Piece:

Flow My Tears
Composer: John Dowland:

Melody
Point
Mostly syllabic
Paired semiquaver melismas
Falling 4th figure
Much of the melodic material is based on
the falling scalic (4th) figure
Vocal range of a minor 9th
Exceptions of the falling scalic (4th)
melodic figure = rising 3rd melodic figure
Exceptions of syllabic writing are
cadenctial ornamentation
Happie highest note is on the 1st
syllable, falling a 4th in a descending
sequence

Harmony
Point
Tierce de picardie
False relations
Phrygian Cadences (IVb-V)
Descending 4th melody line provides
contours for bass line
4-3 and 7-6 suspensions
Section C begins with 2-bar dominant
pedal
Using chords with root position + 1st
inversion

Tonality
Point
Starts in A minor
Section B is in C major
Returns to A minor
Modal, Aeolian in A

Bar number

1 + 15
1
1

12-14
7-23

Bar number
Ending bar
5
Last bar
1 and 2
Bar 7 and 2
Section C
21

Bar number

Rhythm
Point
In 4/4 but bar 19 is in 3/2
No two bars of solo have the same
rhythm except 22, 23-24
Tied, dotted notes, rests and
syncopation creates supple line to
accommodate stresses
Longer notes used to throw weight onto
words of stronger meaning e.g. flow and
fall at beginning, live (bar 7), dark (bar
18), Happie (20-21)
Most verses are made up of longer note
lengths
Shorter values appear in lute
figurations and at cadences in vocal part
Bass line of lute moves in rhythmic
counterpoint to the voice

Texture
Point
Homophonic but with contrapuntal parts
Lute sometimes plays 4 part chords
making 5 with the voice (bar1)
Sometimes the 6 notes appear at once
(bar 16)
2 part writing contrast
Little imitation except bars 12-15 and
19-20
Tenor part moves in sixths with solo
line
To
Contracts with the treble and bass parts
of lute


Structure & Tonality
Point
Tripartite verses 1 + 2 same music
3 +4 sharing the second strain
5 set differently again
Pavan AABBCC slow dance in duple
time
Irregular internal phrase structure

Bar number
19
22, 23-24

Live (bar 7)
Dark (bar 18)
Happie (20-21)

Bar number

Bar 1
Bar 16
Bar 4
12-15
19-20
13

Bar number

reflects syllabic structure of each stanza

Number of syllables per line differs, as
does the music
Song is unified by material from opening
4 note figure
Irregular time of 3/2
Repetition of text
Section A = stanzas 1-2
Section B = stanzas 3-4
Section C = stanza 5 -repeated
Section finishes with perfect cadence
Section B opens in C major + finished
with imperfect/Phrygian cadence
Section C finishes with a perfect cadence

Instrumentation
Point
Lute
Voice

19
14
1-8
9-16
17-24
8
6 + 16
24

Bar number