Division Following Arrival on Tonic

Sometimes a perfect authentic cadence can delineate a resting point that appears in mid-Periode. This can occur, for instance, if a perfect authentic cadence in the secondary key forms a new-key Grundabsatz that (1) marks the end of a Passo di mezzo that appears in the middle of the second theme; (2) appears in the middle or prior to a transition; or (3) marks the end of a transition, thereby forming a “third-level default medial caesura.” A third-level default medial caesura may also be established by a formal cadence, so that what in modern terminology might be understood as a secondary theme corresponds to a Nebenperiode. Finally, it is also possible in rare cases for a perfect authentic cadence in the home key to articulate the end of a transition section, thereby forming a “fourth-level default medial caesura.”

Division Following the New-Key Dominant

In many Galant expositions, the punctuation sequence is demarcated by a single pronounced half-cadential break that follows a resting point on V of the new key. In many of these cases, the break seems to divide the exposition into two parts, with a secondary theme zone following the big break. This chapter explores the ways and degrees to which such a layout may or may not give rise to the sense of separate theme zones, along with the possible voice-leading implications of the punctuation sequence within such a layout. The chapter concludes by considering expositions with two half-cadential breaks in which the one following the resting point on V of the new key nonetheless seems to serve as the medial caesura.

Eighteenth-Century Approaches to ExpositionsRiepel and Koch

The melodic/harmonic underpinnings of the main resting points (Hauptruhepuncte) that lead to the new-key formal cadence within a Galant exposition tend to follow one of a set of standard possible orderings, forming what is known as a punctuation sequence. The orderings seem governed by two principles: (1) the avoidance of having the same main resting point appear twice in succession (except for under special circumstances); and (2) the tendency for each successive resting point to move closer to the new-key formal cadence. The concepts underlying the punctuation sequence are presented at length in the writings of Joseph Riepel and of Heinrich Christoph Koch. This chapter explores the standard expositional punctuation sequence as witnessed in the writings of Riepel, Koch, and some of their contemporaries.

Introduction

Musical form is often discussed by appealing to metaphors that compare formal sections either to types of containers or to segments of journeys. Although both metaphors are usually combined and used interchangeably by most music analysts, since the nineteenth century container metaphors for form have tended to dominate. This contrasts with what was witnessed during the eighteenth century, where journey metaphors for musical form were more prevalent. The introductory chapter broadly compares container metaphors and journal metaphors for form, especially as they apply to sonata-form expositions in works composed during the Galant era. This chapter also introduces some of the features that tend to distinguish eighteenth-century formal discussions from modern ones, and it concludes with a preview of some of the strategies to be explored in subsequent chapters.

The Movement’s Second Half

This chapter explores the form of the second half of Galant movements—that is, the part of the movement that corresponds to what modern terminology often labels as the development plus recapitulation. Much as was done with the examination of expositions in the previous chapters, the form of the movement’s second half is examined with the aid of journey metaphors, along with the help of concepts discussed by eighteenth-century theorists such as Heinrich Christoph Koch. Although sometimes the motions toward the large-scale resting points during the second half of a movement give rise to what can fairly be characterized as a metaphorical “development space” or “recapitulation space,” many Galant movements resist such characterizations. As a result, viewing the form, a movement’s second half through the vantage point of journey metaphors helps shed light on certain standard features——such as the so-called “false recapitulation” or the “secondary development”—that pose difficulties for formal analytic approaches that rely more heavily on container metaphors.

Expositions with Two Half-Cadential Breaks

Many Galant expositions are demarcated by two half-cadential breaks—one following a resting point on V and the other following a resting point on the new-key V—each followed by a passage in the secondary key. In several of these cases, neither of the breaks convincingly stands out as the sole medial caesura and neither of the new-key themes convincingly stands out as the sole secondary theme. Modern theory has attempted to discuss such layouts via various proposed paradigms, with mixed results; these include evocations of layouts involving expositions with either a two-part subordinate theme, a two-part transition, or a so-called trimodular block. From the standpoint of eighteenth-century punctuation form, however, this expositional layout is entirely normal: it was discussed by many theorists from the time as a standard structure and is amply reflected in the repertoire from the time. Coming to grips with expositions with two half-cadential breaks, each followed by a new-key theme, helps highlight the difference between the eighteenth-century journey metaphors for form vs. modern container metaphors for form.

Other Eighteenth-Century Approaches to Expositions

Toward the end of the eighteenth century, some music commentators—including Francesco Galeazzi, A. C. F. Kollmann, and Franz Christoph Neubauer—reacted to recent stylistic trends in their discussion of music form. Accordingly, their writings placed greater emphasis on cadences (as opposed to resting points of various types), implied sections, and thematic character as vital elements for understanding musical form, thereby serving as harbingers for later discussions of musical form. Even so, their observations and descriptions of the section that modern terminology labels as the sonata-form exposition—as well as the works they choose as exemplars of the form—suggest a theoretic approach that differs in some telling ways from what is typical in modern accounts of sonata form.

Analyses

This chapter wraps up the book with close analyses of first movements from four Galant pieces: Johann Adolph Hasse, Overture to Alcide al Bivio (1760); Marianna Martines, Sonata for Keyboard in A (c. 1765); Joseph Haydn, Symphony No. 14 in A (c. 1762); and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Quartet for Strings in B-flat, K. 159 (1773). In each case, the entire movement—not just the exposition—is analyzed, considering matters such form, tonal structure, and hermeneutic impact. As in the previous chapters, eighteenth-century formal concepts are taken as the starting point for the analyses, and more modern formal notions are applied where appropriate.

Hauptruhepuncte and Haupttheile

Multiple Sätze can group together to form a Haupttheil (main section) that leads to a Hauptruhepunct des Geistes (main resting point of the spirit). These groups can arise through the use of repetitions, appendices, insertions, or a combination of these techniques. Among other things, grasping the role and nature of Haupttheile and Hauptruhepuncte helps explain how there can be successive motions to the same type of resting point without creating a sense of redundancy. Furthermore, understanding Haupttheile and Hauptruhepuncte is often vital for being able to chart the interpunctische Folge der Theile (punctuation sequence) that forms a structural backbone of Galant expositions.

Uncommon Divisions

At times one finds Galant expositions that are framed by punctuation sequences of types not specifically cited by Heinrich Christoph Koch. These include punctuation sequences that involve (1) resting points over less typical harmonies, such as a submediant or subdominant triad; (2) successive, contrasting Absätze that lead to the same type of resting point; and (3) standard resting points that appear out of their normal order. Some of these layouts nonetheless may be understood as stylistic generic (if somewhat less common) options. In other instances, however, these unusual punctuation sequences are best understood as expressive deviations that are in dialog with more conventional successions of expositional resting points.