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The exposition is the first main section of a sonata form movement. Its job is to establish the main themes of the movement and to generate tonal, and therefore structural, tension. The exposition can be bro...

Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde is one of the most significant works of the 19th century. It is particularly notable for a radical approach to melody and harmony. The appropriately named ‘prelude’, not ‘overture...

Recitative is found in oratorios and operas from the Baroque period onwards. Typically, it involves a predominantly syllabic setting of a text to a homophonic accompaniment; it is used for dialogue, narratio...

Approaching an analysis of a large work such as a symphony can seem daunting at first, but the task can be made easy and enjoyable by setting out what features of the music to look for (such as harmony/ melo...

Inversion chords serve mutiple functions in the harmonic workings of a Bach chorale. First and foremost, they allow you to keep the bassline conjunct and smooth, whilst also making the harmonic progression f...