Flow My Tears John Dowland Lesson 2
Harmony (Another common type of suspension is heard at the start of bar 2, where the lute holds a 7 th (E) above F in the bass and then resolves this dissonance by falling to a D, a 6 th above the same bass note. This is known as a 7-6 suspension for similar reasons) Bars 15(4)-16 feature a Phrygian cadence, a type of imperfect cadence that consists of the progression Ivb-V in a minor key
Harmony Dowland uses false relations as an expressive device. For example, in bar 5, the lute s G natural, followed by the vocal G#, creates a particularly poignant effect to reflect the sad words All of the features mentioned (suspensions, false relations, phrygian cadences and the Tierce de Picardie) are characteristic features of late- Renaissance music and help to identify the style
Tonality The key is A minor, defined by the three main cadences we have described. However, the descending melodic minor scale introduces a Gnatural in falling phrases (e.g in bars 1 and 9). This note is sometimes harmonised by a chord of C Major (bar 9) or G Major (bar 5(3)), the latter adding a touch of modality to the music each time it appears
Other Points Rhythm is used flexibly to give a declamatory character to the text. In the first phrase the word fall seizes the attention through the use of syncopation, as does infamy in bar 6. The word setting almost entirely syllabic, but on this recording, there is a little embellishment in the repeat of bar 15 and in bar 23
Other Points The vocal melody has a fairly narrow range of a 9 th but features some expressive leaps, such as the minor 6 th in bar 1. What is most remarkable is the way Dowland, taking his cue from the poetic image of falling tears, unifies the whole song by a falling 4 th figure. This tear motif is first heard as a scalic descent of a perfect 4 th, from tonic, to dominant (bar 1)
Other Points It is immediately repeated with much greater anguish, caused by starting a 3 rd higher, on and off beat (bar 1(4)) and decending through a diminished 4 th, from C to G#. Elsewhere, the falling 4 th is heard unadorned (bar 3) and in sequence (bars 20-21).
Other Points Although the texture can correctly be described as melody and accompaniment, the lute part is often more contrapuntal than homophonic In bars 12-14, notice how the vocal solo is imitated by the lute in the rising-3 rd motif, the rests perhaps expressing the poet s gasping for air between his tears and sighs and grones
Other Points Other examples of word-painting include the reservation of the highest note of the song for Happie in bar 20 and the unusual interval of a diminished 4 th, following the word hell in bar 22 Scholars believe that pitch in the late Renaissance was lower than it is today, which is reflected by the fact that the performance on CD3 is a tone lower than the music printed in the score
Dictionary Corner! Phrygian Cadence A type of imperfect cadence used in minor keys. It consists of the chords Ivb-V, as in bars 15(4)- 16 False Relations The simultaneous or adjacent occurrence in different parts of a note in it s normal form and in a chromatically altered form Sequence The immediate repetition at a different pitch of a phrase or motif in a continuous melodic line Imitation If a motif in one part is immediately taken up by another part while the first part continues with other music, the music is said to be treated in imitation. The basic melodic shape and rhythm of the opening should be audible, but the imitation is usually not exact Word-Painting The musical illustration of the meaning or emotion associated with particular words or phrases, such as the use of the highest note for Happie
Quiz!! 1) Which bars feature a phrygian cadence? 2)What is a phyrigian cadence? 3) How does Dowland use false relations and where does he use them? 4) What key is the piece in? 5) How do the words fall and infamy seize attention? 6) In this piece, what is the tear motif? 7) In bars 12-14 what does Dowland use to perhaps express gasping for air between his tears and sighs and grones? 8) Give an example of word painting in this piece