Show off your theory chops with my weekly challenge! You’ll find a new question here every Monday. Please comment to post your reply.
This week’s challenge:
This is from J. S. Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor. What type of cadence is highlighted in red?
Listen to the Audio
ANSWER for 6/7/21
This is a Phrygian Cadence, or Phrygian Half Cadence. Most often seen in minor keys, we go from a iv chord in first inversion to V (Gm/Bb to A). Notice that the bass drops down a half-step, which is reminiscent of the first two notes in the Phrygian mode (hence the cadence’s name).
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It’s a bit tricky, but I believe it’s a Plagal Cadence.
The first part in red is telling us something with the C#, but we need more information.
The second part in red also has the C#, but in the bass clef there’s two Bb’s and a D in the treble clef. So that’s clearly the IV chord: Bb Maj. This is pointing to the Plagal Cadence. Notice that we never actually see the V chord anywhere.
We then end in the bass clef with A and E. Combine that with the C# up top and we have A Maj. This is more or less a substitution for the tonic.
Thank you for taking the weekly challenge! Actually, in both red sections we have the complete iv and V chords. Careful on the second red section: the first chord is G minor, not Bb major. I think you might have believed this passage was in F major, but it’s D minor. Good effort, but this isn’t a plagal cadence. The plagal cadence is iv–i. This cadence ends on V, and it’s approached by iv6. It’s a type of half cadence, and there’s a special name for it 🙂
Phrygian half cadence
I agree
A wise choice, my master!
Jackpot! Well done; you can also simply call it the Phrygian Cadence.
Half cadence: iv to V in D minor.
Correct! And Phrygian was his name-O!