The name is absent

142

The meter remains in 4/4 for the duration of the contrasting lyrical section (mm.
36-50). The viola melody, marked cantabile, is quite chromatic and narrow in range, and
is reminiscent of the “soaring” theme from Black Birds, Red Hills. It begins with a dotted
rhythm (see Example 3.30), and its chromatic movement gives it a yearning feeling that
seems influenced by the blues. After the first two measures, it gradually breaks down into
inversions and fragments of motive y.

The long poco animato section that follows (mm. 43-78) begins in a fragmented
way, both rhythmically and melodically. The piano’s rhythm in mm. 43 and 44 creates
short, sudden silences that seem especially jarring because until this point in the sonata
there have not been any moments where both instruments are silent (except between the
first and second movement).⁹⁰ In addition to the rests, the timbre of the viola changes
frequently and often quite suddenly as it has throughout the sonata, through the use of
non-vibrato, trills, extreme subato dynamic changes, accents, and repetition of the same
motivic material in different octaves. Whole notes of the same pitch as shown in Example
3.30 are repeated with different articulations, analogous to the technique used throughout
the second movement.

Example 3.30: Viola Sonata., Third mvt., mm. 47-48, (viola only)

non Vlbr.

∣∣Γ^l H¹ *

P sub.

Larsen saves the real rock ^,n^, roll energy, and jazz-inspired harmonies in this
movement until the end (mm. 105-114). The trichord (016) from the first movement
returns on the downbeat of m. 105 and continues throughout the section. A rhythmically
90

This is especially interesting in light of the following statement by the composer:
“music can only live with silence around it.” (Bezerra, 24).

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