The 6-6 Linear Intervallic Pattern as a Style Feature in Mozart's Symphonies

8/18/2019 The 6-6 Linear Intervallic Pattern as a Style Feature in Mozart's Symphonies

1/94

The 6-6 linear intervallic pattern as a style feature in the

symphonies of W. A. Mozart

Item type text; Thesis-Reproduction (electronic)

Authors Cotner, John Sidney, 1963-

Publisher The University of Arizona.

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Order Number 1352346

The

6-6 linear intervallic pattern as a style feature

in the

symphonies of

W. A.

Mozart

Cotner,

John

Sidney, M.M.

The University of Arizona, 1993

U M I

300 N. ZeebRd.

Ann Arbor, MI 48106


5/94


6/94

1

THE 6-6 LINEAR INTERVALLIC PATTERN ASA STYLE FEATURE

IN

THE

SYMPHONIES OF W.

A.

MOZART

by

John

Sidney Cotner

A

Thesis

Submitted to the Faculty

of

the

SCHOOL OF MUSIC

In

Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

For

the Degree

of

MASTER OF MUSIC

WITH A MAJOR IN MUSIC THEORY

In

the

Graduate College

THE

UNIVERSITY OF

ARIZONA

1 9 9 3


7/94

2

STATEMENT BY AUTHOR

This

thesis has

been submitted in

partial fulfillment of requirements for an

advanced

degree at the University of Arizona

and

is

deposited in the

University

Library to

be made

available

to

borrowers under

rules

of the

Library.

Brief quotations from this thesis are allowable without special permission, provided

that accurate acknowledgement of source

is

made. Requests

for

permission for extended

quotations from or

reproduction of

this

manuscript

in whole

or

in

part

may

be

granted by

the

head

of

the

major department or

the

Deanof the Graduate College when in his or

her

judgement the proposed use of

the

material is in

the interests

of

scholarship. In

all

other

instances, however, permission must beobtained from the author.

SIGNED

APPROVAL BY THESIS DIRECTOR

This

thesis has been approved on the date shown below:

/

/

J.

Timothy Kolosick

'

Dmfiacprti*

A /fn c m / *

Professor

of

Music


8/94

3

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I

would like to express

my

thanks to Dr. Kolosick for his steadfast support

throughout my

course of study,

with special appreciation

for

his

invaluable assistance

during the writing of this thesis. In addition, I wish

to

convey my sincere gratitude to Dr.

Murphy and

Professor Asia, for their

support of my

academic endeavors has

been a

constant source of inspiration. Finally,

I

would like to thank my family and

fiance

for their

ongoing encouragement

throughout

the writing

of

this document, and

without

whom this

thesis could not have

been

written.


9/94

4

TABLE

OF

CONTENTS

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 6

LIST OF

TABLES 9

ABSTRACT 10

INTRODUCTION 11

1. HISTORICAL-THEORETICAL INTERPRETATIONS

OF

THE 6-6

LINEAR INTERVALLIC PATTERN: 1558TO PRESENT

. .

.13

The

Origin

of Mozart's

Symphonic Style . . .22

2. THE SYMPHONIES

OF

MOZART: DIATONIC EMBELLISHMENTS

OF THE 6-6 PATTERN 27

7-6 Embellishments

of Diatonic

6-6 Patterns . . .

.30

Usage

of

the 6-6

Pattern

as

Primary

Thematic Material . . 36

3. THE SYMPHONIES

OF

MOZART: CHROMATIC EMBELLISHMENTS

OF THE 6-6PATTERN

44

Descending Chromatic Embellishments . . . .44

Descending Chromatic Embellishments with 7-6 Suspensions

.

49

A s c e n d i n g C h r o m a t i c

E m b e l l i s h m e n t s

. . . .52


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5

4.

A

COMPARISON

OF

MOZART'S

SYMPHONIES WITH SELECTED

MOVEMENTS FROM HAYDN'S PARIS AND LONDON

SYMPHONIES

57

CONCLUSION 72

APPENDIX

A

— TABLE

6.

INDEX

OF

6-6 PATTERNS

IN

MOZART'S

SYMPHONIES 78

APPENDIX B

—

TABLE 7. INDEX

OF

6-6PATTERNS

IN

MOVEMENTS 1

&

4 OFHAYDN'S PARIS

AND

LONDON

SYMPHONIES 84

Synopsis of

Haydn's Mature Symphonic

Style

as exemplified

in the Paris and London Symphonies (1785-1795) .

Mozart and Haydn: A Comparison of Diatonic Embellishments

7 - 6

n d

- 3 m b e l l i s h m e n t s

.....

Mozart

and

Haydn:

A Comparison

of Chromatic Embellishments

Ascending

Chromatic

Embellishments

57

62

64

68

70

LIST OF

REFERENCES 87


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LIST

OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Figure

1.1

Zarlino — Incorrect

Use

of Parallel

Fourths

.

1.2

Rameau

— Parallel First

Inversion Triads

1.3 Kirnberger—Parallel First Inversion Triads .

1.4 Siegmeister — Parallel First Inversion Triads

1.5 Forte and Gilbert — 6-6 Linear Intervallic

Pattern

2.1

Mozart — Descending Diatonic Unembellished 6-6 Pattern, K.183/IH,

m m . 7 2 0 . . . . . . . .

2.2 Mozart — Descending

Diatonic Unembellished

6-6Pattern, K. 183/TV,

m m .

3 7 1 4 1

. . . . . . . .

2.3

Mozart

— Descending

Diatonic Unembellished

6-6Pattern, K. 134/TV,

m m .

0 4 2

. . . . . . . .

2.4

Mozart

— Descending

Diatonic with

7-6

Suspensions,

K.

76(42a)/I,

m m . 4 2 8 . . . . . . .

2.5

Mozart — Descending Diatonic

with

7-6Suspensions,

K.

128/IV,

m m . 0 2 1 . . . . . . .

2.6

Mozart

—

DescendingDiatonic with

7-6

Suspensions, K. 133/1,

m m . 1 6 5 . . . . . . .


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2.7

Mozart — Descending Diatonic with 7-6 Suspensions, K.

162/1,

m m .

0 4 2

. . . . . . .

2.8 Mozart

— 6-6

Pattern as Thematic Material, K. 45/11,

m m .

4

. . . .

2.9 Mozart — 6-6

Pattern as Thematic Material, K.

201/1,

m m .

3 1 8 . . . . . .

2.10 Mozart — 6-6Pattern as Thematic Material, K.504/TV,

m m

5

. . . . . .

2.11

Mozart —

6-6

Pattern as Thematic Material, K.550/IY,

m m .

0 - 7 5

. . . . . .

3.1a Mozart — DescendingChromatic Embellishment, K. 110(75b)/I,

mm. 109-118

3.1b Mozart

—

Middleground Reduction, K. 110/I(75b)/I,

m m . 0 9 1 1 9

. . . . .

3.2a Mozart—Descending

Chromatic Embellishment, K. 132/n,

mm. 104-111

3.2b

Mozart

—

Middleground Reduction,

K.

132/11,

m m . 0 2 - 1 1 1

. . . . .

3.3a Mozart — Descending

Chromatic

with 7-6Suspensions, K. 130/IV,

m m .

2 5 2 - 1 2 8

. . . . . .

3.3b Mozart

—

Middleground Reduction, K. 130/IV,

mm. 125-129

3.3c Mozart — Deep

Middleground,

K.130/TV

m m .

2 5 1 2 9

. . . .

3.4 Mozart — Descending Chromatic

with

7-6 Suspensions, K. 550/1,

m m . 6 0 - 1 6 5 . . . . . . .

7

35

38

40

42

42

46

47

48

48

50

50

51

52


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3.5a

Mozart

—

Ascending Chromatic Embellishment, K. 550/1,

m m .

4 7 - 2 5 1

. . . . . .

3.5b

Mozart — Middleground Reduction, K.

550/1,

mm.

