Music Analysis Bach Suite No. 3 in D Major Gavotte
Analysis: Bach Suite No. 3 in D major
The instruments used in the piece are: * Trumpet 1 * Trumpet 2 * Trumpet 3 * Timpani * Oboe 1 * Oboe 2 * Violin 1 * Violin 2 * Viola * Continuo – Harpsichord or Double Bass
Why this piece is typically baroque
This is piece is baroque as it includes many of the baroque characteristics: * Perfect Cadence!! – In the concept Pitch, the perfect cadence is very obvious at the end of the sections and phrases – change from the dominant to the tonic. * Duration – the rhythmic pattern heard at the start of each gavotte, is reiterated many times throughout the piece. This also links to Pitch – the opening melody of the piece is heard many times throughout each gavotte. * The soprano (Violin 1) and bass lines are very important in the Baroque period. This is the same in this piece. The bass continuo is what all the chordal changes are based around * The Basso Continuum- very common in the baroque period * The balance of homophonic and polyphonic textures throughout the piece is very common throughout the Baroque period. * Having each section repeated (structure) – when in Binary form (two sections to a movement), was very common
Structure
The broad structure of the piece is – A (bars 1-11) A (bars 1-11 repeated) A1 (bars 12-27) A1( bars 12-27 repeated) B(bars 28-44) B (bar 28-44 repeated) B1(bars 45-61) B1(bars 45-61 repeated) A (coda back to bars 1-11) A (bars 1-11 repeated) A1 (bars 12-27 from coda) A1(bars 12-27 repeated). However, within each section there are variations of phrases repeated through The A sections and different variations of other phrases through the B sections.
Section A – bars 1-11
Pitch – the key of the piece is D major, as shown in the key signature, with the non-transposing instruments having 2 sharps. This is also shown by the first and last chord of the piece being a D major chord. Bars 1-7 are in D major, however through the use of G #
The instruments used in the piece are: * Trumpet 1 * Trumpet 2 * Trumpet 3 * Timpani * Oboe 1 * Oboe 2 * Violin 1 * Violin 2 * Viola * Continuo – Harpsichord or Double Bass
Why this piece is typically baroque
This is piece is baroque as it includes many of the baroque characteristics: * Perfect Cadence!! – In the concept Pitch, the perfect cadence is very obvious at the end of the sections and phrases – change from the dominant to the tonic. * Duration – the rhythmic pattern heard at the start of each gavotte, is reiterated many times throughout the piece. This also links to Pitch – the opening melody of the piece is heard many times throughout each gavotte. * The soprano (Violin 1) and bass lines are very important in the Baroque period. This is the same in this piece. The bass continuo is what all the chordal changes are based around * The Basso Continuum- very common in the baroque period * The balance of homophonic and polyphonic textures throughout the piece is very common throughout the Baroque period. * Having each section repeated (structure) – when in Binary form (two sections to a movement), was very common
Structure
The broad structure of the piece is – A (bars 1-11) A (bars 1-11 repeated) A1 (bars 12-27) A1( bars 12-27 repeated) B(bars 28-44) B (bar 28-44 repeated) B1(bars 45-61) B1(bars 45-61 repeated) A (coda back to bars 1-11) A (bars 1-11 repeated) A1 (bars 12-27 from coda) A1(bars 12-27 repeated). However, within each section there are variations of phrases repeated through The A sections and different variations of other phrases through the B sections.
Section A – bars 1-11
Pitch – the key of the piece is D major, as shown in the key signature, with the non-transposing instruments having 2 sharps. This is also shown by the first and last chord of the piece being a D major chord. Bars 1-7 are in D major, however through the use of G #