[Listening extract audio not available in printed QP. Skeleton score in Insert.] Study the ascending motif shown below. In the first development, every note...

(a) Augmentation [1]

Augmentation is a compositional technique in which every note value in a melody or motif is doubled (made longer). For example, if the original motif consists of crotchets (quarter notes), the augmented version uses minims (half notes). The pitches and intervals remain the same - only the durations change. This effectively stretches the motif in time, making it sound slower and broader. Augmentation is commonly used in fugues, canons, and developmental passages in Classical and Baroque music.

(b) Diminution [1]

Diminution is the opposite technique: every note value is halved (made shorter). Crotchets become quavers, minims become crotchets, and so on. Again, the pitches stay the same while the rhythmic values shrink. This compresses the motif in time, making it sound faster and more energetic. Diminution is often used to create excitement, increase momentum, or build toward a climax. Like augmentation, it is a standard developmental technique in contrapuntal and symphonic writing.

(c) Musical effect of augmentation [1]

Acceptable answers include any one of the following:

• It slows down the motif, creating a broader, more expansive, or more stately character
• It can add emphasis or grandeur to the theme, giving it more weight and importance
• It can create contrast with surrounding faster material, drawing attention to the augmented passage
• It can signal the end or climax of a section, as the elongated motif sounds more final or conclusive