247-251

3.6a

Mozart — Ascending Chromatic Embellishment, K.

22

/n,

m m . 7 2 1 . . . . . .

3.6b

Mozart

— Middleground

Reduction, K. 22

/n,

m m . 8 2 2

.

. .

4.1 Haydn — Descending Diatonic Unembellished,

No.

82/IV,

mm.

88-98

4.2 Haydn — Descending Diatonic Unembellished,

No.

101/1,

m m .

5 - 6 7

. . . . . .

4.3 Haydn — Descending Diatonic with

7-6

Suspensions, No, 93/1,

mm. 193-198

4.4 Haydn — Descending Diatonic

with

7-6Suspensions,

No.

99/Intro,

m m . 6 . . . . . .

4.5 Haydn/Landon

—

Descending Diatonic with 7-6Suspensions, No. 102/1

4.6 Haydn — Descending

Chromatic

Embellishment,

No.

94/Intro,

m m . 3 1 5 . . . . . . .

4.7a

Haydn

—

Ascending Chromatic Embellishment, No. 95/TV,

m m . 6 4 - 1 6 8 . . . . . .

4.7b

Haydn

—

Middleground Reduction, No. 95/IY,

m m .

6 4 - 1 6 8

. . . . .

8

53

54

55

55

63

64

65

66

67

69

70

71


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9

LIST OF

TABLES

Table

1.

Mozart: Number of

Movements

Containing 6-6 Patterns

Page

72

Table 2. Mozart: Arrangement of EmbellishmentTypes Among Symphonic

M o v e m e n t s

. . . . . . . . 3

Table

3. Mozart: Placement of

6-6

Patterns Within Sectional

Divisions

of

M o v e m e n t s

. . . . . . .

74

Table 4. Haydn:

Arrangement

of Embellishment Types Among Selected

Movements of Haydn's

Paris

and London

Symphonies

76

Table 5. Haydn: Placement of 6-6 Patterns Within Sectional Divisions of

M o v e m e n t s . . . . . . .

77

Table 6. Index

of

6-6 Pattern

in

Mozart's Symphonies

78

Table

7. Index

of

6-6

Patterns in Movements 1

and

4 of

J. Haydn's Paris

and

London Symphonies

8 4


15/94

1 0

ABSTRACT

The

research for

this

study

entails a

systematic classification of

all significant

instances

of

the 6-6 pattern in Mozart's symphonies. This data

is

further categorized

according to embellishment types, and discussed with respect

to

Mozart's application of the

model in his complete symphonies.

Comparing Mozart's

usage with

that

of

Haydn's Paris

and

London symphonies, one

finds that both composers

often

implemented the model as ameans

of

developing material.

Although

Mozart and Haydn

used the pattern

in a

variety of

conventional ways in

thematic

and

transition

sections, there are some striking

differences of

treatment

between the two

composers. Haydn applied the pattern

as

retransitional material to a return of the opening

theme. Likewise, his

usage

is

predominantly diatonic. On the

other

hand, Mozart treated

the 6-6

pattern with a high degree of

stylization. As his

symphonic technique became more

distinctive, we find increasingly complex chromatic embellishments

of

the model. This

study reveals that the 6-6

pattern

is an important aspect

of

Mozart's symphonic

technique

throughout his career as symphonist.


16/94

1 1

INTRODUCTION

This study attempts to demonstrate

how

W. A. Mozart uses the 6-6 linearintervallic

pattern (manifest as parallel first inversion triads)

in his forty-one

symphonies.

Occurrences of

the

6-6 pattern are cataloged according to placement in the

form

of

each

movement and embellishment types. The research identifies aspecific aspect of Mozart's

symphonic

idiom over

the course of his compositional

output.

To attempt a thorough and

comprehensive investigation

of

Mozart's

symphonies would

not only entail

years

of

examination and reexamination of each symphony but would

also require

research

into

his

compositions

in

other genres.

Although such an undertaking is beyond

the

scope

of

this

thesis, it is hoped that the research contained herein will shed some light on Mozart's

symphonic idiom, and therefore add to the ongoingdiscussion

of

his symphonic style

as

a

whole.

Chapter 1is divided

into

several sections,

beginning with

an overview of

significant

historical-theoretical interpretations of the

6-6 linear

intervallic pattern,

and

followed by

a

brief summary of

Mozart's

development as symphonist. In Chapter 2, diatonic settings

of

the 6-6 pattern in Mozart's complete symphoniesare examined in terms

of

their placement

in

the formal design

of the

symphonic

movements

discussed, and

their

harmonic and

melodic embellishments. Chapter

3

documents chromatic embellishments of the 6-6

pattern,

with

emphasis

upon

Mozart's late symphonies.

In

Chapter 4, the resultsof these

findings serve to preface

a comparison of Mozart's usage of

the 6-6

model with selected

symphonic movements

of

Joseph

Haydn.

Central

to this

comparison are the

Paris

(Nos.

82-87) and London

(Nos.

93-104)

collections

spanning the

decade

1785-1795. After a


17/94

1

2

brief

overview

of

Haydn's contributions to

the development of a

classic Viennese

symphonic style, Chapter

4

focuses

upon the uniqueness of Mozart's implementation and

elaboration of the model throughout his

development

assymphonist, as compared

to his

immediate contemporary, Haydn.

Two

appendices providedetailed catalogs of Mozart's

usage

of

the 6-6

pattern

in

his

complete

symphonies

as

well as that of

Haydn's

in the

Paris

and London

groups.

By examining

the complete

symphonic output of

W.

A. Mozart, I will demonstrate the

extent

to

which the

6-6

linear intervallic pattern (manifest as parallel

first

inversion

triads)

is

an

important aspect of his symphonic technique. As the study isconcluded,

I

willattempt to

answer the following questions: 1)Does

the

framework

of the

6-6 model itself

prompt

Mozart

to

certain idiomatic treatment that can be interpreted as "stylistic"?; and 2) How is

Mozart's treatment of the model uniquely different in comparison to

that

of

his

contemporary, Haydn?


18/94

1

3

CHAPTER 1

HISTORICAL-THEORETICAL INTERPRETATIONS

OF THE 6-6

LINEAR

INTERVALLIC PATTERN:1558 TO PRESENT

About 1440-1442,

the Medieval French poet

Martin LeFranc, in his poem, Le

Champion Des Dames,describes

a

"new practiceof making lively consonance" seen in the

music

of

English

and continental

composers

such

as Dunstable, Dufay, and Binchois.

He

calls this fresh

polyphonic style, typified

by full

triadic

sonorities

within a three or

four-

voice texture, as the "contenance angloise"or "English guise." Parallel first inversion triads

are

a

characteristic feature

of

this style, a

technique

commonly referred

to

by

Renaissance

composers as "Fauxbourdon" or "English discant."

When

Gioseffo Zarlino

(1517-1590) published his monumental treatise,

Le

Institutioni Harmoniche

(Venice,

1558),

he held the view that sixteenth century music had,

as Howard Brown states,

"reached

a new state of perfection" exemplified in the

compositions of the Venetian School, and led by the Netherlander Adrian Willaert. In Part

Three

of Le Institutioni Harmoniche,The

Art

of

Counterpoint,

Zarlino makes the following

statement regarding contemporary Renaissance

composers'

usage of parallel first inversion

triads around the

mid-sixteenth

century.

Some write

the upper voice

a

fourth from the

middle

voice,

with the bass

a

third

below,

so

that bass

and soprano are separated by a sixth, which isdivided by a major or minor

third. Then they have the parts ascend or descend togetherfor several steps in a manner

they

call

falso bordone. Although

this way

of writing is much used, and

it would

be

very

difficult to

stampout, I must say that it

does

not

deserve

praise.

For

the fourth

is

a

perfect

consonance, as Ihave shown, and

we

must

not

disobey the

rule

given

in

Chapter

29. Moreover, certain

nonharmonic

relations occur occasionally

between

the parts

in


19/94

1 4

such progressions.

