Composition -
Pavana Ploravit (No. 49)
By Anthony Holborne (1545 - 1602)
 
S A T T B
 
 
Of the many moving Pavans in this collection the “Pavana Ploravit” (crying) is the most moving. At the start Holborne quotes the famous “Flow my Tears” motif in the soprano part which sets the mood for the whole piece. What follows is nothing less than miraculous. After two measures of melancholy d minor with F naturals and B flats in measure three he ratchets up the tension with a quick movement to E major which cadences on meas. 4 to an A major sonority which immediately turns minor. This type of mode change is reflected later at several points. The first section ends in D major. The second section starts with a a glorious C major sonority which opens out stepwise in the soprano and bass. Maybe everything is going to be okay from now on. But, no, The mood changes to an unsettling mix of major and minor modes. At meas. 11 we arrive at a sunny G major which turns to g minor with a surprising B flat in the third beat after which we cadence on A major a few measures later. Bang, the third section starts in a minor. The very next measure goes back to A major with the addition of the seventh in the soprano part making it more tense and more colorful. Of course, in the same measure he changes back to a minor. Meas. 19 begins with D major with the addition of a seventh again in the soprano. Meas. 20....g minor changing to G major in meas. 21.

Now here comes ratcheting up of tension and the cathartic outpouring of emotion.

Measures 22 and 23 come to rest on a C major sonority, but not at all settling because he moves to a big gnarly dissonance with the alto part moving up to a B flat just a major second below the soprano. This is held for two half notes. Then the catharsis begins in measure 24 with the soprano and bass parts moving outward from one another then back in. Measures 26 and 27 erupt in showers of eighth notes in most of the parts. In meas. 28 the alto part jumps up above the soprano part suggesting the end point of the wailing. The piece comes to rest in D major. Whew!
-- Roy Sansom
 
 
Play-along files synthesized and contributed by Roy Sansom.  Accompaniments are at 8' pitch, so the top line will sound best on tenor, second line on bass, etc. if available. However, a soprano will also work for the top line.

Listen to all parts
No soprano - you play soprano
No alto - you play alto
No tenor 1 - you play tenor 1
No tenor 2- you play tenor 2
No bass - you play bass
 
 
No. of Recorder Parts:
5
Difficulty:
Easy
Occasion:
Any
Libraries:
Play-alongs, Arrangements and Transcriptions
Date Added:
12/02/2020
Style:
Recorded Accompaniment, Renaissance/Baroque/Classical