ABSTRACT
The Adagio of Bruckner's Sixth Symphony, which is exceptional among Bruckner's slow movements for its use of sonata – rather than rondo – form, also features a clearly marked return to the tonic in the development. Although this strongly emphasized tonic in the development supports a transformation of the opening theme rather than a literal restatement, the author proposes that it may be considered an 'anticipatory tonic recapitulation'. Like Brahms, Dvorak wishes to avoid the monotony of three identical statements of the opening music in the tonic; therefore, the third presentation of the motto, the definitive design recapitulation, occurs within development space over the extended dominant pedal. Brahms again employs the anticipatory tonic reprise at the beginning of the development space in the Finale of his A major Piano Quartet. All of the Brahms pieces to be discussed feature a 'double' exposition of the initial material or first subject, which is restated within the first group.
