Form and Analysis

Invention Analysis Checklist

1. Tonal Profile:
   • What keys are implied or confirmed? Where?
   • How do they relate to each other and to the original tonic?
2. Characteristics of the theme:
   • length
   • does it start on tonic or elsewhere?
   • what are the implied harmonies?
   • where within the measure does it begin--on the beat, after a rest, etc.?
   • what are its significant melodic and rhythmic features?
   • is it introduced alone, or with an accompanying voice?
   • if a second voice is used, how does it relate to the theme both melodically and rhythmically?
3. Characteristics of the imitation:
   • is it at the octave, or some other interval?
   • is the imitation literal or varied?
   • is the accompanying voice a countertheme, or free material?
4. Subsequent statements:
   • what keys are involved? how do they relate to the original tonic?
   • are they complete or partial statements?
5. Episodes:
   • what is the source of the material?
   • how long is the episode?
   • does a modulation occur, and if so, how?
   • what developmental techniques are used?
6. Sectionalization:
   • what types of cadences are used? how are tonicizations effected?
   • is there an exchange of voices between sections?
   • do they rely on the same, or different, harmonic progressions?
   • what harmonic progressions are used?
   • is there a sense of proportion between sections? some sort of symmetry or lack of it?

    

Invention