I've established four categories to discuss here. They are: (1) simple examples of rising lines, with appropriate focal tones; (2) play of registers common in—and congenial to—the violin; (3) "long" cadences where the lower and upper registers are connected by a stepwise sequence; (4) modal tunes, or tunes showing a modal heritage.
Today's topic is category (3), or "long cadences," though topic (2) also plays an important role in each of the tunes below.
Two versions of "Lady Binning" differ in a number of details. At (a) the Scotch snap rhythm puts equal emphasis on C#5 and E5, but the first phrase (that is, bars 1-2; the strathspey, recall, is played in a slow tempo) clearly focuses on C# (as ^3). In the consequent, however, the same gesture at (b) gives an opportunity to change focus to ^5 and engenders the rising cadence figure.
The registral pairing of lower, then upper, is reversed in the B-section--see (c) and (d)--and this time a simple third-line C#5-B4-A4 concludes the theme (see the fourth box in the third system). But the real point of interest for this post is the variant at (e), which charts either a rising octave scale (starting at A4) or, if you wish to begin with C#, a sixth.
In this version from another source, C#4 as focal note in the first section is even more obvious (box in bar 1 shows the variant that's responsible), but note the two endings: the first in the lower octave, where one might even imagine an implied B4 (as ^2), the second being the same in the first version above. The B-section is essentially the same.
From a mid-19th century source, two versions of the same tune, cast in a slow-fast pair (strathspey-reel). Here again, a strong emphasis on the two registers--upper, then lower--in the B-section ends with a charting through the entire octave. Note also the "one-too-far" stretch to B5, corrected with the Scotch snap, at the very end.
