Song without Words Analysis
Advanced Theory I
22 May 2014
Analysis of Mendelssohn's "Songs Without Words" Lieder ohne Worte (Song without Words) is written by the Romantic composer Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. It is a collection of forty-eight short lyrical piano pieces of markedly song-like character that he wrote at various periods of his life between 1809 and 1847. They are well suited to the study of musical form because of their artistic value. Op. 19b, No. 1 Andante con moto in E major was written in 1830 and is the first in the collection. The piece is in the key of E major and modulates from E to B to G major.
The first two measure of the piece serve as an introduction. This piece has three periods (each with a different key). The key areas where this piece modulates between periods are from E major to B major, B major to G major, and G major back to E major. The process of moving from one key center to another is known as modulation. Modal mixture is found in terms of modulation of the keys from B to G to E because G major is a bVI (major chord built on b6) in B major and a bIII (major chord built on b 3) in E major. These chords are normally minor chords in the major key. The same two chords in the minor mode are diatonic, and hence labeled as VI and III. A Roman numeral preceded by a b sign refers to chords built on lowered scale degrees and affects the root of the chord.
The keys in this piece are E, G and B. The tonics by themselves even make a minor i chord built on E that looks like a borrowed chord from E minor. Modal mixture results from the mixture of scales and harmonies from the major and minor modes of the same key. The key of E is important because this piece begins and ends in E major. Mixture between the major and minor forms of the key of E can simply appear as a single chord from one mode used in the parallel mode.
The first period of the piece lasts from measures 3-15 and contains two phrases. The piece starts in E major and modulates to B
22 May 2014
Analysis of Mendelssohn's "Songs Without Words" Lieder ohne Worte (Song without Words) is written by the Romantic composer Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. It is a collection of forty-eight short lyrical piano pieces of markedly song-like character that he wrote at various periods of his life between 1809 and 1847. They are well suited to the study of musical form because of their artistic value. Op. 19b, No. 1 Andante con moto in E major was written in 1830 and is the first in the collection. The piece is in the key of E major and modulates from E to B to G major.
The first two measure of the piece serve as an introduction. This piece has three periods (each with a different key). The key areas where this piece modulates between periods are from E major to B major, B major to G major, and G major back to E major. The process of moving from one key center to another is known as modulation. Modal mixture is found in terms of modulation of the keys from B to G to E because G major is a bVI (major chord built on b6) in B major and a bIII (major chord built on b 3) in E major. These chords are normally minor chords in the major key. The same two chords in the minor mode are diatonic, and hence labeled as VI and III. A Roman numeral preceded by a b sign refers to chords built on lowered scale degrees and affects the root of the chord.
The keys in this piece are E, G and B. The tonics by themselves even make a minor i chord built on E that looks like a borrowed chord from E minor. Modal mixture results from the mixture of scales and harmonies from the major and minor modes of the same key. The key of E is important because this piece begins and ends in E major. Mixture between the major and minor forms of the key of E can simply appear as a single chord from one mode used in the parallel mode.
The first period of the piece lasts from measures 3-15 and contains two phrases. The piece starts in E major and modulates to B