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

221
222
224
227
231
233
235
238
239
241
,243
245
violins, viola.
horns, bassoon,
clarinet, bass,
cello.
flute, oboe,
bassoon, cello,
bass.
upper strings,
horns.
trumpets,
trombones.
brass, bassoon,
upper strings.
upper w-wind,
strings.
brass.
stripgs,
flutes.
flutes, upper
strings.
as above.
clarinet, trumpets,
upper strings.
mn
'--"
fill
~
as above.
nJ.
-
m
J. ....
OJ
-
mJ. ....,
nJ.
-
IDJ ....
fl J
-..'
as above.
as above.
as above.
as above.
impact intensifier.
as above.
as above.
as above.
as above.
as above.
as above. -: -
springboard.
as above.
impact intensifier.
311
Thus, in the Festival Overture, the strong-weak rhythmic
whiplash appears in all its various guises no fewer than sixty-three
times. With such a frequency of appearance, it becomes a unifying motif
for the work. The most common role it plays is as an impact intensifier.
Consequently, the Festival Overture is characterised by crashing chords
and whiplash climaxes. The same can be said of the Aotearoa Overture,
which also uses the strong-weak rhythmic whiplash as a unifying motif.
The 'Active' Rest
After the strong~weak
rhythmic whiplash, the most noticeable
rhythmic hallmark of Lilburn's music is his use of the 'active' rest. By
this, is meant the interpolation of a short rest into the middle of a
phrase. This interrupts the expected flow of a phrase and adds a sharp
definition to the note immediately following the rest.
This 'active' rest is employed in a variety of guises. Most
commonly it appears in a pattern that could be termed a broken dotted
rhythm.
In this, a short rest is inserted between the two notes of the
pattern, thus: ;-;;1 or J. '1 r or even J 7' ~ or J ? f. The
............. "--. ~. ""'---' .
effect of this 'active' rest here, is to add a crispness to the rhythm,