These,

which

may be observed in the

example [Ex. 138

(shown in

Fig. 1)],

bring

no pleasure to theear.*

7t

K© O —

..

— G r̂j

—o

tr—

S—§—

o ®—

n ^

O o

tfV

°°

-J

1

Figure 1.1:

Zarlino— Incorrect Use of Parallel Fourths

Zarlino viewed the

6-6

pattern as a mannerism, implemented by "modern" composers

whose musical language

had,

according to Zarlino, taken a degenerative course. He seems

to reproach (but not

forbid) its use,

largely because it

is a

parallelism, and negates the

natural

order

of harmonic intervals suggested

by

the overtone series

to

achievewhat he

perceives

as

artful composition as exemplified in the music

of

Willaert and

his

followers.

Donald Grout and Claude Palisca point out in A History of Western Music, that

"Palestrina's contrapuntal practice is

in

most detailsconsistent with that taught

in

Willaert's

school and explicated and refined

by

Zarlino in his

Le Institutione

Harmoniche

of

1558.

Later

in

a discussion

of the

Pope Marcellus

Mass,

Grout and Palisca write regarding

a

section

of

the Credo in which

occurs

parallel

first

inversion triads:

1 Gioseffo Zarlino,The Art

of

Counterpoint, Part Threeof Le Institutione

Harmoniche, 1558, trans. Guy A. Marco and Claude V. Palisca (New

Haven:

Yale

University

Press, 1968),

195.

2 Donald Grout and Claude Palisca, A History

of

Western Music

(New York:

W.

W. Norton & Company,

Inc. 1988),

325.


20/94

1

5

Fauxbourdon was frowned down

upon

by Willaert's school as

crude

and uncouth,

but Palestrina applied it

to

great effect here andelsewhere in the Credo, both

to

provide,

with

its sixths

and thirds,

a

relief

from

the almost constant

fifth

third combinations, and

perhaps

to

evokeas aura

of a

distant more devout age.3

Madrigal

composers

of

the

late Renaissance, particularly those

working

out of the

courts

at

Ferrara, Mantua, and Rome, used parallel first inversion triads as an effective meansof

poetic-rhetorical

expressiveness

and pictorial text-painting.

Likewise, the

pattern was

typically embellished

with a

seriesof 7-6 suspensions as a

way

to contrast moments

of

pathos from

timesof relief or pastoral tranquility.

More than one hundred-fifty years

later, Jean Philippe

Rameau

rebukes

Zarlino's

opposition

to

the usefulness

of

parallel

first

inversion triads

in

his

Treatise

on

Harmony

(1722), and in sodoing provides an intriguing explanation for the device:

Besides all the licenses that may be derived from the inversionof the deceptive

cadence, there

is

also a

certain successon of

sixths

which

rests on

good

taste alone.

Zarlino forbids the succession,saying

that

the consecutive fourths there have

approximately

the

same effect as so

many fifths

if the chords are inverted, asindicated

in the example he gives. We see, however, that according

toour

rules this succession

of

sixths

is

derived

from the

deceptive cadence and

from

the liberty

we have

(as

we said

in

Chapter 13)

not

to prepare the dissonance in progressions

in which

the fundamental

bass ascends a third,

a fifth

or a seventh. [Ex. n.

39

(shown

in

Fig. 1.2]...Each measure

represents a deceptive cadence,except

for

the penultimate, which represents a

perfect

cadence..."^

3

Grout and Palisca, A History

of

Western Music,328-329.

4 Jean-Philippe Rameau,Treatise

on

Harmony,trans.

Philip

Gossett (New

York:

Dover Publications, Inc.

1971), 125-126.


21/94

1 6

rV—& rs

rM

°

C Y

n

o

V S V J

ci n

«3

rk.

°

o

I

O

6 6 6 6 6 6 6

• l»

n, O

°

i r

—e

1

1_0

7 7 7 6 7 •»

5

Figure 1.2:

Rameau

—

Parallel

First

Inversion

Triads

By the time Kirnberger published The

Art

of Strict Musical Composition in (1771-

1779), parallel first inversion triads in descending form

within

diatonicprogressions had

become

a

conventional compositional

technique.

He

provides additional

insight into

how

his contemporaries

utilized the pattern

as

a means of extending the phrase

period:

"An

important advantage of the sixth chord is that

it

can be used to prolong periods whenever

desired

in

order to

avoid having too many short phrases in succession...". Kirnberger gives

the exampleshown in Figure 1.3, of

which

he comments,

"the

chords are even more

closely

connected

if

suspensions

are

used."5

5 Johann Philipp

Kirnberger,The

Art of Strict Musical Composition,

trans.

David

Beach

and Jurgen Thym

(New

Haven:

Yale University

Press, 1982),

70.


22/94

1 7

6 6

fFf

6 6 6 6

-444

fff

6 6 6 6 6 6

Figure 1.3: Kirnberger—Parallel First Inversion Triads

TT

=8=

The general assumptions among traditional theorists

of

the nineteenth and twentieth

centuries were codified in the writings of Hugo Riemann (1849-1919). His reknowned

achievements in the study

of

harmony are dissimilated

by

William C. Mickelson in his

translation of

Riemann's, Theory

of

Harmony

and History

of Music Theory, (1977).

Discussion

of fauxbourdon

is

extensive,yet Riemann

does

not relate

it

directly

to

compositional practices during the

Common

Practice Period.

Nonetheless,

according

to

Riemann, theorists were "lead

astray"

concerning composers' use of sequential

structures

"because they contained illogical progressions." He writes that Fetis "opened their eyes:

'Sequences

are...not

really harmonic,

but

melodic

formations-i.e.,

their

ruling

principle

is

not the

logical

progression of harmonies, but the proceeding by

degrees

through

the

scale.

"6 This concept

applies as well to musical structures

involving

parallel

first

inversion

triads

in which a motivic figuration and/or a series

of

suspensions

is

composed-out in

sequence.

6 Hugo

Riemann,

History

of Music

Theory Book

I and II—Polyphonic

Theory

to the SixteenthCentury,

trans. Raymond

H. Haggh (Lincoln:University

of

Nebraska Press,

1962), 82.


23/94

1 8

Leonard G.

Ratner's

book, Classic

Music:

Expession,

Form,

and Style

(1908),

contains detailed

commentary about

periodicity,

harmony,

rhythm, melody, texture, and

performance as the main parameters

of

musical rhetoric in the eighteenth and nineteenth

centuries.

In

the section, Texture: Basic Premises, he discusses the 6-6 pattern as axiom

of

musical rhetoric.

Apart

from

cadential formulas,

we often

find harmonic progression by

descending

sixth

chords. Like the sequence by descending

fifths

this was

a highly

useful pattern,

appearing many

times

in 18th-century music,

from

Alessandro Scarlatti to Beethoven.

Basically,

it isan

amplification of a descending conjunct melodic line, capableof

sustaining

a

high degreeof ornamentation and ideal

for

incorporating elaborated

suspensions. It could be

fitted

into

a

period

at

any point preceding the cadence, and

thanks to its thrust,

it

built cadential drive. Its

fixed

structural

lines

and its length (two to

five or

more

measures) suggest that

itwas

an even more

obvious

prefabricated

stereotype than cadences themselves.^

Ratner's description of the

6-6 pattern

is

pertinent to this study for several reasons.

Although he upholds

the

view that the

6-6

pattern isa linear musical structure,

calling

it "an

amplification of

a descending [or ascending] melodic line", Ratner

also

refers to

the basic

6-

6 pattern as "a harmonic progression by descending sixth chords". Secondly he calls

attention

to

the pattern's inherent ability

to

maintain simple

to

complexembellishments.

Furthermore, Ratner

accounts for its

placement

in

period

structure,

often asa

cadential

phrase — a

conventional adaptation of

the

pattern

found in Mozart's symphonies

a

vast

majority

of the

time

at

points within the form markinga thematic, transitional, or

developmental section.

