Samuel Messenger

Dr. Phillips

Musicianship II

9 December 2022

Schubert’s Menuett D. 86 Analysis

Section 1 is a contrasting period. This means it is made up of two different

phrases. It is called Period A. Phrase b is called such because the beginning of its

melody differs from the beginning of

phrase a’s melody. As shown in Image 1,

phrase a ends with a half cadence in I and

phrase b ends with a perfect

authentic cadence in I. This is

reiterated in Image 2, which

shows the exact measure and beat

on which each cadence occurs.

Chordal analysis of the piece can be viewed in Image 3 with a suspension circled.

Because Section 1 (and Period A)

ends with a PAC in 1, the piece is

sectional. A sequence is when a

musical idea and chord structure is

translated and repeated at least twice. Section 2 begins with a descending thirds

sequence, labeled in Image 4 as phrase c. In the key of D Major, 2-measure units

descend by thirds in 3 steps with a 6-6 Linear Interval Pattern (LIP), ending in a

PAC in IV. The LIP is the distance between the soprano and bass voices. The

sequence is a form of phrase extension called interpolation. Phrase d leads into a

HC in I with another interpolation — in the key of D Major, 2-chord units ascend

by step in 3 steps with a 5-10 LIP. The instruments briefly pause before heading

into Period A once again, with phrase a concluding with a HC in I. This time,

phrase b is extended in a manner which is called a suffix or post-cadential

extension because it is at the end. Rather than going to the I chord as expected, the

music first heads to a French Augmented 6th chord, then ends with the anticipated

PAC in I. Chordal analysis can be seen in Image 5. Because both Sections end with

a PAC in I and because Section 2 has Period B and Period A in it, the piece is a full

sectional rounded binary piece. This author does not believe the endings of the

sections are similar enough for the piece to be called balanced, but another author

may disagree.