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13.5: The Double Period

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    13.5 The Double Period

    The Double Period.

    A double period consists of at least 4 phrases and is comprised of an antecedent group and a consequent group. The first two phrases in a double period are the antecedent group and the final two phrases are the consequent group, which ends with a cadence that “answers” the less conclusive cadence (or “question”) that ended the antecedent group. The melodic scheme of abab’ (four phrases) is commonly encountered in a double period. A double period with this melodic scheme would be described as a “parallel double period” because both the antecedent group and consequent group begin with the same melody.

    phrases-double-period-op-10-no-1-II-A.svg

    phrases-double-period-op-10-no-1-II-B.svg

    phrases-double-period-op-10-no-1-II-C.svg

    phrases-double-period-op-10-no-1-II-D.svg

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    Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): Beethoven, Piano Sonata Op. 10, No. 1, II

    phrases-double-period-op-10-diagram.svg

    /
    Figure \(\PageIndex{2}\): Formal diagram of a double period (Beethoven, Op. 10, No. 1, II)

    A double period will typically have one of the following cadential schemes:

    phrases-double-period-cadential-schemes-diagram.svg

    /
    Figure \(\PageIndex{3}\): Possible cadential schemes in a double period

    Notice that the first two phrases of an antecedent group can consist of an IAC followed by a HC (“Scheme 3” in the above example). This may seem confusing if you are focused on analyzing phrases solely in groups of two instead considering how many phrases are in a section before analyzing the cadential scheme and the form.

    13.5.1 Repeated Period

    You may encounter a section consisting of four phrases that is not a double period but instead is a repeated period.

    phrases-repeated-period-waldstein.svg

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    Figure \(\PageIndex{4}\): Beethoven, Piano Sonata Op. 53, I

    Examine the difference between these two formal diagrams, noting the cadence after the second phrase in each:

    phrases-repeated-period-waldstein-diagram.svg

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    Figure \(\PageIndex{5}\): Formal diagram of a repeated period (Beethoven, Op. 53, I)

    phrases-double-period-op-10-diagram.svg

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    Figure \(\PageIndex{6}\): Formal diagram of a double period (Beethoven, Op. 10, No. 1, II)

    In the next section we will examine phrase combinations that are not periods.


    This page titled 13.5: The Double Period is shared under a GNU Free Documentation License 1.3 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Robert Hutchinson via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.