The Twentieth century theorist Elie Siegmeister, in his text,

Harmony and Melody-The

Diatonic

Style

(1965), gives full grammatical significance

to

the first inversion triad built on

7

Leonard A. Ratner,

Classical

Music:

Expression,

Form

and Style

(New York:

Schirmer Books, 1980), 114.


24/94

1

9

each degreeof the diatonic scale

by

labeling each consecutive step with

its

corresponding

roman numeral. Yet

as

one

reads

on,

it

is

clear

that

he stops just shortof fully realizing

parallel

first

inversion triads

as

a melodic or "linear" structure,

and

instead describingit asa

"harmonic wave", effected

by the

parallel motion inherent in the pattern.

Sixth chords

in

parallel

motion

often create the effectof a harmonic wave.

Instead

of

separate harmonies,

the

earhears acontinuous sonority, in which the

first,

last,

and

perhaps

one

or twointermediate chords standout. The

others

form

a

gentle

passing motion, enriching

the

melodic line.

8

—0

41

-o—

o it8

/L

u

o

S «»

1

o

_vs>—8-

it

1

I

6

I I

6

HI

6

IV

6

V

6

VI

6

V I I

6

Figure

1.4:

Siegmeister

—

Parallel First Inversion

Triads

Siegmeister

realizes

that

the

pattern

is

essentially

an

unstable structure because the root of

each chord

is

repositioned

in

the

topmost

voice, and the

bass

voice

now

constitutes the

third

of

each verticality. The fundamental bass progression is

now

superceded by

one

moving

stepwise

in

either ascending

or

descending direction. The "chords" within

the

progression

are

passing, and therefore merely traverse and/or prolong the span of

the entire

passage

constituting parallel first inversion triads.

Schenker discusses descending and ascending linear progressions in Free

Composition (1935), Paragraphs 208-226. As a "linear progression", Schenker proposes

8 Elie Siegmeister,Harmony and Melody

(Belmont:

Wadsworth Publishing

Company, Inc., 1965), vol.

1,

The

Diatonic

System,251.


25/94

2 0

that the

outlining

succession of parallel sixths take precedence over

the

harmonic contentof

the musical stucture as a series

of

parallel

first

inversion triads.

A more

contemporary

Schenkerian interpretation of parallel

first

inversion triads is

found in Chapter4 of Allen Forte's

and Steven

Gilbert's

text, Introduction

to

Schenkerian

Analysis (1982). Forte and Gibert provide adefinition

of

linear intervallic patterns as "a

voice-leading design made up of successive recurrentpairs of intervals formed between the

descant and bass (outer voices)."9 They go on to distinguish parallel

first

inversion triads

in succession

as a

non-functional, purely

linear

musical

structure.

...it is

important

topoint out

that the

linear

intervallic pattern

6-6 is

not a succession of

triads in

first

inversion.

An

interpretation

of

this kind leads to the most mechanical of

roman-numerical labeling,

which

designates as a "harmonicprogression" a succession

that is not a progression at all. If such a succession were, in

fact,

harmonic, it would be

possible to substitute

corresponding[five-three's] for

6's, resulting

in an unacceptable

series

of root-position triads seperated

by

step,

in

violation

of

a

basic

rule

of voice

leading

(avoidance of parallel

fifths)

and

with no

meaningful

relationship

to

functional

harmony. The linear intervallicpattern 6-6 is,

like

all such

patterns,

entirelylinear

and is

not susceptible

to

the application of inversion theory.10

°> 'o'

o:° o^

Not iv m n i

Figure 1.5:

Forte and Gilbert

— 6-6

Linear Intervallic Pattern

9

Allen

Forte

and Steven Gilbert, Introduction

to

Schenkerian

Theory

(New

York:

W. W.

Norton & Company, Inc., 1982), 83.

10 Forte

and

Gilbert,Introduction

to

SchenkerianTheory, 85.


26/94


27/94

2 2

working-out material, the terms "pattern" and "model" will

refer

synonymously

to

the

6-6

musical structure.

Analyses

of

Mozart's

symphonies as

well

as the first and final

movements

from

Haydn's

Paris

and London Symphonies will be conducted according

to

the following

procedures:

1)

Locate all instances

of

the 6-6

pattern;

2) Categorize

findings

according

to

diatonic, and chromatic usage; 3) Classify these according to embellishment types; 4) Place

the 6-6 pattern

within

the form

of

each

movement

and discuss the context in

which

these

patterns are found. Graphic reductions of

selected

examples will demonstrate foreground

embellishments

of

what

is a

middleground model for prolongation.

THE ORIGIN

OF MOZART'S SYMPHONIC STYLE

Born on 27 January, 1756, Mozart's unique place in the development

of

Viennese

classicism was determined early in life. His

first

compositional efforts date

from

1761,

followed by publication of several keyboard pieces as early as 1764.12 Although

considered nothing more than a novelty by some aristocracy, reknowned European

musicians and nobility alike

stood

in awe

of

the

boy wonder, who toured extensively

between the years 1762-1771.

Mozart's ability

to

assimilate conventional idioms and regional trends

into

a personal

style occured at anearly age. His

first

extant

achievements

in

the symphonic medium

date

from

the

first

London

visit of 1764-1765.

Scholars agree that Mozart's encounter

with the

London Bach, Johann Christian (1735-1782) had a profound effect upon his development

—

in

Stanley

Sadie's

words, a "lifelong influence." Although

J. C.

Bach's compositions

12 Stanley

Sadie,

"Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart", The NewGrove

Dictionary

of

Music and Musicians,vol.

12,

ed. StanleySadie (London: MacMillan Publishers Limited,

1980),

680.


28/94

2 3

were all

but

forgotten

by

the time of his death January

1,1782,

throughout his symphonic

career

Mozart

constantly

refered back

to

techniques based directly

on

those developed

by

Johann Christian.

This

style was influenced in largepart by Italian

opera

buffa and is

characterized by

a fast-slow-fast

three

movement arrangement

and extended

binary

principles

of

internal

structure. According

to

numerous scholars including Saint-Foix,

Sadie,

and

Landon,

The Symphony No.

5

in

B flat

(K. 22 of

1765)

is

representative

of

Mozart's early symphonies, exhibitinga sensitivity to formal proportions within the

buffa

tradition, orchestral texture, and thematic contrast. These features became solidified during

his initial Italian journey of 1770-1771 when he composed thesymphonies, K.

81/731,

97/73m,

and 95/73n. Of this period

Sadie

remarks, "The manner of these symphonies

shows Mozart influenced by the music he encountered in Italy, and keen to please

Italian

audiences or

boh 13Yet

even this group of early symphonies show Viennese traits

Mozart

absorbed into his style during

the Viennese trip of 1767-1768,

especially in

the use

of

chamber-like texture and the recapitulation

of

principal material. In fact, with Symphony

No.

18 in

Fmajor

(K. 130) composed in

Salzburg 1772, Sadie

points out that Mozart used

"full sonata-allegro form

with a

brief development but an extended second

group

Sadie

speaks further

of this

"stylistic synthesis"

in

the symphonies K.

133

and

K. 134

also

composed

in

Salzburg,

1772.

As

well

as Italian and

Austrian

traits,

many

of these symphonies exploit Mannheim

devices including the

restatement

of

the opening material

in the coda,

by-passing an

authentic recapitulation

procedure.^

By

the mid-1770s it

is

generally agreed

that Mozart

13

Sadie,

"Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart", 687.

14 ibid. 687.

15

Ibid. 687.


29/94

2 4

came into

direct contact with Joseph Haydn's music and was probably acquainted with the

Viennese master sometime between 1773-1774.

It

was

also at this

time

during the

decade

1770-1780, Giorgio Pestelli says,

that the

Sturm

und

Drang

movement

in

German

literature

was

spilling over into

musical thought,

causing

experimentation among

composers

of

theatrical as well as absolute music.

Around

1770 a

stricter toneof expression was becoming

more

successful; this

included the minor-key vein of some of the Mannheim composers

(e. g.

