Which section resolves tension back to tonic, sometimes with a coda?

Which section resolves tension back to tonic, sometimes with a coda?

• A. Bridge
• B. Recapitulation
• C. Exposition
• D. Development

Answer: (B)

Bringing the main themes back in the home key to restore stability is what the recapitulation does. In this section the principal ideas are restated in the tonic, which resolves the earlier harmonic tension built up during the development and exploration of keys. A coda may follow to push the sense of finality and reinforce the tonic even further. The other sections serve different roles: the exposition introduces the materials and keys; the development pushes those materials through various keys to heighten tension; the bridge provides contrast and connects ideas within the exposition, but none of these center the return to the home key in the way the recapitulation does.

Bringing the main themes back in the home key to restore stability is what the recapitulation does. In this section the principal ideas are restated in the tonic, which resolves the earlier harmonic tension built up during the development and exploration of keys. A coda may follow to push the sense of finality and reinforce the tonic even further. The other sections serve different roles: the exposition introduces the materials and keys; the development pushes those materials through various keys to heighten tension; the bridge provides contrast and connects ideas within the exposition, but none of these center the return to the home key in the way the recapitulation does.