major, the

same as the modulated area in the exposition, with another hybrid theme of an antecedent

and continuation. The antecedent has a basic idea in mm. 64-65 and a contrasting idea in

mm. 65-66. The continuation begins with a short 2-measure sequenced section. The first

two beats of m. 68 represent the model for the second, which is then sequenced 3 more

times over the course of two whole bars. After this, there are two measures of cadential

material that leads to a perfect authentic cadence just before moving to the key of F

major. The same material as the opening hybrid theme of the beginning of the

development is now repeated exactly in mm. 72-79, only this time in the key of F major.

Also, instead of the cadential material leading to an authentic cadence, there is a move in

mm. 78-79 to a half cadence in the key of d minor. There is also an extra measure after

m. 79 that represents a short standing on the dominant. After the half cadence, we then

move to a I in the new key of d minor, which starts the new phrase. I see the first four

measures as an interpolation, moving to a period. The antecedent only has 3 measures,

the first two being the basic idea and the third being the contrasting idea. The consequent

then opens with a repeat of the antecedent basic idea and a contrasting idea that turns into

cadential material to lead to a perfect authentic cadence in m. 91 in the home key of F

major. We then have about a measure and a half of tonic prolongation, which moves to a

standing on the dominant three measures with an applied chord to the dominant. There is

then a huge V7 that marks the retransition back to the recapitulation and a I in measure 98

that really confirms the return of the home key.

The recapitulation starts right after the measure and a half long retransition in m.

98. The recapitulation is the same opening material of the piece in the exposition, and it

lasts exactly the same until around m. 112/113. The new transition starts in m. 113, only

this time it does not modulate, staying in the home key of F major. The transition starts

with a presentation, which has a basic idea in mm. 113-114 and a repeat of the basic idea

in mm. 115-116. Then, there is a continuation, but just like earlier in the piece, the

continuation is only 2 measures long due to compression. There is also another

interpolation of 4 measures stuck between the sentence from m. 113 and the period in

mm. 123-130.

Measure 123 marks what I see as the coda of the recapitulation. It begins with an

antecedent with a basic idea for 2 measures and a contrasting idea for the next 2

measures. This acts as the first coda theme. It is followed by a consequent that restates

the antecedent’s basic idea and leads to an imperfect authentic cadence. Measure 131

marks the second coda theme that is a sentence. The first 4 measures is a presentation

with a 2-measure basic idea and the basic idea repeated in the next 2 measures. It is

followed by a continuation that starts on a perfect authentic cadence. There is tonic

prolongation in mm. 135-138, and in m. 139 we finally get cadential material that leads to

the arrival of I in m. 140. There are 2 short codettas, each about a half of a measure long

that finally bring the movement to a close on another perfect authentic cadence.