beethoven vs mozart
It's the first Tuesday in November and every candidate in the United States is making one last plea for your vote. The two candidates in a particular election have agreed to one, last debate before the polls open. The candidates in this election are the first movements of Mozart's Symphony No. 40 in G minor and Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. They have each spent the last several months presenting their views and arguments as to why they are the better choice for the job and are hoping their final argument, in sonata form, will be persuasive enough to sway you to their side and earn your vote. When asked to choose between the two, a question necessarily arises: which is more compelling, an intellectual argument or a passionate exclamation? Though both arguments are extremely compelling, the final vote found Mozart's Symphony No. 40 in G minor to be more persuasive because of its clarity of argument, sophistication and refinement.As we examine the two candidate's arguments, we can see that each one has a distinct style and mode of expression. Mozart's symphony is clearly more conservative than Beethoven's. This is conveyed in the sophisticated restraint seen throughout the work and the strict adherence to s
The recapitulation feels more stable and seems indicative that Mozart is now sure of his argument. Then, instead of a succinct coda ending, Beethoven again deviates from the sonata form, this time introducing a completely new theme. The usual function of the bridge is to usher in the second theme in a powerful way. However, the bass continues to play the main motive in the background and the listener is reminded of the urgency and passion of Beethoven's argument. Sonata form demands that the piece begin with an exposition in which a primary and secondary theme is expressed to the audience. Being a person of emotion, I was instinctively drawn to Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, at first. This makes the music come alive, and the result is that the listener is help in suspense, excitedly waiting to follow the composer's next move. Beethoven deviates from sonata form when he uses the bridge theme for his fragmentation. The second theme runs into a series of new ideas but "they are all so brief, and leave little impression on the rest of the movement" (Kerman, p 173). However, within the development sections of each piece, we begin to see evidence that Mozart's argument is indeed more persuasive. The theme is then broken up into fragments, and the fragmentation leads to a far out point before retransition brings the piece back together for recapitulation. A sense of urgency is felt and the primary theme is indeed more convincing. The development of Mozart's symphony starts quietly and without much variation in the primary theme. These stops seem to represent a sophisticated restraint of emotion because the primary theme group leaves the listener with a sense of both "refinement and subdued agitation" (Kerman, p 173). The primary theme of the sonata sets the tone for the entire piece.
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