[Music: TCHAIKOWSKY:5th Symphony]
This last cadence gives an effect of dramatic surprise—certainly
an exclamation of great force. One of the glories of modern
music is the daring novelty of cadential effect which has been
achieved by such composers as Franck, Debussy and Ravel; the
student should try to become more and more familiar with such
harmonic combinations. A beautiful example[56] is cited from
César Franck’sSonata for Violin and Pianoforte.
[Footnote 56: See also the strikingly original cadences in De-
bussy’sL’Isle joyeuse.]
[Music]
The two endings for phrases are classified as Masculine and Fem-
inine and they correspond exactly to the same effects in the me-
tre of a poetic stanza. When the second chord of the cadence,
whatever it may be, coincides with astrongbeat,i.e., the first
beat of the measure, the ending is Masculine,e.g.
[Music]
When the chord is carried over to a weak beat of the measure
the ending is Feminine,e.g.
[Music]
We now give two more examples of the eight measure Sentence
which clearly exemplify the principles just stated,e.g.
[Music: BEETHOVEN: 3rd Sonata]
In this vigorous and clear-cut sentence we find in the 4th mea-
sure an effect of surprise and suspense; for the chord on the
first beat is an inverted position of the dominant chord in the
dominant key. Both the endings are masculine,i.e., the chords
which end the phrases coincide with the strong beats.
[Music: BEETHOVEN: 1st Sonata]
This graceful sentence is noteworthy for the clear division of
the first phrase into two contrasting sections; whereas, in the
second phrase, a climactic effect is gained by having no marked
subdivision. In the fourth measure occurs a good example of
a half-cadence. All the endings are feminine,i.e., the cadential
chord occurs on aweakbeat of the measure.[57]