The name is absent

115

Figure 6: Motivic Connections Between Black Birds, Red Hills and Viola Sonata

While both motives seem natural to Larsen’s language, it is interesting that they are
not figures Larsen seems to have used in other chamber works. The first motive, listed in
Figure 6, is a simple four note rising octave figure which emphasizes the final and longest
note of the motive through its placement on the downbeat. Larsen uses this motive only
twice in the first movement of Black Birds, but in the sonata it is a structurally defining
motive, unifying all three movements. It generally appears as a preface to a new melodic
idea, and is always preceded by a rest.

The other motive that Larsen uses prominently in both pieces is a series of three
alternating minor thirds. This specific pattern occurs only three times in the second
movement of the trio, Black Rock, but is frequently found in the second movement of the
sonata. Adding to the significance of this connection between the two slow movements is
the general mood and subject matter of the music. BlackRock suggests the image or
feeling of sand wearing a small stone smooth over hundreds or even thousands of years,
and Drift is a study of motion acting on non-motion. This relationship will be examined
in detail below.

A final connection between the trio and the sonata is the manner in which Larsen
repeats or develops motivic and melodic material. In general the melodic structure or

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