"History, Analysis and Performance Considerations of Gerald Finzi's ...

17However the arrival of A major at measure 12 calls for the preceding measures to be understoodas functioning in the role of dominant (borrowed), rather than the tonic. Moreover, crossrelations obscuring the modality of the first eleven measures, infer that the tonic of A will arrivein minor, not in major as actually occurs. Thus, both modal variants of A have been identified askey centers in the formal reductions presented thus far.The primary motive for a new thematic statement enters at measure 12, with the distinctrising third in A major foreshadowing the “Wine” text to come at measure 55 (see Figure 6). Themelodic rise in measure 12 continues to high A, then arches downward in three successivedescending treble sighs, from high A to C♯ (measure 13), E to A (measures 14-15), and C to G♯(measures 15-16). The final resting G♯ functions as both the color tone of the augmented chordwhich cadences this second improvisatory interlude, as well as the common tone linking thereturn of a at measure 17. Because of its forward-looking reference to a more extended statementlater in the work, it shall be identified as theme d, corresponding to its later thematic placementin the anthem as a whole.The prelude closes with a final shortened return to a, voiced for the first time with aprominent G♯, the common tone from theme d, and again emphasizing again the dominantfunction of the “Sacrifice” theme (see Figure 7). Taken as a whole, the entire background line ofthe Prelude reveals a statement-departure-return, with the departure being to the tonic, and theprimary statement and its return in the dominant (see Figure 8).