Music: An Art and a Language

(Ann) #1

cadence in G minor. The following portion, beginning in E-flat
major, but often modulating—its graceful theme sung by the
clarinets, dolce espressivo, answered by flutes and oboes—e.g.,


[Music]


evidently takes the place of a trio and is one of the most poetic
parts of the movement. After some effective development there
is a return, in measure 175, to the G minor scherzo-theme in
the strings; soon joined, in measure 183, by the slow theme on
the English horn—the structural union of the two moods being
thus established,e.g.


[Music]


The rest of the movement is a free but perfectly organic im-
provisation on the chief melodies already presented. It is richly
scored, with dialogue effects between the several orchestral choirs;
especially beautiful are the two passages in B major, poco più
lento, scoredppfor the complete wood-wind group and horns.
The closing measures have lovely echoes between wood-wind and
strings, and the final cadence is one of the most magical in all
Franck; holding us off to the very last from our goal and finally
reaching it in a chord of unforgettable peace and satisfaction,
e.g.


[Music]


The Finale in D major, allegro non troppo, is a remarkable
example in modern literature of that tendency, growing since
Beethoven, not to treat the last movement as an unrelated in-
dependent portion but, instead, as an organic summing up of
all the leading themes. This cyclic use of themes—transferring
them from one movement to another—is one of Franck’s impor-
tant contributions to musical architecture. The movement has
two themes of its own,e.g.


[Music: 1st theme]


[Music: 2d theme]


and at first proceeds along regular sonata-form lines,i.e., with
an exposition, development and recapitulation. After vigorous
summons to attention the first theme is given out by the ’cellos
and bassoons. It is expanded at some length, repeatedffby the
full orchestra, and then after bold modulations leads, in measure
72, to the second theme in B major, happily called by Ropartz

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