Mixture – bII, Neapolitan – Example 3

Definition: The bII, Neapolitan, or Phrygian II chord is a major triad built on the lowered 2nd (b2) scale degree. It is called Phrygian II since it is occurs naturally in the Phrygian mode.

Mel(anie) Bonis (1958-1937) – Sonata for Piano et Violincello (1904)

Melanie Bonis, born into a French middle-class family, started composing at about the age of 16. Because it was hard to be a woman composer at that time, she went by Mel Bonis instead of Melanie. Find out more about her amazing and somewhat tragic life at this link.

Her Cello Sonata , Op. 67 is in three movements: I. Moderato quasi Andante- Allegretto, II. Tres Lent, and III. Moderato Molto. A copy of the full piece can be found on IMSLP.

For this discussion, we will look at the first 16 measures of the first movement. The measures are shown below.

Example 1: Sonata for Piano et Violincello (mm. 1-5)

We will look at two sections of this introduction, the first from m. 1 to m. 5 (see shaded section below)

Analysis

This section is in the key of F major. Analyzing the chords, we find a Gb major triad, the Neapolitan, in measure 4, coming after a diatonic ii7 chord and before a V7 chord. This is a typical use for the Neapolitan – after another pre-dominant chord and before the dominant.

The only unusual aspect of the chord is that it appears in root position rather than first inversion. Bonis makes this work by creating a very smooth bass line; the Gb follows a G in the same octave and rises through a G-natural to an Ab and then falls to the G-natural of the C7 chord again before rising to the A natural in the next measure (an falling to the F in the bass).

Example 1: Sonata for Piano et Violincello (mm. 13-16)

The second section to be analyzed is mm.13-16 of the first movement of the Cello Sonata. This section is shaded below.

Analysis

At this point, the piece has modulated to (or is prolonging) the key of the dominant – C major. The chords in this part are emphasizing the cadence that will occur in m. 16.

Analyzing this section in the key of C (see below), the Neapolitan, a Db major chord, is found in first inversion in m. 13 and in root position in m. 14, resolving to the V7 (in second inversion) in m. 15 before the final C major triad (I). Therefore, once again the Neapolitan is used as a pre-dominant chord resolving directly to the V.