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

Ex.29: Symphony No.2 movement II, violin I bars 2-5.
318
This extract also shows Lilburn at work surreptitiously shifting accents
through scoring varying bow lengths for different groupings of notes.
As with the strong-weak rhythmic whiplash, the 'active' rest,
the broken dotted rhythms, th,e special-emphasis syncopation and the
anticipatory syncopation, use of this rn or m pattern is not
confined to the melody. Indeed, many of the accompanying lines in
Diversions and in Symphony No.2 movement II are motivated by its use.
Sequential Repetition of Rhythmic Motifs
In the discussion "Form in Lilburn",6 mention was made of a
characteristic rhythmic device often used to signpost structural links.
This was described as a sequential repetition of a distinctive motif.
As this device is used throughout his music, and as its most obvious
effect is on the element of rhythm, it is worth further examination here.
Few of Lilburn's orchestral works from his first period of
composition do not contain some evidence of this technique in process.
Where it appears, it usually effects a change in the tension of the
music, either heightening or relaxing the mood. As mentioned in a
previous chapter,7 this device is used as a musical straining post.
Where this device is used, also, a change in the natural groupings
of the rhythmic pulses, or a shi~t in the natural accenting, can usually
be observed.
In Allegro, this device is used to build tension prior to the
announcing of the second theme of the first subject group:
Ex.30: Allegro for strings, violin I bars 91-8.
6 Part II Chapter 3.
7 ibid.