John Dowland - Flow My Tears Analysis
- Created by: CG01
- Created on: 20-01-13 18:26
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- John Dowland Flow My Tears
- Structure
- Tripartite AABBAA
- A: Bars 1-8 (x2 with different lyrics B: Bars 9-16 (x2 with different lyrics C: Bars 17-24 (Repeated)
- Through Composed (In continuous development with no repitition between verses
- Tripartite AABBAA
- Setting
- Almost entirely syllabic
- Few melismas reserved for pairs of semiquavers
- First melisma in bar 1 to aid the passing note
- The rest of the melisma's add weight to the lower auxiliary notes and therefore have harmonic as well as a melodic purpose
- The melisma's (excluding bars 1 and 10) are cadential and therefore have a structural purpose
- Word Painting
- Tear of grief motif used throughout
- onomatopoetic quality depicts a human crying. four descending notes like a tear rolling down the cheek
- Tear of grief motif used throughout
- Meldody
- Complete melody
- Highly lyrical and expressive line
- General character is conjunct with some consonant skips. (especially in the central section at bars 12-14)
- Much of the solo is derived from the falling scalic part in bar 1, reflecting the doleful mood of the words
- Tonality
- Tierce De Picardie
- Section A
- A minor ending with a tierce de picadie (A major at bar 8)
- Finishes with perfect cadence
- Section B
- C Major. modulations to D minor at bar 12 and then returning to A minor at bar 6
- Opens in a relative major and finishes on Phrygian Cadence
- Section C
- Minor ending with a tierce de picadie
- A Minor with aeolian inflections
- Texture
- Homophonic with lute creating some contrapuntal elements through part movement (bar 4)
- Uses counterpoint which is successful because it is totally motivic and so can be justified on both academia and emotional terms
- Hexachord in bar 16
- Bar 4: only two parts accompanying lute
- Little immitation, immitation in bar 12-15
- Bar 12: Tenor voice moves in sixths with solo line in clear contrast to the treble and bass parts of the lute accompianment
- Harmonic Devices
- Harmonic devices
- Suspensions
- False relations
- Phrygian cadence
- Double suspensions
- Dominant pedal in bass
- Tierce de Picardie
- Harmonic devices
- Melodic Devices
- Lower Auxilary note
- Structure
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