JAVS Spring 2026

Figure 4. Additional (interval) areas to observe: Inversion of B section subjects.

Figure 5. Additional (interval) areas to observe: Intervallic Consonance and Dissonance Cadential Points.

Figure 6. Additional (interval) areas to observe: Tonal parallelisms comparisons.

The tables in Figures 3- 6 were constructed with several analytical considerations in mind: rhythmic groupings (including attention to printed commas and their implications for pulse), intervallic relationships, and the overarching ABA' formal design. The following figures present more focused observations, drawing attention to specific intervallic parallelisms and subtle transformations within the material. Building upon these observations, part of the tonal ambiguity of the piece emerges through its cadential endings—specifically, the relationship between the final four measures of both A sections (mm. 12–15 and mm. 56–59), and what these passages reveal about the work’s tonal orientation. While the piece largely adheres to a diatonic framework in C minor, closer attention to the

intervallic content preceding the Picardy thirds offers further insight.

When the upper and lower voices are examined independently and then combined into composite pitch collections, they suggest an A ♭ -Lydian sonority. The Lydian mode, characterized by a major third, raised fourth, and major seventh, is nearly fully represented in the pitch content of this passage. This observation is particularly significant because, beginning at m. 16 (the onset of the B section), A ♭ remains tonally prominent until approximately m. 22, after which fragments of C re emerge. This process creates a form of reverse parallelism to the opening of the work.

Journal of the American Viola Society / Vol. 42, No. 1, Spring 2026

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