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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 7th
(E) above F in the bass and then resolves this
dissonance by falling to a D, a 6th 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 lateRenaissance 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
9th but features some expressive leaps, such as
the minor 6th 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 4th
figure.
• This ‘tear motif’ is first heard as a scalic descent
of a perfect 4th, from tonic, to dominant (bar 1)
Other Points
• It is immediately repeated with much greater
anguish, caused by starting a 3rd higher, on
and off beat (bar 1(4)) and decending through
a diminished 4th, from C to G#.
• Elsewhere, the falling 4th 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-3rd 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 4th, 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