This melody in Ex. 3-1 can be heard at 2.25min of the youtube video posted by lovelove. The notes of this melody are:C D Eb/E F# G Ab Bb/B C
Noting the characteristic raised 4th (F#), this melody has notes belonging to the C Lydian mode. It is possible to identify the tonic as C because of the bass line accompaniment, which emphasises C (Ex. 3).
However, it is not just a simple C Lydian mode. A C Lydian mode is identified by a C major scale with a raised 4th. In the above example, it seems like there is a presence of C natural minor scale with a raised 4th too. Therefore, the passage of melody is a superimposition of the C Lydian mode and a C Aeolean mode with raised 4th (if I can explain it in this way).
Notice that there's also the presence of a D# in the second last bar of Ex 3-1. Perhaps this chromatic alteration occurs with reason as Holst wants to highlight the rising semitone figuration, which could be a distinguishing charateristic of Mars as seen from the opening bars (see Ex. 1).
A part of this modal passage returns later on in Mars, but on different notes. I will examine it for similarities / differences with this first occurance.
2 comments:
Hi Jean,
I think your idea of a mixed mode here, namely, Aeolian [note spelling] + Lydian, is on the right track. However, examine your Ex 3-1 and elsewhere more carefully to see whether it is better to see these two modes as a unified/composite whole or more separately.
Additionally, what about the Db the follows? Can you see some relation between the modes in this section and the pitch content in the preceding section?
Probably one common thing between the modes and the pitch content of the section before is the idea of a raised 4th or a tritone interval created.
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