The Trio Sonata • One of the well-established chamber music types in the Baroque • Consists of 2 melody parts + functional bass (which occasionally participate in the melodic role as well) GRADE 8 MUSIC THEORY • Italian in origin (most famous composer being Arcangelo Corelli) - Two Violins + Continuo (most popular) Dr. Declan Plummer Lesson 4: Trio Sonata Textures - Flute + Violin + Continuo

- Violin + RH Harpsichord (LH providing the bass part)

- Organ with 2 manuals + Pedal Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713)

Typical Example of a Trio Sonata Texture Features 1. Trio sonatas are conceived polyphonically: the integrity of Heavy Reliance on Suspensions Use of Imitation melodies and the framework of the movement are considered priority in composition

2. Harmonic progression is manifested in melodic line (linear), and not by the sounding chord alone (vertical). This means that a chordal analysis alone does not result in a solid understanding of the compositional plan and the eloquence of musical dialogue.

3. Composers mostly wrote several movements in different styles forward momentum provided by at least one part sometimes dances e.g. sarabande or gigue, sometimes they were Two Violins fugal and at other times slow and expressive with imitation and & Basso sequences. Continuo Harmonic Features no 5th complete chords no 5th no 5th Given that melody takes precedence over achieving the fullest possible harmony, the top parts will often leave out notes from the chord.

1. Perfect Cadences: often end in unison or octave doublings

no root

3. Root position chords can have a missing 5th

2. Imperfect Cadences: can have 4. First inversion chords can have a missing 5th, but not a 3rd a missing root or 5th, not both!

LN so important that it must be sounded by one of the melodic parts Passage demonstrates that the needs of sonority take second place to the desired melodic shapes and rhythmic patterns of individual parts and their relationship to each other

The Continuation Line After the time of Corelli, composers of trio sonatas often wrote a horizontal dash to indicate that the chord above the preceding note was to be continued above a changing bass line. no dash repeated bass note

It was not practice to figure bass notes between the principal beats of the bar or when a bass note was repeated: they are assumed not to carry their own chords unless the figuring indicates otherwise no dash between beats horizontal dash needed to show 4 that previous 2 chord from the previous beat is to be continued

between beats Melodic Features p s r p s r p In trio sonatas, melodic independence is often achieved through the use p s r p s r of suspensions, which require preparation, suspension and resolution

p s r p s r p s r p s r s r p s r p s r

You can see here how three of the resolutions to these suspensions have been decorated. The rhythm ijl is a common way to achieve this. Often the bass note beneath each suspension continues to sound until Aside from suspensions, dissonance can also be achieved using other the suspension has been resolved, but it is possible for the bass note to non-harmony notes (e.g. passing notes and anticipations). move bringing about a change of chord.

p s rp s r p s r

p s r p s r p s r

p s r p s r p s r

p s r p s r p s r p s r i iv VII III+ VI ii V i

Often there will be chains of interlocking suspensions, which create V/vi V6/vi vi vi6 iii iii6 IV IV6 I I6 IV 6 viio I I6 iio 6 I 5 5 V tension and blend the parts together. They are usually built on a harmonic sequence based on a circle of 5ths. It is also possible for the bass note to move to a different position of the same chord. Note how suspensions can also be decorated (using the l. jl rhythm) while the resolutions are decorated (again using the ijl rhythm) Decorated suspensions using notes from the prevailing chord

Decorated resolution using the ijl rhythm

Decorated suspensions using a repeat of the dissonant note

Decorated resolution and suspension using the ijl rhythm

Decorated suspensions using the ijl rhythm

Imitation 2. Exact Imitation: at other intervals (achieved using accidentals) Imitation is a type of melodic feature that involves at least two parts. The second part imitates what the first has previously stated, thus keeping closely to the rhythmic and melodic patterns. It was used mostly in works like the trio sonata, canon and fugue. 1. Exact Imitation: at the unison and the octave

3. Free Imitation: the size of any melodic interval is different from the original.