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

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Ex.32: Symphony No.2 movement I, bars 10-14.
,. 1+ •
~r ti #f ~ fr Itt 't"~
r
1- 1 l-~-""--.... t
1
----
~""--'" f I>'" ...... r
c.- --
~-.....19"
.j..
-~-----------------
What is particularly interesting about this extract is the way Lilburn
modulates back to the C tonality from the E tonal centre at the end of
bar 10. He achieves this modulation through use of parallel ascending
major triads in second inversion above, initially, an E pedal. This
pedal eventually slips back down to C by way of E-flat and D-flat. The
parallel ascending major triads are built on a sequence emerging out of
the unison E at the end of bar 10. The sequence begins at the first
beat of bar II and comprises five cycles of a three-note figure based on
a succession of tone-tone-semitone upward steps. This allows the melodic
progression to follow the cycle of fifths upwards at the beginning of
each cycle of the sequence (F-sharp, B,E,A,D,G).
Apart from the chromatic element in this music, Lilburn's
preparation for the cadence on C major is remarkably similar to the
diatonic modal cadences of his early works. The same dichotomy of
movement between the upper instruments and the contrary-motion bass can
be observed, as well as the same overlapping of the cadential chords.
The top line of the upper instruments is the first to r~ach a note
belonging to the new tonic chord. This occurs midway through bar 13.
The bass and inner harmony do not find the tonic until three beats later.
The final step in the evolution of Lilburn's triadic harmonisation
comprises a relaxing of the strict succession of major (or minor) triads
in the same inversion. With this relaxation comes a willingness to move
further away from diatonic lines •. The second subject group of the first
movement of Symphony No.2 seems to be almost exclusively based
harmonically on this idea. In this section, the accompaniment works on
two levels. There is firstly the brass accompaniment (sometimes