140
Motives that sound related to those found in earlier movements, including the rising
octave figure, permeate this movement. Here, the octave motive is most often used
transitionally and appears with several different combinations of pitches and rhythms.87
Motive x, the main melodic material of the movement is longer than many found in
Larsen’s music. This fast pizzicato passage, punctuated by accents, is sparsely
accompanied. Melodically, its range is all within a major sixth, yet the chromatic motion
mostly emphasizes the minor third, shown in Example 3.27. Motive x is the only
significant melodic material that is repeated in this movement.
Example 3.27: Viola Sonata, Third mvt., mm. 17-2888
A pattern of four alternating minor thirds (motive y), first heard in m. 24 and
presented again in m. 29, does not develop the same structural importance as motive x,
yet is played by both viola and piano as a sort of punctuation figure throughout both the
87 See mm. 11-16, 41-42, 58, and 115-117.
88 There is a mistake in the score: measure 22 should happen twice as shown in Example
3.27 (See Appendix C for other errata).