In Menuet I and II from Johann Sebastian Bach's Second Suite for solo cello, distinctive melodic ideas seamlessly flow into one another. The seamless transitions are supported by the melodic contour and harmonic structure of the piece. The way the melody and harmonic structure work together also helps us understand the piece's form.
One example of this is seen at the very beginning of Menuet I. The melody's contour begins with a four-bar phrase that descends towards a half cadence. Then the following four-bar phrase has a melody that ascends towards another half cadence.
We also see a similar phrase structure at the beginning of Menuet II. The first four-bar phrase in Menuet II begins with the melody ascending and then descending to a half cadence, similar to the way the melody in Menuet I moves. Additionally, the second four-bar phrase starts by descending but then moves to ascending towards another half cadence.
Both Menuet I and II start with a similar melodic contour, which demonstrates a hidden parallel between the two movements. However, the rate at which the melody changes direction is different between Menuet I and II.
In Menuet I, the last three bars of both phrases move towards the half cadence. In Menuet II, the last bar of the first phrase and the last two bars of the second phrase also move toward the half cadence. The rates at which the phrases change in Menuet I and Menuet II affect the momentum of the movements. The momentum of the phrases highlights the contrast between the form of the Menuets.
The second half of Menuet I holds true to the phrasing of the opening by having the melodic line consistently lead into the next cadence:
I noticed that the last bar of each four-bar phrase leads toward the start of the next four-bar phrase in either an ascending or descending manner. The most prominent example is the descending movement toward the temporary tonic: the minor four-chord. The consistent transitions to the next phrases make the melody feel more conclusive and set up a new part of the piece. This helps distiguish the form of the piece as you will hear eighth-note runs towards a cadence to start the next period of phrases.
Menuet II has similar melodic transitions, but it is more nuanced in how the listener hears the form:
Similar to Menuet I, we can see and hear how the eighth-note runs of the melody move towards what sounds like the start of a new phrase, but then we are met with a continuous strand of more eighth notes. Instead of the ascending or descending runs moving towards a clear cadence, it moves towards a new phrase, which helps create momentum through the second half of the piece. This makes the form of Menuet II more ambiguous and open.
The opening melodic period of Menuet II establishes a rhythmic idea that is used throughout the piece as a recurring theme:
The notes that are highlighted in light blue are the rhythmic motives that reappear throughout the piece. These rhythmic themes help establish the form. For example, the first two phrases of the beginning and middle sections of the piece both have a rhythmic theme that has three-quarter notes in the second measure. The listener hears this theme twice, which establishes it as a common theme throughout the piece. However, the third time we hear it, it is preceded by running eighth notes. This makes the form hard to distinguish at first, but since the listener associates the three-quarter notes with the beginning of a new phrase, the listener assumes a new phrase has started.
Overall, the contour of the melody works to bring out the changes in the harmony. The ascending and descending movement towards cadences helps establish the start and end of each melodic phrase. Additionally, the rhythmic themes also help the listener recognize a new melodic phrase even after the new section has started.
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