Beck's

Symphony op.

3

no.

3of

1762),

the

serious tone

and more

rapid movement in some

of

Haydn's

symphonies between 1768 and 1772

(e. g. the finale

of

no. 39

in

G

minor and

nos.

44

and 45in Eminor and

F

sharp minor), and the agitation shown

by

Boccherini

in

his Symphony

op.

12 no. 4,and

in

chamber works published in Paris between 1768 and

1771...This aggressive aspect isapparent

above

all in the Symphony K

183

(1774) by

the

seventeen-year-old Mozart, who opposed the rigidly conventional symphony/

divert

imento/serenade

that was

still fashionable with the sameimpatience

that

Werther

showed for the common senseof his friend Albert

or

the mundane meticulousness of

the

ambassador.

It

was music

full

of movement, a new and particular

type

of swiftness:

'the dead ride quickly', as the refrain from Burger's Leonore says.

The reputable place K. 183holds in Mozart's symphonic output isunquestionable. Some

scholars believe K. 183 marks Mozart's entry

into

the mature phaseof his compositional

development, for at this time he was received

into

the European

artistic community as a

professional colleague.

Sadie and Pestelli donot emphasize as doesFriedrich Blume, the fact that Mozart's

inherent genius transcends

our

understanding of what

is

meant by "artistic development,"

an

issue

that begs the question, when and where,

as

Blume asks, can

a

"line of demarcation"

can be

drawn separating Mozart's

youthful

and mature phases of development.

16 Giorgio Pestelli, The Age

of

Mozart

and

Beethoven,

trans. Eric

Cross

(Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1984), 104-105.


30/94

2 5

Mozart

is in

reality

a

Proteus. Anyone who attempts to

formulate the style

of that

Proteus in words

would

dowell to consider the works

of

his late period,

which

express

indubitable and distinctive Mozartean featuresat their purest. If

by

artistic development

one

means an

ever-growing

capacity

to express

increasingly profound

concepts

in more

and more distinctive forms, and

if we

accept

Joseph

Haydn as the standard example

in

music history of

such a

development, then

we

must certainly

fail

to

find

any 'artistic

development' in

Mozart. Mozart

the

youth

displays an incomparable ability to

assimilate, coupled

with

a stupendousearly maturity

of

his craft: and

at

the end

of

his

life there is a phase (the years in Vienna)

in which

craftmanship becomes the

'sovereign

handmaiden' of the intellect, and the "Fiille

der

Gesichte", the "fullness of vision", in

Goethe's phrase, is,in one or the other

work, compressed

into the

pithiest

formal

patterns. The music

that

lies

between

these

two

periods cannot bedescribed as

'development', as continuous progression; rather

does

that Protean nature undergo a

continual self-transformation.

^

In effect

the

entire decade

1770-1780 correspondingwith

the

Sturm und Drang movement,

shows noble achievements with regards toMozart's musical language as a whole.

His

compositions in these years

borrow techniques

from Baroque and contemporary regional

models and foreshadow his

late

preoccupation with chromaticism and contrapuntal devices.

Even

K. 318 and

K.

319 (both composed in Salzburg, 1779) reveal what Sadie

calls

"a

reversion to

earlier

procedures," yet weaved

into

a complex and personal

style.^

During the

final

decade

of

his

life

(1781-1791), Mozart single-handedly brought the

piano concerto tofruition as an intensely

personal

medium

of expression

in

which

he

stretched the concerto-sonata

form

to new symphonic heights. Between

1780

and 1788

Mozart composed no more

than

eight symphonies against

a

remarkable sixteen piano

concerti spanning

the

years 1782-1788. Scholars still ponder

the

conditions surrounding

the composition of Mozart's great symphonic trilogy,

Nos.

39,40, and 41 (K.

543,

K. 550,

17 Friedrich Blume, "Mozart's Style and Influence,"The

Mozart

Companion

(New York:

W. W.

Norton

&

Company,

Inc., 1956), 19-20.

Stanley Sadie,

"Wolfgang Amadeus

Mozart",

The

New

Grove

Dictionary

of

Music and Musicians (London: MacMillan Publishers Limited,

1980),


31/94

2 6

and

551),

representing a final creative outpouring in

the

symphonic genre within the span of

six

short weeks during the summer of 1788. Compared to

his

earlier symphonies these

works display an intensification of melodic and harmonic chromaticism and contrapuntal

writing that

is

more concentrated and advanced than that seen in his symphonies

to

date.

His emotional appeal

is

powerful

in these

works, resounding with moments of pathos

unlike

Haydn or his other contemporaries.

The

summary

above

pinpoints the

Sturm

und

Drang

period (1780-1790)

as a

time

in

which Mozart truly came to realize his potential ascomposer. The symphonies K.

183

and

K. 201 of this period are prime examples

of

his potential. During this time Mozart also

began

to

implemeent the

6-6 pattern more

consistently, and inevitably, the research that

follows returns

to symphonies of

the

early and mid-1770s to demonstrate the ways in which

he

empolyed and elaborated the pattern. Likewise, the Symphonies

Nos. 38,39,40,

and

41,

exhibit unique embellishments of the

6-6

pattern. The research which

follows

will attempt

to bridge the

intervening

periods in Mozart's development

as

symphonist,

and demonstrate

the extent to

which

he

considered the

6-6pattern an effective

means of working-out

his

musical ideas.


32/94

2 7

CHAPTER 2

THE SYMPHONIES OF MOZART:

DIATONIC EMBELLISHMENTS OF

THE

6-6 PATTERN

The

three symphonies, K. 128, K. 134,

and

K. 183were composed during

the

years

1772-73 while Mozart was residing in Salzburg, temporarily resting from a recent tour.

These pieces reflect

his

rapid assimilation

of

the regional trends occupying symphonic

composers at the time; "Stylistic and formalvariety abounds early

in

this period", remarks

Cliff

Eisen,

"with many works representing unusual

mixtures

of

Italian,

Mannheim

and

local

traits."

Eisen makes this

statement

in

his

article

on

the symphonies of Mozart

in

H. C.

Robbins Landon's,

The

Mozart

Compendium.19 The group of three mentioned

above

contain outstanding

examples

of the

6-6

pattern

as series

of

diatonic

parallel first inversion

triads which

form the

model

itself.

The examples that follow

are

embellished

only

by

rhythmic variation and

changes in

melodic direction.

A

product

of

the Sturm und Drang period, the "Little" G minor Symphony

No.

25 (K.

183), has

been the

focus

of much debate among scholars. Some

are quick torelate

it

to

the

later "Great"

G

minor symphony,K. 550 (Vienna,1788), yet its link to the

latter

remains

in

question. Saint-Fox speaks passionately

and

persuasively to their relationship:

...it

is already such a promise of the famous masterpiece of 1788 that we can look for

explanation only to the young man's genius. The

fire

he kindled there burned only in

19

Cliff

Eisen, "Symphonies, "

The Mozart Compendium,

ed. H.

C.

Robbins

Landon (London:

Thames

and Hudson

Ltd., 1990), 256.


33/94

2 8

his soul. Granted,

the

full

working-out of

such

thoughts is not yet

perfect,

and

cannot

be...But that startling and breathless opening, followed

by

one of the most attesting

themes of the Don Giovanni overture, that wild coda and the sinister drum roll, whence

do

all

these arise if not from

the very

depths

of Mozart's

soul?20

In

the

Trio

section of the Menuette of

K. 183

(Fig. 2.1), the

6-6

model

occurs at

mm.

17-20 as an extension of

thematic material

leading to the cadence at

bar

22. Bars 17

and

19

illustrate

the 6-6 patternin its simplest usage, descending by stepwise motion

in

steady

harmonic rhythm. The phrase isdivided

into

two cadential

figures

appearing in mm. 17-18,

and repeated in mm. 19-20.

