Flow My Tears - John Dowland Notes on the Dowland piece 4.5 / 5 based on 3 ratings ? MusicASAll boards Created by: AnnieCreated on: 17-03-11 18:45 Flow My Tears - John Dowland - 1 Background Lute-song or ayre Based on pre-existing work: Pavan Lachrimae (Tearful Pavan) Published 1600 Probably intended for performance at court Marked by melancholy atmosphere, characteristic of the composer Rhythm and Metre 4/4 in characteristic slow pavan tempo with Syncopation Dotted rhythms Ornamental, shorted note lengths near cadences 1 of 4 Flow My Tears - John Dowland - 2 Melody and word-setting Opening stepwise descending line matches the text describing falling tears Syllabic underlay, except for ornamental figuration in bars 7 and 23 Verbal and musical accentuation is not always synchronised Line is broken by rests to convey 'teares and sighs' at bar 12 First syllable of 'Happie' is the highest note of the piece - word-painting Over all range of a 9th (D-E) Odd interval of a diminished 4th (G#-C) at bar 22 to convey 'helle' Harmony Though not consistantly functional, there are frequent cadences both perfect and Phrygian 2 of 4 Flow My Tears - John Dowland - 3 (Harmony continued) Other devices include: Suspension, e.g. 7-6 at bars 1-2 and 4-3 at bar 7 False relation (bar 5) Tierce de Picardie (bars 8 and 24) Tonality A minor with Aeolian inflections (as in a descending melodic minor scale) Second section starts in C, but finishes with a Phrygian cadence in A minor 3 of 4 Flow My Tears - John Dowland - 4 Structure Typical pavan structure - in three parts, each section repeated - AA BB CC Resources/Texture Voice and lute and on the recording with a bass viol Melody and accompaniment which hovers between homophony and counterpoint Some dialogue or antiphony, e.g. bar 12 Brief imitation bars 13-14 4 of 4
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