Variations in Olden Style (chord question)

[Mike Forbes]

B. 18, beat 3: vii half-diminished 4/3 (2nd inversion) of E-flat acting more as a secondary dominant to II or G. The A-flat makes this a secondary dominant function chord rather than a simple vi4/3....though it's more or less acting like a vi 4/3 leading to ii.

B. 19, beats 1,2: II (or G) 4-3 suspension (C resolves on beat 3 to B natural); which (on beat three) this chord then acts as a V of V (C major in F).

Play through it on the piano, and you'll hear this little nugget--pretty cool stuff. Thanks, Bach. Good borrowing, Thom Stevens.

EDIT! I had another look and have changed my answer a little. Interesting (non-textbook) situation. It involves a little bit of modal mixture (borrowing the A-flat from the parallel minor (f minor) and secondary dominants.

Regards,
Mike Forbes
Music Theory (and low brass) professor at Univ. of Nebraska-Kearney

[Mike Forbes]

bump for edit.

[JHardisk]

Wow, Mike. Talk about giving it a theory smack down!

I'm impressed!

[Mike Forbes]

Hey JJ,

I thought this post might have come from you....that's why I decided to jump in and help. We (Sotto Voce) would love to come back to TAMUK...and we're tentatively planning another South Texas tour in 2010.

Please give Yutaka my best,
Mike