Evaluate Portman’s use of harmony in ‘Six Years Later’ in The Duchess with particular reference to the changing circumstances of the heroin. Relate your discussion to other relevant works. These may include set works, wider listening or other.
Given that the music is supposed to set the scene of a classical period, it is unsurprising that Portman uses an oom-cha-cha bass accompaniment in ‘Six Years Later’, a typical characteristic of the waltz style. Following the melody movement, the chord progression similarly alternates every 2 bars between D major and A minor (the minor dominant) chords. These chords are also prominent during the second section (as they were in the original opening credits). However, this accompaniment is varied through extending the harmonies (e.g. A7 – this is neither prepared nor resolved), changing the inversion of the chords (using second inversion) or by using the chord over a D pedal (e.g. A7/D), which itself is another prominent feature of this second section. Nevertheless, the harmonic vocabulary is extended during the link into second section, where Portman this time alternates between D major and D augmented chords every bar. Moving lines also help vary the accompaniment, such as through use of the repeating perfect 5th interval, a recurring ostinato throughout the whole soundtrack. In ‘Never See your Children Again’, this ostinato is developed into the interval of a 3rd in the harp part.Portman’s Oscar-winning score for ‘Emma’ is similarly limited harmonically, with chords tending towards the primary triads 1, 4 and 5, as befits convention in the classical period, which is reflected in this score. Contrastingly, ‘Belle’, also by Portman, has more harmonic variation, although with similar use of a perfect 5th interval in an ostinato. Lunn’s ‘Downton Abbey’ similarly maintains interest through an accompaniment moving through arpeggiated patterns and including some modal influences. Despite some more adventurous harmonies than Portman (e.g. more frequent diminished seventh chords), Desplat also tends to make more use of traditional cadences in his score for ‘The King’s Speech’.
