Harmonic Analysis

Showing each key area, modulations, and significant chord functions will help a conductor know where the music is going and if there are specific moments in the music that need to be cued.

We will again look in detail at the harmonic analysis of Symphony 1, Movement 1 by Ludwig van Beethoven



We can see that this piece focuses around the I and V in the key of C during the introduction and exposition. The development takes the music in many different keys, but returns to C for the recapitulation and coda.

Listen specifically to the first and second endings of the exposition. The difference in remaining in the same key or modulating to a new key makes a difference in his conducting.



1st ending 00:02:53, skips to 2nd ending immediately after
Astoria Symphony (NYC), conducted by Silas Nathaniel Huff, recorded live in October 2009

Here is another example with the Harmonic Analysis included with the video.



Performed by the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen with Paavo Järvi, 2006.