Edgar Guzmán

for percussion and electronics

X,Y Counterpulse(2015)

Commissioned by and dedicated to Niek Kleinjan

PERFORMANCE NOTES

The sound material for this piece was created on a two channel pulse generator modified over a Cartesian coordinate system. The percussion part is to be considered a pulse generator itself, its expressive character and musical nuances defined accordingly; for instance, although tremolos are written using the same symbol ( ) they’ll never be the same on account of its speed, which is meant to be varied accordingly to a subjective location on an imaginary cartesian plane. Likewise, given that tremolos stand for one extreme of an axis as opossed to a single stroke, a transition between both points, even without being asked for by means of a rallentando or accelerando is, no matter how fast and “unnoticeable” it could be, unavoidable, and should be taken into account when switching from one to another. Special attention must be put when slurred gestures are notated -for instance, between a normal head tremolo and a crossed one- in which case, a transition from normal stroke area to rimshot area, if applicable (check the instrumentation notes), must be performed.

INSTRUMENTATION

The specific percussion instruments to be used are to be chosen by the performer, but metal instruments are not to be considered. Instead, use a set of three different drums or objects alike having a low resonance frequency, each one lower than the previous one. Any drum set (or objects) that are considered to resemble the different pre-recorded pulses to which they are musically related or to establish an interesting sound relationship between them are suitable choices for performance. (For composing this piece tests where performed over a set of three different plastic buckets). The same criteria must be followed when choosing the mallets to be used and the switch between one kind and the other.

The crossed noteheads stand for a higher, more piercing percussive sound. Depending on the instruments being used, these can be performed either as rimshots (thus the selected notation), by striking a different suitable part of the instrument/object, or even on a different one. If the latter option is preferable, the percussion set can go up from 4 to 6 different instruments.

SCORE

The piece is written in proportional notation on measures of 5 seconds each with secondary divisions of 1 second. A visual representation of the tape’s waveform is located on a second staff as an aid to a synchronized performance with the tape.

Red arrows mark the points where a performer’s action (the beginning of a tremolo and/or its conclusion, a single stroke, a compounded gesture, etc.) is required to be synchronized with another one coming from the tape, be it a single pulse, a texture change, etc. These synchronization points are crucial to fulfill the counter-pulsing relationships that this piece is aimed to create.

NOTATION

Normal strike

Rimshots (read the comment on crossed note-heads on the Instrumentation section)

single strikes (normal or rimmed)

one hand

two hands (synchronized)

Appoggiaturas: to be performed as fast as posiblle

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x = 360 ca.

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Tremolos. The actual speed of each tremolo will be subjectively define (read above), and so its accelerando and rallentando rate.

Stochastic textures (clouds). Three different and relative densities or amount of activity are represented:

Low Medium High

These textures can have one or two elements (normal and rimmed strokes) freely used.

Pulse modulator graphic. Starting from an approximated rythmic value. Going up the dotted line (representing the initial rythmic value) means accelerando, down means rallentando.

Left and ritgh hand accelerando/rallentando independently Both hands accelerando/rallentando at equal rate

Improvisatory sections. The boxes marking improvised sections surround the lines representing the instrument(s) on which the improvisation is to be performed. Suggestive expressive characters are indicated.

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PROGRAM NOTES

The sound material for this piece was created on a two channel pulse generator modified over a Cartesian coordinate system. The percussion part is considered a pulse generator itself, its expressive character and musical nuances defined accordingly to enhance the counter-pulsing relationships this piece is aimed to create.

ABOUT THE COMPOSER

Edgar Guzmán is a mexican composer of acoustic and electronic music. His work has been performed at several new music festivals in Mexico, United States, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Venezuela, Austria, France, Poland, Germany and Switzerland. His musical production is comprised of commissioned by and dedicatory pieces to a number of institutions, ensembles and performers such as the Ensamble Liminar, Ensamble de Música Contemporánea de la Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Orquesta Sinfónica Juvenil de México, Camerata de las Américas, International Contemporary Ensemble, Wilfrido Terrazas, Alexander Bruck, Rebekah Heller, Kivie Canh-Lipman, Ryan Muncy, and David Bowlin among others.

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X,Y Counterpulse(2015) Edgar Guzmán

b. 1981

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both handssynchronizedwith tape's pulse

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Left and right hand accelerate and disaccelerate independently from/away the initial pulse (represented with a dotted line) creating constantly changing polyrhythmic patterns. Improvised gestures must emergefrom this polyrhythmic patterns while continuing the accel/rall inertia (thus accel/rall lines are kept) but taking unexpected directions before immerging back to pattern.