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

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Thus, the above five examples illustrate both the recurrence,
throughout Lilburn's first compositional period, of the use of pedal
points, and the expansion of his harmonic vocabulary from a basic
diatonic modality to a refined chromatic parallelism.
As mentioned above, in the discussion on melody, many of Lilburn's
melodies are constructed out of diatonic modes. Given that Lilburn's
themes are usually announced during a period of orchestral quiet with a
skeleton accompaniment, it would seem logical that these points in the
score would show clearly Lilburn's use of modal harmony. In actual fact,
this is not the case. Where a modal theme is not accompanied by parallel
triads (and the inevitable chromaticism that follows) it is accompanied
by a harmony that merely reinforces the tonic chord, or in some cases,
only the tonic note. The diatonic modality that characterises these
passages is all melodic.
Symphony No.2 gives two good examples of this. The first theme of
movement I is pure aeolian in mode, based on a B tonic. Its accompaniment
comprises three distinct ideas. One of these is a B pedal, sustained
throughout the statement. Another is the repetition of a rhythmic motif
in the viola. The notes for this motif are Band D. The third idea
begins as a dominant (F-sharp) and mediant (D) pedal in the cello divisi
lines. This harmonic line comes closest to establishing a modal harmonic
background when, in the third bar of the statement of the theme, the
F-sharp is raised to a G-natural - the aeolian sixth. The modal
flavour of the extract remains essentially the property of the melody:
Ex.6: Symphony No.2 movement I, bars 22-6.
) ..r.o\.... '1-1) rl..'1i\.._;(.. _t',f
I I '-'"
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