Figure

2.1:

Mozart — Descending Diatonic Unembellished

6-6

Pattern, K. 183/III

A

more

substantial

example

of

the 6-6

pattern in descending

diatonic form, occurs in

the Finale

of

K. 183 (Fig. 2.2). The passage occurs in

the transition

section to the

second

theme area

which begins

in

bar

44.

Found here in

the relative

key of

B-flat

major,

it is

repeated without variation at the corresponding place in the recapitulation in the tonic key of

g minor (mm. 137-141).

In the recapitulation the three-bar statement of the pattern

is

extended one additional

bar. Mozart colors the progression

with

chromatic harmonies in mm. 28-31. Stated an

20

Georges de Saint-Foix,The

Symphonies

of Mozart, trans. Leslie Orrey (New

York:

Alfred

A. Knopf, 1949), 49.


34/94

2 9

octave higher at bar 1393, the

chord of

the

Neapolitan

(A^M6) occuring at

bar

140 is

especially poignant. With the deliberate dotted rhythm of the melodic motive the effect

is

forceful and marshall.

Although

Mozart

was

but nine years old, this passage

is

representative

of

his

mastery of the tonal

language

and ability to

infuse

his

own

personality

into the

pattern in true

Sturm und

Drang

fashion.

137

j •

r

n

T r y - - f

tj

j

ij

;

H V e

i J J J

a j

ff

r f f f

r r r t

Figure 2.2:

Mozart — Descending Diatonic Unembellished

6-6 Pattern, K.

183/TV

Also composed

during

Mozart's

Sturm

und Drang period of

the early-mid

1770s,

K.

133 and K. 134further demonstrate his use

of Italian

and Austro-German trends in the

symphonic medium, especially

with

respect to form. A similar setting to that found

in

K.

183/TV occurs

as transitional material

in

mm.

40-42

of K.

134/TV (Fig. 2.3). The

pattern

descends by diatonic step within a homophonic texture, the rhythmic nature of which

momentarily implies cut-time.

This

rhythmic scheme

is

altered

in

bar

41 on a

tonic

A^

chord before the rhythmic

figure

in bar 40

is

repeated in

bar

42. Unique to this passage

is

the use of first inversion triads asappoggiatura figures embellishing the relatively strong

beats of bars 40

and 42.

Just

as in

the above mentioned instance of

K.

183/TV,

it

is the

repetition of

a

melodic-rhythmic motive in

sequence which draws

ourattention.

The 6-6

pattern

itself is a

catalyst for sustaining

the musical structure and bridging

to more

substantial thematic material.


35/94

3 0

Figure 2.3: Mozart — Descending Diatonic Unembellished 6-6 Pattern, K. 134/TV

These simplistic, unembellished instances of the

6-6

pattern standon their own merit

because

the parallelism of

the

model

generates

forward motion, enhanced by the

repetition

of a melodic-rhythmic figure

in

sequence.

Any

further embellishment of the occurrences

discussed above are secondary

to

the sense

of

a "continuous linear

flow"

created by the

mostly

homophonic textures Mozart chooses

to

exploit

in

these passages.

7-6

EMBELLISHMENTS

OF

DIATONIC

6-6

PATTERNS

The 6-6 pattern regularlyappears with some kind of embellishment, of which the

7-6

suspension is the most common type. Often

this

embellishment

type

is worked-out in

sequential fashion upon a thematic fragment or motive suitable

to

such treatment. Research

for this document has revealed that Mozart

used

the 7-6 embellishment of the

6-6

pattern to

good

effect

in

a

wide variety of orchestral textures. Although numerous

examples

are to be

found throughout his symphonic output, this examination

begins with

a look at a

K.

76

(42a), a

work

shrouded

in

questions

of

authenticity.

Scholarly

research

suggests

that

the minuet was composed

later

than

the other three

movements. Likewise, certain incongruencies of style, namely peculiarities in orchestration

and

awkward handling

of sequential material lend

creedence to Neal Zaslaw's

argument

that

this

piece might

not be

Mozart's.


36/94

3 1

The piece

begins

well, with an

original

opening idea,

although

one

that

is

rather

uniform in texture, dynamics, and motives compared to the beginnings of Mozart's early

symphonies — and even

compared

to the

more

characteristicopening

of

the Finale

of

K.

42a

itself. The

first

movement continues logically, but

at

bar

23

somethinggoes

wrong

with

a sequential ideafrom

which

the composer cannotseem to extricatehimself

gracefully. In the recapitulation the problem isexacerbated, because the two-bar tremolo

that

preceded the sequence in the exposition have been expanded

to six

limping bars

(Example5.1)...(Mozart

may

sometimes have had problems

of

continuity in the

first

drafts

of pieces...but such a lapse is rare in his completed symphonies,even in the

earliest ones where the occasional abrupt

transition

does occur.) Despite weaknesses,

the opening movement

of

K.

42a

is

attractive and we should like

to

know who

its

author

was.21

The relevency

of Zaslaw's observations cannot be overlooked, yet

it

would be imprudent

to

dismiss

Saint-Foix's and Einstein'sview of authenticity

as less viable.

If their conclusion

is

correct,

then

the

sequential passagein question would qualify as the first representative

example

of

the 7-6 elaboration

upon

the 6-6 pattern

in

the symphonies of Mozart,

illustrating the

embellishment in

its

basic

form.

21 Neal Zaslaw,

Mozart's Symphonies,

(Oxford: Oxford University

Press,

1989), 104-106


37/94

Figure 2.4:

Mozart — Descending Diatonic with

7-6

Suspensions,

K. 76(42a)/I

The passage descends

by

diatonic stepin G major, the

key

of the dominant of C major.

As

expected, this moment returns

in

the recapitulation

in

mm.

68-72

in

C major, preparing the

final cadential phrase

of

the

movement.

Reference again must be made

to a

number of

symphonies composed during Mozart's

period

of youthful

achievement during

the

1770s.

In

this group, K. 128, and133of 1772

and

K.

162of

1773

demand special attention.

The Finale

of Symphony No. 16in

C

major (K. 128), provides an

example

of how

Mozart manipulates the melodic and rhythmic parameters to giveadditional interest to this

otherwise commonplace usage

of

the pattern (Fig. 2.5). Though brief, the pattern appears at

mm. 20-21,

with

the

bass

in

triplets against measured tremolo sixteenths in

the violins,

and

accented dissonant sevenths

on

the first and fourth beats

of

each

bar.

Octave

leaps further

enhance

the

pattern as

it

descends by diatonic step.

The

passage functionsas an extension

of thematic

material.


38/94

Figure 2.5: Mozart — Descending Diatonic

with

7-6 Suspensions, K. 128/TV

The opening Allegro movements

of

both K. 133

and

K. 162 contain

noteworthy

embellishments of the

6-6

pattern

with

7-6

suspensions, also basedon descending diatonic

patterns. In K. 133 (Fig. 2.6) the passageoccurs

within a

sequential transition section at

mm.

61-73,

in

the dominant key, A major, and leading

to

arepeat of the opening tutti.

This

transition

returns

in the recapitulation

in

mm. 144-156 in the tonic key of D major. As

witnessed in the Trio

of

K. 183,Mozart repeats

the

2-bar phrasesegment of mm. 61-62 in

mm. 63-64.

The

melodic profileof the

topmost

line

is

furtherornamented

by

trill

figures

on

each beat. Within a

sparce

three-voice texture, the third and fifth of each consecutive

first

inversion triad occupy

the

lower two voices in the pattern as it descends by

steady

quarter note harmonic rhythm.


39/94

3 4

61

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(iht

nTHX

n

j

j j

j

r

, * *

1

J

i i £

• 1 1 —

t=f=f

E f f

—r

M=

•

« d » r

f

1 i

1

- f — t — ? £

/

S

64

f * *

J L ^ _ £ — :

L

r fr fr

—5 -̂4-

W

1

w

" i r t r

¥

f

f f

=

r

L

f=f

3 =

>—

[ 0 _

p

=

p

V

Figure 2.6:

Mozart

—

Descending Diatonic with

7-6

Suspensions, K. 133/1

Also composed in Salzburg, the Allegro

of K.

