The beginnings and development of a New Zealand music: The life ...

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sample of vocal or choral music such repeated use of limited ranges
might well be expected. In a sample of orchestral music it is surprising,
and can well be regarded as a distinguishing characteristic of Lilburn's
melodic writing.
Scales/modes employed
Of the fifty thematic examples, thirty-eight could be said to be
of a diatonic nature, two diatonic and modulatory, seven chromatic, two
chromatic and modulatory, and one (the two-note theme from S~phony No.2
movement III - example 46) of an indetermLnate nature. Of the forty
themes that could be called diatonic, eighteen show strong evidence of
being modally based (this figure does not include melodies that could
arguably be called ionian in mode rather than major in ~onality) and
three are pentatonic.
However, only thirteen of the 'diatonic' themes use all seven
notes of the diatonic scale (without modulation). Eight of these are
modal. A further eight themes use six of the seven notes of the diatonic
scale, with six of these themes showing evidence of modality.
Of the themes designated chromatic, only two are consistently so:
two themes from Diversions. The first of these, example 12, draws its
chromaticism from the meandering chromaticism of the chorale-like
harmonisation. The second of these, example 39, draws its chromaticism
from the alternating D major - D minor chords of the accompaniment. The
chromaticism employed in both these melodies can only be described as
mild. The chromaticism employed in the other 'chromatic' melodies is so
infrequent as to scarcely warrant the designation. Often it is only one
note of the otherwise diatonic melody that is chromatically altered.
Thus, it can be safely concluded that Lilburn's melodies are
mainly diatonic and often modal. What is possibly of greater interest
than this is the high incidence of themes employing less than six notes
of the diatonic scale. However, apart- from his pentatonic melodies, no
attempt appears to have been made by Lilburn to exploit the characteristic
sounds of these limited-pitch (or gapped) scales. Usually the
missing scale notes are to be found outside the limited compass range of
the melody.
Use of intervals in melody
The following table shows the frequency with which Lilburn uses
particular intervals in his melodic writing. The figures are drawn from