George Friedrich Handel’s “Overture” to the Royal Fireworks Music boasts a majestic stately opening that presents a melody and homophonic texture.
Repeating this melody immediately in a similar form, Handel provides a subtle but poignant reharmonisation of the melody.
Where the first statement presents more triadic harmony, the second adds more extensions or tension notes and secondary harmonic colours.
However, I think the emotional poignancy of the reharmonisation here primarily lies in the change of motion.
In comparison to the first statement, the second statement sees more contrary and stepwise motion in the bass, which leans into some very expressive and dissonant passing tones.
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