Dowland Flow My Tears

Texture

- 3 part counterpoint - Imitation e.g bar 12

Tonality

- A melodic minor with a hint of the Aeolian mode - Fluid tonality - Temporarily modulates to C Major at B

Harmony

- Diatonic harmony - Modal features: - Phrygian Cadence e.g bar 15-16, bar 2 and bar 4 - Tierce di picardi at the end and at bar 8 - Mainly root position and first inversion chords - Frequent suspensions e.g bar 5 and 7 - Passing 7ths at cadences - Frequent use of the augmented 4th e.g bar 6

Rhythm and Metre

- Flexible, following the words (the text was written especially for the music) - Some syncopation e.g bar 6 - Wordsetting is syllabic - Use of sequences - Slow common time

Text Setting

- Much word painting e.g bar 1 - Syllabic except ornamentation at cadences - Occasional passing notes - Lower auxiliary notes can be seen in bar 7 and bar 23

Background

- Published in 1600 - Genre: Lute song in the style of a Pavane - Voice (male alto), Lute, Bass Viol - First performance was private and unknown but for a social occasion

Melody

- Syllabic with slight melismas at phrase ends - Much of the writing is stepwise, leaps are narrow, normally no great than a 4th - Melodic decoration at cadences - Final cadence of each section is decorated with scales by lute to maintain momentum e.g bar 8 - Melody dominated by augmented 4ths

Structure

- Tripartite structure - AABBCC modified strophic form - Asymmetrical phrasing, slightly irregular, using 2 bar, 3 bar and 6 bar phrases - 3 part counterpoint texture