Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Thesis Format

Monograph

Degree

Master of Arts

Program

Music

Supervisor

Franck, Peter

Abstract

A reoccurring discussion found when referring to the sonata forms of Schubert’s instrumental music is his use of Romantic lyricism: a characteristic found in the melodic themes of late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century music. Schubert’s use of lyricism has led to an underwhelming reception of his sonata form in his instrumental works. While these discussions are relevant, they overshadow Schubert’s understanding of sonata form through his ingenious harmonic relationships and tonal structural pillars. To show how Schubert’s use of lyricism in the foreground of the music does not compromise the thematic progress of his sonata form at a deeper layer of tonal structure, I will analyze the sonata form movements in his Great C-Major Symphony. These analyses demonstrate how Schubert keeps the structural pillars found in traditional sonata form, revealing his repetitive use of lyricism in his themes as individual and memorable foreground elements in the sonata-form genre.

Summary for Lay Audience

A reoccurring discussion found when referring to the sonata forms of Franz Schubert’s instrumental music is his use of Romantic lyricism: a melodic characteristic found in the main themes of late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century music. This technique occurs prevalently in German Romantic Lieder, which is one of the most influential and prestigious repertoire in song writing. As Schubert was considered one of the first great masters of Romantic Lieder, it is unsurprising to find that his sonata forms combine elements of traditional sonata form with those of Lieder. However, Schubert’s use of lyricism led to an underwhelming reception of his sonata form in his instrumental works. Several critics and analysts have discussed how the traditional sonata form used by Classical-era composers clashes with the repetitive melodic lyricism in Schubert’s compositions. While these discussions are relevant to Schubert’s instrumental and sonata form writing, they tend to overshadow his overall understanding of sonata form and do not sufficiently express the subtlety of what he is accomplishing. Although the thematic progress of the sonata form seems scarcely developed when combined with his repetitive melodic lyricism, Schubert maintains the structural formation found in the exposition, development, and recapitulation sections of sonata form, and develops unique harmonic relationships underneath the melody to fully expand on their thematic ideas. To show how Schubert’s use of lyricism in the foreground of the music does not compromise the thematic progress of his sonata form underneath, I will analyze the sonata form movements in his Great C-Major Symphony. These analyses demonstrate how Schubert keeps these structural formations found in traditional sonata form, revealing his repetitive use of lyricism in his themes as individual and memorable foreground elements that do not affect the thematic progressions in the sonata-form genre.

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