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

a monopoly on the interesting material. Certainly this is true to a
limited extent, as the majority of themes are both announced and
further explored in the violins. However, Lilburn does not totally
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neglect his violas or celli. A number of themes are announced by these
instruments, such as the main theme of Allegro (viola.}., the second and
third themes of Symphony No.1 movement I (cello), the introduction theme
to Symphony No.2 movement I (viola) and the 'Maori chant' theme of
Suite for Orchestra movement II (viola).
In addition to this, when a mixing of timbres occurs in the
development or recapitulation of a theme, it is usually the viola or
cello line that is combined with a woodwind line.
Throughout the works of his first composition period, Lilburn
makes sparing use of conventional devices for altering the basic arco
string timbre.
These devices include pizzicato, harmonics (usually
only the first overtone), finger tremelo, trills and poitamento slides.
In the later works of this period he shows a marked increase in the use
of divisi as well as double-stopping and even treble-stopping •
.
To underline the assertion that Lilburn's string writing in his
first period of composition is conservative, one needs to examine a
typical movement from one of his string orchestral compositions: for
example, movement I from Landfall 1n Unknown Seas.
This movement is dominated by the violins, particularly the first
violins. Both violin lines appear in every bar of the movement, and
there are only a few bars in which the primary interest (either
melodically or rhythmically) is not centred on the first violin. Out of
the 180 bars in the work, the violin II line moves in rhythmic unison
with the violin I· line for 111 complete bars. The violin I line never
needs to make use of its G string (its lowest note used is D), and it is
the only line that consistently rises above pitches obtainable in first
position.
Over half the-bars (93) have all five instruments sounding.
all of these, with the possible exception of one bar, the double bass
doubles the cello line at the octave or the double octave.
the bars have four of the five instruments. sounding.
always the missing instrument.
lines sounding.
In
Sixty-six of
The double bass is
Eighteen of the bars have only three
In these, it is the cello that drops out (along with the
double bass). The viola line drops out for the three remaining· bars.
The viola line is most often tied rhythmically to the second
violins. These two lines move in rhythmic unison for slightly under