Penne is written in a modified rondo form (ABACA). The piece demonstrates modulation using five techniques, namely: secondary dominants, monophonic, common tone, direct, and sequential. It is in common time but has a 12/8 feel which is caused by constant use of triplets in the melody. Throughout the piece I sprinkle embellishments to add some interesting features to transitionary phrases; mostly in the form of mordents. Penne is in G.

The A section begins with a pickup bar in an unconventional 1.5/4 meter, and uses a quadruplet in the melody to slowly introduce the main melodic material. The main theme uses a steady 4/4 rhythm in the bass with repetitive supporting 1/8th notes, while in the melody I opted for 1/4 notes in triplets which arpeggiate the chords as they change. M.3 introduces the other main part of the theme which consists of 1/8 notes in triplets which present a 12/8 feel to contrast over the 4/4 bass. M.4 modulates to the relative minor using standard harmonic progression of a deceptive cadence. Mm.7-8 bring about the second modulation which demonstrates the use of secondary dominants. The F# that transitions to Bmi is teased in m.6 but doesn’t fully switch the tonal center until m.8.

The B section demonstrates modulation through a monophonic melody. The first 3 measures introduce a contrasting melody in the bass-line which ascends and descends dramatically. There are mordents placed at the turn of each melodic phrase to emphasize the change. The monophonic portion of the modulation occurs at mm3.5-4 and works off of the momentum gained in the first 3 measures to push it forwards into a dramatically different key (G#mi from Bmi). System 4 makes up the second part of the B section and demonstrates common tone modulation. The i7 chord in m.14 shares a common tone of G#/Ab with Fmi. The second A section begins in Gmi which is the parallel minor of the starting key. I transition back to G in m. 8 using the same dominant which I feel creates a nice contrast to the opening sequence.

The C section presents completely different melodic material that places huge emphasis on the first three beats of the 4/4 meter, a change that contrasts the dominating 12/8 feel in the melody so far. The final beat of each measure maintains 1/8th note triplets that move the piece forward while keeping some connection to the broader theme. Mm.22-23 features a direct modulation between Emi and F#mi. The following system uses sequential modulation to change key twice and land Penne in Eb for the final portion of the C section. Mm.29-32 play with the the first antecedent phrase in the main theme and repeat it while moving through standard harmonic progression. This is a pleasant break from the rapid modulation so far in the piece and sets up the final A section.

The 3rd A is modified and extended to rapidly modulate back to the initial key of G. Beginning on Cmi, the relative minor of Eb, there is a series of repeated thematic material from the first two A sections that modulate every two measures. The final two measures use an ascending sequence in the bass to bring some sense of finality to the ending imperfect authentic cadence.