162

provides another instance

of

the 6-

6

model

as an

extension of

the

second theme material

in

mm.

404-42, cadencing on the

dominant, G,

in

bar

43

(Fig.

2.7) This

passage returns in the

tonic, C

major,

at

the

corresponding

location of

the

recapitulation (mm. 107-110,

and

1124-114).

The

topmost

melodic

line is

similar to that

seen

in

K.

133, yet

now

the suspended seventh, embellishing

the consonant sixth,

is

itself

embellished by an incomplete neighbor

in

the

manner of

an

escape tone.


40/94

3

5

Figure

2.7: Mozart —Descending Diatonic

with

7-6 Suspensions, K.

162/1

Among the set of six late symphonies composed between 1782 and 1788, No. 36 in

C

major, "Linz" (K. 425), and No. 38

in

D major, "Prague" (K. 504), contain further examples

of

7-6 embellishments

of diatonic

6-6

patterns. In a letter to his

father dated 31

October

1783, Mozart writes conceringan upcoming concert performance scheduled for

November

4, "...as

I

have not a singlesymphony with me,

I

am writing a new

one at

break-neck speed,

which must

be

finished by that time. 22Thus

the

Linz Symphony was

born

in the matter

of a few short

days. Saint-Foix suggests the symphony was probably "conceived" in

Salzburg,

"

and that he had

to

do

no

more than write

it

down some time between

his

departure

and his

return." In

any

case,

Haydnesque

features

abound

in

this symphony, to

which Saint-Foix further comments:

It

is thegeneral opinion that in the

C

major Symphony (K. 425)...the

acme

of

Haydn's

influence

is

reached.

The character of the introductory adagio,

the

theme and

themarch

rhythms

of the succeeding allegro spiritoso, the development section of

the

final presto,

and so

forth,

are instanced as direct

reflections of the

art

of

the Esterhazy master. It

is

certain

that this symphony, which truly opens the period of Mozart's

great

orchestral

compositions, is

akin

to Haydn's symphonies

in

certain obvious ways, if one

wished

to

find an absolute model for it-...But, to my mind, Mozart's individuality

is

so

overwhelmingly apparent

in

the symphony as

a

whole that

it is

scarcely possible, at this

22

Neal

Zaslaw,

Mozart's

Symphonies (Oxford: Oxford University Press,

1989), 384.


41/94

3 6

stage of

his

growth, to imagine any inspiration from

without;...The

somber clouds that

momentarily tarnish

its pure andserene inspiration neither form nordissolve

in

the

manner of Haydn; in itscomplexity

it

is already the grand adagio of

the

classical

symphony

in

which

one feels

that the

last

word

has been said.

23

Eisen

also

points out that

K.

425

is the

first symphony to include

a

slow

inroduction

.24nspite of

the

fascination surrounding K. 425,

his

use of the 7-6

embellishment in mm.

75-76

of the

Minuet is

a rather

conventional working-out

of the

thematic

line. Like

that witnessed

in K. 162/1, as

the dissonant seventh

resolves

down

by

step, it

simultaneously prepares the following suspension.

The

pattern

continues

in

sequence until a cadence on the dominant in

bar

75.

The

examples

of

7-6 embellishments cited thus

far

demonstrate conventional ways

Mozart and his contemporaries unfold the pattern. However,

none

of the

7-6

elaborations

illustrate

more clearly Mozart's mature concept

of

the

6-6

model as

a

means

of

composing-

out

sequential material

than the

Finale

of

K.

550.

Because these passages

involve

more

complex chromatic progressions,

K. 550

will be discussedin the context

of

chromatic

embellishments in Chapter 3.

USAGE OFTHE

6-6

PATTERN ASPRIMARY THEMATIC MATERIAL

Even though

the 6-6

pattern is commonly used in thematic sections, these instances

occur

toward the

end of the

thematic group

as

phrase extensions usually

establishing a

cadence

or bridging to

a new

section

of

the form.

The

distinguishing

factor between

these

23 Saint-Foix,

The

Symphonies

of Mozart,

91-92.

24 Eisen,

"Symphonies," 257.


42/94

3 7

appearances and those defined hereas

primarily thematic in

context

is

that

the

6-6

pattern

defines the theme. Three

noteworthy

examples spanning Mozart's symphonicoutput in

which

he

employs

the6-6

pattern

as

an essential

feature

of

the primaiy

theme

take place

in

K. 45/n(1768),

K.

201/1

(1774), and

K.

504/IV (1786).

The

first of these three works, aSymphony in D major, was originally conceived as a

comic opera entitled,La

finta

semplice

(K. 51=46a). The opera

was

never performed

due

to

"intrigues on the partof envious Viennese musicians," and

was

reworked

into

an overture-

symphony

without Minuet

and

Trio.25

Along with

Symphonies

No.

6 (K. 43)

written

in

the Fall of 1767 and No.

8

(K. 48) composed in December of 1768,

K. 45

of January 1768

(cataloged

in

the

current

worklist

as

No. 45) bears traits

of the Viennese tradition

which

Mozart was consciously emulating during

his

stay

in Vienna from 1767-1768.

The Andante movement

of

K.

45

exemplifies the 6-6 pattern

in a

thematic context

(Fig.

2.8).

Bars 1-23 presenta lyrical melody in the

high

register

of

the

first

violins. In

mm.

23-42

the

violinscontinue the

phrase

by

arpeggiating

first inversion

triads

downward

through each

degree

of the

G

major scale.

25 Zaslaw,

Mozart's

Symphonies,116.


43/94

3 8

3$

n

n i » j

j J u J _ a

m

P

i

TPjTJ

p

7

p

1

t

r

p

Figure

2.8:

Mozart

— 6-6

Pattern asThematic Material,

K. 45

/n

Fundamentally, this opening passage

is a prolongation of

tonic harmony. Mozart's

usage of

the 6-6

pattern

in K. 45/H

is elevated

to a level

of artistic importance

in

which the

conventional

model now becomes

an

essential aspect of

the initial

thematic

statement.

Of the seven symphonies composed in Salzburg

between

1773-74, Saint-Foix sets

apart the group of

four,

K. 200, K. 183, K. 201, and K. 202, as the most formidableof the

symphonies Mozart composed during theearly-mid 1770s. Composed in Salzburg, April

1774, the Symphony No.

29

in

A

major (K. 201 /186a),

is

considered

by

some scholars as

pivotal a composition in

Mozart's

symphonic style

development

as

K.

183. Saint-Foix

refers to this pieceas "oneof

Mozart's most

characteristic instrumental masterpieces, one in

which he is already completely himself''.26

26

Ibid.

49.


44/94

3 9

In speaking of the

compact

design of Mozart's symphonies during

this period, Pauly

remarks

of

K. 201,

"What

strikes us in this

brightly

colored

work is the

transparent part-

writing and the ingenious

contrapuntal treatment of

several

themes."27 Pauly

quotes the

o p en i n g b a r s

o f

t h e

f i r s t

m o v em e n t t h e m e

t o i l l u s t r a t e

t h i s c o n t r a p u n t a l

treatmentYet

i n

doing so,

itis curious that

he

makes no mention of the fact that the primary subject of the

first movement is

based

on an ascending diatonic 6-6 pattern.

In

his article, "The

Symphonies", Jens Peter Larsen speaks

of

K. 201 (1774)

asa

significant early cornerstone

in

Mozart's

symphonic development.

Like

Pauly, Larsen

quotes the opening

thematic

section

of

the movement, but goes on todescribe in broad terms what amounts

to

an

ascending 6-6

pattern in motivic sequence.

Only

during

the repetition andfurther continuation do we

realize

that the melody

in

the

upper part

isso

written that

it can

be

played

against

itself

in

close, rather free

imitation between the upper and lower parts, with

the result

that

the

repetition has a

distinctive, climactic

quality.28

This

first

movement subject of K.

