JAVS Spring 2026

Figure 16. Élégie by Debussy, ending phrase. mm. 16-21.

Figure 17. Élégie by Stravinsky, end of B section into A’. mm. 43-47.

Closer examination of the cadential arrivals—m. 44 in Stravinsky and mm. 17–18 in Debussy—reveal particularly striking correspondences. Although the rhythmic constructions differ, the harmonic relationships exhibit similar patterns of juxtaposition. In Stravinsky’s Élégie (m. 44), beats 1–2 and 4–5 alternate between F major and a B-centered tonality, with the leading tone in the final beat resolving into the diatonic C-minor context upon the return of the A section. Notably, Debussy

employs a comparable technique by alternating the same two chords in mm. 17 and 18, creating an analogous juxtaposition of contrasting harmonic motion. Drawn directly from the opening material, m. 19 ( più lento, perdendo ) resolves using the same pitch content as the beginning, hovering within a modal D-minor framework as shown in Figure 18.

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Journal of the American Viola Society / Vol. 42, No. 1, Spring 2026