William Byrd's second three-part Fantasia is closely related to his first, and the two works may have been conceived as a pair. The themes of the works are similarly gentle and warm. However, where the first is a study in unity, the second is a study in continuous development.

As his other three-part Fantasias, Byrd's second is in three sections. The first contains a statement and some development of the first subject; the second, a development of a new, but related, subject extrapolated from the development of the first. The third section is quite stylistically distinct and performs the role of a coda. It utilizes long, held pedal points and a theme related to the second.

The continuous development of this work is quite remarkable. The themes themselves are difficult to define due to the constant metamorphosis to which the themes are submitted. Every phrase seems to have a purpose and there is no expendable material. Few of Byrd's other works (or, for that matter, works other composers) were so concisely modeled.

© All Music Guide

Portions of Content Provided by All Music Guide.
© 2008 All Media Guide, LLC. All Music Guide is a registered trademark of All Media Guide, LLC.