FUNDAMENTAL HARMONY

Dr. Declan PlummerLesson 13: Trio Sonata Textures

The Trio Sonata • One of the well-established chamber music types in the Baroque

• Consists of 2 melody parts + functional bass (which occasionally participate in the melodic role as well)

• Italian in origin (most famous composer being Arcangelo Corelli)

- Two Violins + Continuo (most popular)

- Flute + Violin + Continuo

- Violin + RH Harpsichord (LH providing the bass part)

- Organ with 2 manuals + PedalArcangelo Corelli

(1653-1713)

Typical Example of a Trio Sonata

Heavy Reliance on Suspensions

forward momentum provided by at least one partTwo Violins&

Basso Continuo

Use of Imitation

Texture Features1. Trio sonatas are conceived polyphonically: the integrity of

melodies and the framework of the movement are considered priority in composition

2. Harmonic progression is manifested in melodic line (linear), and not by the sounding chord alone (vertical). This means that a chordal analysis alone does not result in a solid understanding of the compositional plan and the eloquence of musical dialogue.

3. Composers mostly wrote several movements in different styles sometimes dances e.g. sarabande or gigue, sometimes they were fugal and at other times slow and expressive with imitation and sequences.

Harmonic FeaturesGiven that melody takes precedence over achieving the fullest possible harmony, the top parts will often leave out notes from the chord.

1. Perfect Cadences: often end in unison or octave doublings

2. Imperfect Cadences: can have a missing 5th, but not a 3rd

LN so important that it must be sounded by one of the melodic parts

3. Root position chords can have a missing 5th

4. First inversion chords can have a missing root or 5th, not both!

Passage demonstrates that the needs of sonority take second place to the desired melodic shapes and rhythmic patterns of individual parts and their relationship to each other

no 5th no 5th

no root

complete chordsno 5th

The Continuation Line Composers of trio sonatas often wrote a horizontal dash to indicate that the chord above the preceding note was to be continued above a changing bass line.

It was not practice to figure bass notes between the principal beats of the bar or when a bass note was repeated: they are assumed not to carry their own chords unless the figuring indicates otherwise

between beats

no dash between beats

horizontal dash needed to showthat previous chord from the

previous beat is to be continued

42

no dash repeated bass note

Melodic FeaturesIn trio sonatas, melodic independence is often achieved through the use of suspensions, which require preparation, suspension and resolution

p p p ps s s sr r r r

You can see here how three of the resolutions to these suspensions have been decorated. The rhythm ijl is a common way to achieve this.

Aside from suspensions, dissonance can also be achieved using other non-harmony notes (e.g. passing notes and anticipations).

Often the bass note beneath each suspension continues to sound until the suspension has been resolved, but it is possible for the bass note to move bringing about a change of chord.

p s r

p s r

p s r

p s r

p

s r

p s r

p s r

It is also possible for the bass note to move to a different position of the same chord.

p s r p s r p s r

p s r p s r p s r

vi6vi iii iii6 IV IV6 I I6 I6IIV viioV/vi V6/vi iio65

65 V I

p s r

Often there will be chains of interlocking suspensions, which create tension and blend the parts together. They are usually built on a harmonic sequence based on a circle of 5ths.

Note how suspensions can also be decorated (using the l. jl rhythm) while the resolutions are decorated (again using the ijl rhythm)

i iv VII III+ VI ii V i

p s r p s r p s r

p s rp s r p s r

Decorated suspensions using notes from the prevailing chord

Decorated suspensions using a repeat of the dissonant note

Decorated suspensions using the ijl rhythm

Decorated resolution using the ijl rhythm

Decorated resolution and suspension using the ijl rhythm

ImitationImitation is a type of melodic feature that involves at least two parts. The second part imitates what the first has previously stated, thus keeping closely to the rhythmic and melodic patterns. It was used mostly in works like the trio sonata, canon and fugue.

1. Exact Imitation: at the unison and the octave

2. Exact Imitation: at other intervals (achieved using accidentals)

3. Free Imitation: the size of any melodic interval is different from the original.