Thematic Motive Echoes

This example shows the drastic dynamic changes between two utterances of the same thematic motive using an excerpt from Count Ferdinand Waldstein’s Sinfonie in D, movement one. The first iteration of the theme is performed forte, or loud. The same theme is repeated and then performed piano, or soft, creating a type of “echo effect.” This was a popular eighteenth century technique as it demonstrated the musical organization and precision of the ensemble and emphasized certain musical phrases for the listeners.