The elements of music to consider
Melody
Melodies can be created by using different features which can affect such things as to how it moves and how it is articulated. Piano Concerto No.1 includes:
- An ornamental leaning note in which the ornament takes half the value of the note it proceeds. and Note played as quickly as possible before the note that follows. feature so to decorate the melody
- A series of pitches, ascending and descending in a set pattern. are a common feature in the solo passage played rapidly to demonstrate virtuosic abilities of the performer
- Where one melody is answered by another. phrases are heard between the orchestra
Metre and tempo
The metre is given by the Numbers or letters written at the start of a piece of music depicting how many beats are in a bar and what type of beat are in each bar. usually found at the beginning of a score and so too can the tempo marking. Bear in mind the following points:
- the first movement is Lively and fast. con brio and written in 4/4 time with regular phrasing
- the second movement is A slow tempo which is faster than grave, but slower than adagio. , in 4/4 time and built with regular phrasing
- the third movement is rondo allegro, in 2/4 with more irregular phrases
Structure
Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No.1 has three movements:
- the first movement is in A popular structure from the Classical period consisting of an exposition, development and recapitulation.
- the second movement is in ternary form - A-B-A
- the third movement is in A music structure that continually returns to the A section, eg A-B-A-C-A. form
Instrumentation and timbre
The concerto has been written for a solo piano and orchestra. In the 1750 - 1825. the solo part would have been played on the pianoforte.
The orchestra in the piece is orchestrated with the sections displayed in the table.
| Strings | Woodwind | Brass | Percussion |
| violin I | flute ×2 | trumpet ×2 | timpani |
| violin II | oboe ×2 | trombone ×2 | |
| viola | bassoon ×2 | ||
| cello | clarinet ×2 | ||
| double bass |
| Strings | violin I |
|---|---|
| Woodwind | flute ×2 |
| Brass | trumpet ×2 |
| Percussion | timpani |
| Strings | violin II |
|---|---|
| Woodwind | oboe ×2 |
| Brass | trombone ×2 |
| Percussion |
| Strings | viola |
|---|---|
| Woodwind | bassoon ×2 |
| Brass | |
| Percussion |
| Strings | cello |
|---|---|
| Woodwind | clarinet ×2 |
| Brass | |
| Percussion |
| Strings | double bass |
|---|---|
| Woodwind | |
| Brass | |
| Percussion |
Texture and dynamics
The main techniques used by Beethoven are:
- the concerto is written for A type of texture where there is only one clear melody and an accompaniment that plays different notes and rhythms but is supporting the melody.
- there are phrases with A texture where lines of music move together by step, often sounding together to form block chords.
Tonality and harmony
Beethoven decided to write his Piano Concerto No.1 with:
- a The first degree of a scale and the central key of music. In Roman numerals this is I. of C major - no sharps or flats - for the first and third movements
- the second movement is in the contrasting A pattern of sharps or flats at the beginning of a piece of music indicating which are to be played. of A♭ major - the flattened submediant key in relation to C major