201

(186a) isindeed one of Mozart's memorable

themes. As the piece openswith

the

string choir, the subject is announced in the first violins

in

mm. 1-8,

characterized by short articulate phrase segments ascending

in

sequence.

After

a

brief transitional

phrase,

the

subject

is

restated

an octave

higher

in mm. 13-18

(Fig. 2.9)

In

this

second statement,

the

6-6

pattern provides

a

new

tutti

texture which

reinforces the

gradual

rise

of the phrase

at

a harmonic rhythm of

one chord

every

two

bars.

27

Pauly, Music In

The

Classic Period,

114.

28

Jens Peter

Larsen,

"The Symphonies,"The Mozart Companion,ed. H. C.

Robbins

Landon and Donald Mitchell (New York:

W. W.

Norton & Company, Inc., 1956),

177,176.


45/94

4 0

13

J

.

,xnsuirm

m

T T

f

r

r

r

r

r r

mrrn

4

i

a i s i

jmi

¥

771m1 I

172 JTTl TTJi

Figure 2.9: Mozart— 6-6

Pattern

as Thematic Material, K.

201/1

In typical Viennese

form,

the first theme

is

restated in mm. 119-128 of the recapitulation, in

the tonic

key

of A

major.

Although

this is

expected, Mozart chooses

to

bring back

the

theme a final

time

in mm. 189-199.

Mozart

adds

a two-bar extention of

the pattern,

descending

by

diatonic step (mm. 197-198), which

leads

directly

to the closing coda

of

the

movement.

By

adding these two

bars

Mozart in effect completes the musical thought

encompassed by the 6-6 pattern in an arch-like phrase structure.

In

K.

201/1

the6-6 pattern

is

an integral

and

consolidating feature of the primary theme, intensifying the

climactic

rising

motion

of the phrase. Other examples

of

the

6-6

pattern as primary thematic material

are

found in K.

162/11

(1773),

K.

504/IV (1786), and K.

550/TV

(1788).

Truly the culmination of Mozart's art as symphonist, the Finalesof K. 504 and K.

551

are revolutionary in design and scope

of

expression.

The

concluding movements take on

what

Zaslaw

calls a"new seriousness" in which

Mozart

"transforms" them

"from

stylized


46/94

4 1

dances to

truly symphonic

music.

29

As

has been demonstrated throughout this

study,

Symphonies No. 38 and No.

40

in particular are representative

of

Mozart's mature concept

of the

6-6

pattern

as

a means of composing-out material. Yet

more

than

a

conventional

method of developing material

or

bridging sections, in these movements Mozart uses the

model as the embodiment

of

his subjects, a

fact

which

further suggests

that

the

6-6

pattern

is a significant

feature

of his mature symphonic style.

The

Symphony No.

38

in D

major (K. 504),

according to

Zaslaw,

"distinguished itself

from

the sixty-odd symphonies that Mozart had previously written by being noticeably

more difficult:it is harder to perform and more challenging conceptually. The 'Prague'

symphony benefited not only from

this

newly-elaborated

orchestration and deepening

of

style", Zaslaw remarks, "but

also

from the more serious role that, increasingly, wasassigned

to

symphonies, which were

now

expected

to

exhibit artistic depth

rather

than to serve merely

as elaborate fanfares to open and closeconcerts."

30

It is significant that Mozart chooses

this

model

as the characteristic subject

of

the Allegro (Fig. 2.10). From the first

four bars

of the opening eight-bar thematic phrase

is

generated

the

motivic material constituting

practically

the entire development

section

in mm.

152-206. In

mm. 3-4

the

6-6

pattern

is

presented with a series of 7-6 suspensions embellishing

the

basic

model.

29

Zaslaw,Mozart's

Symphonies,

517.

30

ibid.

412-413.


47/94

4

2

Figure 2.10: Mozart—6-6Pattern as Thematic Material,

K.

504/IV

A

last

example of the

6-6 pattern as

primary thematic material is

found in

the

Finale

of

Symphony No.

40

(K. 550) (Fig. 2.11). Whereas commonly

the

pattern serves to expand a

motivic line in sequence,

this

is

not the casein mm. 72-753of the second theme

group

in

B

flat. Here the

melodic gesture

is

an expessive lyrical

line

in which

the

root of each

consecutive first

inversion triad

is

given prominence,

with third and

fifth

acting to

generate

forward

motion toward

the half cadence in

bar

76,

and

marking theend

of

the

first

segment

of an

eight-bar period.

ti

?

t

s f

t

\̂

j' J i*~rJ

v

l, —z-si

I P = =

r 1 1

f '

Figure 2.11: Mozart —6-6 Pattern

as

Thematic Material, K.550/TV

The

second theme isdistinguished by

four

discreet features:

Grace-note

figures ornament

the

root

of a

first

inversion dominant

F

major triad

in

bar

72. Bar

73 brings amoment of

contrast to the gesture, outlining the subdominant

harmony,

E

flat major, the root of

which

prepares a

series

of

7-6

suspension in mm. 74 and

75.

It is

interesting to note the

presence

of

a

passing B flat tonic six-four chord in bar 743 as the 7-6 suspension is resolved on

Such moments

of

tonic six-four harmonic embellishment

of

the pattern are

rare

in the


48/94

symphonies

of

Mozart. Even

so,

Mozart's usage

of

the

6-6

pattern here suggests that he

conceived of

the

model as a

beneficial

way of magnifying the melodic idea.

This

event

is

restated at the

corresponding place in the recapitulation (mm.

247-250).


49/94

4 4

CHAPTER

3

THE SYMPHONIESOF MOZART:

CHROMATIC

EMBELLISHMENTS OF

THE 6-6 PATTERN

DESCENDING CHROMATIC EMBELLISHMENTS

Mozart's chromatic elaborations of the 6-6

pattern

reveal the model's usefulness as

a

means of generating dramatic intensity for

a

sustained period of time. Because the parallel

nature of the pattern creates forward motion, the structure issuitable

for

developing material

at

a

high

level

of melodic

and harmonic chromaticism. Egon Wellesz and F.W. Sternfeld

point to Michael Haydn as a possible forerunner

of

Mozart's chromaticism:

In

Michael Haydn's

work

there is a quality curiously inhibited in most of his

contemporaries: harmonic imagination. In Joseph Haydn harmonic ingenuity consists

more in astounding key juxtapositions

than

in subdeties of chord structureor detailsof

dissonance. Michael's chromaticism takes sinuous

forms,

probably

one

of the elements

of style that influenced Mozart...^

But even compared

to

Michael

Haydn,

Mozart surpasses expectation; from

Symphony No.

5

(K.

22) to Symphony No. 41 (K.

551)

his symphonies abound with

instances

of

powerful and daringchromaticism. Generally speaking, these appearances are more

expansive in length as compared to instances of the 6-6 modelexamined

thus far.

Such

31 The

Age

of Enlightenment,

vol.

7,

ed.

Egon Wellesz and Frederick Sternfeld

(London: Oxford University Press, 1973), 406.


50/94

4 5

enlargements

of

the musical structures in question are a result of the pattern's parallel design

which

allows for simple to

very complex harmonic-melodic

elaborations.

The analyses

that

follow will demonstrate

simple-complex

chromatic

embellishments of

the 6-6 pattern,

significant examples

of which are found in

K. 22, K.

110

(75b), K. 124, K. 130. K. 132, K.

319, andK.

550.

Composed in Salzburg, July 1771, Symphony No. 12

in

G major, K.

110

(75b),

demonstrates several compositional techniques Mozart was developing as ways

of

infusing

the 6-6 pattern

with

fresh intensity and expression. In

mm.

19-24

of

K. 110(75b)/I the 6-6

pattern appears as

a

six-bar transition to thecodettta

of

the ex

Documents

The 6-6 Linear Intervallic Pattern as a Style Feature in Mozart's Symphonies