ABSTRACT
In previous chapters, we have dealt almost exclusively with musical periods comprising parallel phrases. In this chapter, we will broaden our investigation to include periods or musical themes that incorporate contrasting material. We will begin by examining a theme by Mozart that consists of two contrasting phrases that together form a complete musical idea. The theme is the second subject from the first movement of his Piano Sonata in F Major, K. 280. Its statement in the exposition is reproduced in Example 4.1, and a graph of its voice-leading structure is provided in Example 4.2. It is possible to describe this theme as an extended musical sentence, where measures 1-4 constitute the initial presentation (I – V), the next four its answer (V – I), and the remainder as the continuation. However, as noted above, my inclination is to describe this particular theme as consisting of two contrasting though complementary phrases, the first divided into two subphrases each of four measures.
