Analysis of the second movement of the Concert in D minor for viola,

by F. A. Hoffmeister

The Concerto in D minor for viola was composed by Franz Anton Hoffmeister in 3
movements: Allegro, Adagio and Rondo.
The second movement, Adagio, is in the tonality of D minor and follows a small
sonata-concerto form, but not in a very strict way.

DESCRIPTION

The first 6 bars of the piece is the introduction, played only by the orchestra,
which can be called as the first ritornello.
The exposition starts at bar 8. It starts with a short first theme (just 6 bars),
played by the soloist, followed by a transition (bars 13-17) which leads to the relative
major key, F major.
The second group theme starts in bar 18 and it is much bigger than the previous
one, composed of two parts (sentences), both in the key of F major.
After a perfect authentic cadence that ends the second group theme (and also
the exposition), the development begins (bar 31).
The development is divided into 3 parts: an introduction part by the orchestra (2nd
ritornello – bars 31-37), the main part (played by the soloist – bars 38-46) and a
closing section (also played by the soloist – bars 47-52), which leads the pieces to
the home key, D minor.
The recapitulation starts at bar 53, but it contains just the first theme, the
transition and the second theme are missing. After a perfect authentic cadence, in
bars 66-67, a post cadential extension is played by the soloist for 2 bars, followed by
a closing section played by the orchestra (3rd ritornello, bars 69-74), that finishes in a
deceptive cadence to the cadenza, played only by the soloist.
After the cadenza, there is a small coda (bars 75-80), played by the orchestra,
that finished the whole movement.

THE FORMAL STRUCTURE

Three main parts are easily recognized: two of them begin with an orchestral
introduction and the last one that begins exactly as the first solo.
 Although, in a first view, it could be analyzed as a Large Ternary Form (A-B-A’),
when the tonal plan is analyzed, there is a modulation from the first theme in D minor
to the second theme in the relative major key F major, with a modulation transition
between that ends in a half cadence, what is very characteristic of a sonata form.
Moreover, the three parts of the second section (introduction, main part and a closing
section leading to the home key) is also characteristic of a development part of a
Sonata, and finally, there is a recapitulation and a coda.
In addition, there are 3 orchestral sections (3 ritornellos), like in a concerto-
sonata form: the first one is the introduction, the second one introduced the
development and the last one is the closing section before the cadenza. There is also
a coda played by the orchestra at the end.
For all these reasons, although the sections are smaller compared with a
complete sonata form, the second theme in the recapitulation and also some
transitions found in the complete sonata form are missing, in this analysis, the
movement is classified as a small concerto-sonata form.

THE HARMONY
In terms of harmony, the piece stays very simple.
It starts in D minor, remains much of the time in F major (whole second theme
until the end of development) and goes back to D minor.
The piece does not go to any other tonal region and even inside the two keys, it
does not use different chords: just tonic, subdominant and dominant of these two
keys (in root position and in their inversions – like in bars 2, 53 and 64) are used. The
most complex chords found are the dominants without root with the seventy and
ninth added. Moreover, just three times, the secondary dominant of the subdominant
is used (bars 34, 49 and 56).
The modulations are very simple. The first one, at bar 13, is a diatonic
modulation with a Bb major chord used as pivot; the second modulation is a
chromatic modulation, at bar 49.

THE EXPOSITION
The first theme is very short, just 6 bars, in D minor, that ends in a perfect
authentic cadence, followed for a short transition to F major.
 The second theme is actually a thematic group, because it is divided in two parts,
both remaining in F major. It has 13 bars, much bigger than the previous theme.
There is no repetition and no closing section. The second group theme ends in a
perfect authentic cadence that goes directly to the development.

THE DEVELOPMENT
Although there is a development (bars 31-52), it is not a development in
harmonic terms, because it remains all the time in F major, just at the end it goes
back to D minor, which is the home key. The development is actually about the
melodies, all coming from the themes of the exposition.
The first part of the development is played by the orchestra, in the key of F major,
remembering the first introduction – the same motiv of the first bar of the introduction
is repeated here, the same for the second bar. It also finishes in the same way as the
introduction – a punctuation, with the same rhythm as before. In this part, it is the first
time that a different chord in the music appears, a secondary dominant to the
subdominant (in the key of F major, at bar 34).

EX. 1 - Introduction played by the orchestra, 1st part of the development, using the same
bars 1-2 motives of the introduction

The second and main part of the development is played by the soloist, with the
orchestra accompanying. It starts with the same motiv used in the first theme played
by the soloist, but in F major.

