JAVS Fall 1997

25

the viola against this A minor, however, followed by an F-minor triad in the piano against the viola's C minor. These latter two do more than direct the harmony back towards C minor. Each chord is voiced with its root on top, and the fourth chord, a C#-minor triad in the viola, is voiced withE on top. The top notes of these chords thus outline motive x' to begin the phrase. A triplet scale passage completes it, reproducing the descending scalar contour of the remainder of the first phrase of the Theme but continuing to C. A version of motive x connects this end ing to the next phrase (Figure 7). The other two phrases begin with the same three triads, voiced similarly, so that every phrase in Variation 5 begins with motive x outlined in the top notes of its first three chords. Each also ends with a descending triplet scale passage. There is no conclusive cadence in the last phrase, the final piano notes suggesting the dominant of the key at the beginning of the next variation, E~ major, while the viola's concluding triplets overlap the beginning ofVariation 6.

FIGURE 7· The first phrase ofVariation 5

remainder of ;t=-::::-::"-"-=.;-~-~-~=--=~fi=::::=st=ph~r~:=se=:::-=-----"'-~~~~--~==:--=::::--~n-ue_d 10 C -:~, _______ x ---------,

To begin Variation 6, the piano creates a busy accompaniment in i (with a~ thrown in oc casionally to unsettle any suggestion of routine) from the first six notes of the first phrase of the Theme. Above this, the viola presents the quotation from the second strain of Dowland's "Flow, My Tears" (Figure 8). The quotation is only slightly altered from Dowland's original at first, appearing in E~ major. This very nearly upsets Britten's focus on C minor: the melody's D~ struggles against prominent D~-major chords in the accompaniment that lead to a surpris ingly unconvincing C-minor cadence. 14 The last few notes of the quotation are modified to strengthen the implication of C minor: Britten transposes 15 them to end the phrase on B ~, the leading tone of that key. But this B~ never actually resolves. The whole quotation is tried again an octave higher, ending as indecisively; the transposed portion is extended, leading to an inconclusive cadence that cannot seem to choose between C minor, E~ major, and E~ minor. The viola is left holding the unresolved B ~ .

FIGURE 8. Quotation from Dowland's "Flow, My Tears" in Variation 6

Dowland

u r r I or ~ ~-

r r r r·

J j c· I Fr ~~~·

Britten