EX 2 - 1st theme in the exposition Beginning of the 2nd part of development

 Many elements used in the exposition are used here (also in the third part):
- the motiv of the first theme (a doted quarter note with an eight note – bar 38,
as showed above);
- the ascending scale with ornaments (used in bar 19 of exposition and in bars
40 and 47 of the development)

EX 3 - bar 19 bar 40

- the prepared suspensions in the end of the phrases (bars 39, 46, 49, 51);

EX 4 - Prepared suspension in the exposition,

bar 8

Prepared suspensions in the development, bars 38. 46 and 51 (respectively)

- beginning of phrases with upbeats (like the beginning of the second theme –
compare bars 38 with bars 43 and 44);

- the ending of the first phrase is like the ending of the first phrase of the
second theme (compare bar 22-23 with bars 41-42);
 The second part of development finishes with an imperfect authentic cadence.

The third part of the development is a closing part, with a chromatic modulation
from F major to D minor again. It ends with a half-cadence and a bridge to D minor in
the recapitulation.

THE RECAPITULATION
The first 2 bars are exactly the same as the first theme, however, the transition
and the second them are not repeated. The recapitulation remains in D minor, with
elements used before, like the beginning of phrases of three eight notes before the
first beat, the syncopations. Like the second theme, it is composed of two big
phrases (two sentences), both endings with a perfect authentic cadence. There is a
post cadential extension played by the soloist in bars 67-69.
A closing section is played by the orchestra, starting almost the same as the first
introduction, ending in a deceptive cadence that leads to the cadenza played by the
soloist.

CODA
The last 8 bars are a small coda, played by the soloist, and it uses different
elements that were not used before, like sequences, and it ends with a punctuation,
as many other sections of the piece.

THE ORCHESTRA
The orchestra is composed of 2 oboes, 2 French-horns in D and a string section
(first and second violins, viola, bass – cello and double-bass).
The orchestra play 3 times the ritornello and the coda at the end, but despite that,
when the soloist is playing, its function is just to accompany him/her. There is no
melodic function for the orchestra, it almost does not interact with the soloist part, it
just plays the chords in a rhythmically way, just very little times it plays a third below
with the soloist with a little bit more melodic function (bars 50 and 53).
 EX 5 - The orchestra part in the second group theme (bars 18-21)

EX 6 - Bars 50 and 53 (explained above)

CHARACTERISTICS PRESENTED IN THE WHOLE PIECE

1.1 Motives
- Many phrases begin with 3 eight notes that lead to the next bar, that is
clearly a rhythmic motiv. It is used in the soloist part and also in the
introduction;

EX 7 - bars 10 to 11 bars 24 to 25
bars 26 to 27

- The motiv of the main theme is a doted quarter note with a eight-note
(these motiv start the three main sections – exposition, main part of
development and recapitulation, always played by the soloist – bars 7, 38, 53
– see the example 2);

1.2 Others
- Many small phrases are ended with a prepared, and this kind of
suspension is also used in the middle of the melodies other times (see
example 4);
- All the perfect authentic cadences (except the first and the last one)
finishes with a thrill (bars 5-6, 23-34, 30-31, 36-37, 42-4, 59-60, 66-67, 68-69,
73-74);
- In many cases, a punctuation confirming the tonality follows the perfect
authentic cadence;

EX 8: bars 6, 12, 37 and 80

 PHRASE STRUCTURE
Although the harmony and formal structure remain very simple, the phrase
structure does not follow a regular structure, or the common structures of antecedent
and consequent, 4+4. It is usually very irregular and many times follows a scheme of
6 bars. Many phrases start in the middle of the bar.
Some examples:
Introduction (bars 1-6): sentence of 6 bars, divided 2+4;
1st theme (bars 7-12): sentence of 6 bars, divided 2+2+2 (but with phrases
beginning and ending in the middle of the bars);
Transition (bars 13-17): sentence of 5 bars, divided 2,5+2,5;
2nd theme, 2nd phrase (bars 25-31): 7 bars, divided 2+2+3;
Development , 1st part (bars 31-37): sentence of 7 bars, divided 3 + 4;
Development, 2nd part (bars 38-43) sentence of 6 bars, divided 2+2+2;
Closing section (bars 69-74): sentence of 6 bars, divided 3+3;
Coda (bars 75-80): sentence of 6 bars, divided 2+2+2.