Wire Attached to Thin Frame; Unstill Water

8/16/2019 Wire Attached to Thin Frame; Unstill Water

1/16

wire attached to thin frame;

unstill water

Jeremy Corren

[2015]


2/16

wire attached to thin frame;

unstill waterwritten for New Music On the Point

Notes

Microtonal NotationStandard quarter-tone notation applies:

Raise by 1/4th of a tone

Raise by 3/4ths of a tone

Lower by 1/4th of a tone

Beating is achieved throughout the piece in two ways:

Static Beat Frequencies

The first: two instruments voice pitches a quarter-tone apart — this produces

a rapid form of beating known as ‘roughness.’ Try to tune stopped quarter-

tone pitches as precisely as possible in order to maintain consistent

‘roughness’ when asked for.


3/16

Time-space Notation and Changing Beat FrequenciesAt rehearsal letters E through F, the second kind of beating is achieved in the following scenario:

Rehearsal letter E

(a) Violin: Starting on a unison A (open string II and stopped A on I), the violin slides slowly from the unison towards a quarter-tone (A and G-3/4

sharp). The glissando should produce a gradually increasing beat frequency. Simultaneously, move the bow seamlessly from sul tasto towards

ordinario position.

(b) Soprano: The saxophone repeats a roughly 10-second module in which it: gradually crescendos into the same pitch as the violin’s A over the

course of 8 seconds and breathes for 2 seconds. Timing should be fairly precise. Over the course of the 30 seconds, the peaks of the

crescendi become gradually louder, from ppp to mp. During the crescendi, the saxophone’s tone should accentuate the beating effects active

in the violin.

(c) Piano: The piano repeats a 5- to 7-second module in which it softly plays the A pitch in groups of two. Unlike the saxophone module, which is

fairly precise in its periodicity, the pianist may vary the duration and attack of its module slightly, to give a sensation of aperiodicity. Each

piano attack will produce additional disturbances with respect to the violin beating. Over the course of the 30 seconds, the module shouldgradually increase in volume, but only very slightly (from pp to mp)

(d) Viola: For the first 30 seconds, the violist plays exclusively on the bridge, producing a pitchless air-sound. Horizontal bowing helps avoid

slipping onto the string, which produces unwanted pitches. The violist should vary the pressure and speed of the bow over the bridge to

produce aperiodic discontinuities within the sound, so long as it remains pitchless.

Rehearsal letter F

(a) Violin: The violin performs the glissando of letter E in reverse, moving back towards the unison. As a result, the beat frequency gradually

decreases to nothing, arriving ultimately at psychoacoustic smoothness. Simultaneously, the violinist should move back towards sul tasto.

(b) Soprano: The saxophone begins a crescendo to the multiphonic on A-Bb for 6 seconds, and then reverts to the 10-second module describedin the notes to letter E. This time, the peaks of the crescendi should get softer and softer.

(c) Piano: During the first ~5 seconds piano begins by touching the 11th partial-node of a low Eb while striking the key to produce a harmonic at

the pitch A, lowered by a quarter-tone. By playing a normal A directly after the harmonic, beats within the piano are produced. Following this,

the piano should revert to the module described in the notes to letter E. The module, this time, should decrease in volume from p to pppp

(ultimately silence).

(d) Viola: The violist performs two actions. First: starting at molto sul ponticello, they should gradually bow away from the bridge and towards the

end of the fingerboard. Second: the violist should gradually increase duration of bow-lengths from long sustain towards very rapid tremolo.


4/16

Saxophone

air: produce a pitchless air sound

bright air: use a syllable like [sss] to produce a brighter timbre

dark air: use a syllable like [hro] to produce a darker timbreair to tone: attempt to seamlessly transition from air sound to tone; when impossible, transition from niente

Multiphonic: #57 in Netti and Weiss’s Technique of Saxophone Playing.

The small dyad multiphonic is very soft, so dynamic indications mp and p are descriptions of effort

relative to the maximum dynamic possible (in absolute terms, around a p).

The squiggly line conveys the resultant ‘beating’ timbre that results from the two component

frequencies of the multiphonic, which are quite close together, and produce ‘roughness.’

Piano

Harmonics

The piece asks for a single piano harmonic, shown in the graphic. Strive for a sound that resembles most closely the

isolated partial, and as devoid of the fundamental as possible (though not completely). Let ring with the assistance of

sustain pedal. In this case, the pianist plays the equal-tempered version (A) of the harmonic (A 1/4-flat) — the

combination of the two should produce audible beating.


5/16

Strings

Timbressul pont , indicated by s.p., should produce a mixed sonority of a pitch’s fundamental and upper partials.

molto sul pont, indicated by m.s.p., should produce a sonority that is predominantly the upper partials of a pitch.

sul tasto, indicated by s.t., asks for bowing towards the fingerboard to mute higher partials.

molto sul tasto, indicated by m.s.t., asks for bowing high up on the fingerboard to produce a hollow sound.

on the bridge, indicated by o.b., should produce an audible but pitchless sonority similar to white noise.

flautando, indicated by flaut., asks for a light, fast bow-stroke — often coupled with sul tasto

Techniques

with pizz. asks for a fingernail pizzicato

harmonic trill: in this case, the violin bows the open E string and quickly depresses and lifts the octave harmonic


6/16

A

Jeremy Corren

= 67

i. wire attached to thin frame

Soprano Sax.

Piano

Violin

Viola

4 4 5 4 4 4 3 4 4 4& ∑air tone

po o

bright air

p

&

catch resonance of the ensemble

∑ pp

&Ped

∑ ∑ø

&o.b.

p

pp

beats slightly with piano

p o

&

indiscernable pitch

po o

B

o

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‰ œœbb ˙ ˙™ ww ˙ ˙™

) ) ™ ) wµ Ȯ Ȯ Ȯ ™

~w O ˙™ O ˙ O ˙ ™ Oœ‰ Ó O ˙b O ˙™™


7/16

6

4 4 2 4 4 4&

dark air

mp o

cross-fade from violin

po

tone air

o

&mp

>

mf

” .>

pp

[l.h.]

mp

& p

Ped

?3:2

& IIIflaut.s.t.

p

m.s.t.

o sub p

ord

beats with viola>o3:2

B p

> ord>pitch becomes indiscernable

m.s.p.

ord

o

beats with violin

mpo o

) 6

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O ˙ O ˙ O ˙ ~w O ˙

3


8/16

B

12

4 4 3 4 4 4& o mp

Ÿ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

o pp o ∑ ∑

& p

lightly

o p

o

Ÿ ~~~~~~~ p pp

faint echo

?mf

Ped.>

mp

∑ ∑

& pp

flaut. stop bow

. p


o o∑ ∑

B IIIm.s.t.

p

crossfade from soprano

o o∑ ∑ ∑ &

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˙ ™ ˙ ™

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‰ Ó ww## ww ˙ ˙ Ó

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Ó Œ œœ ww ww

4


9/16

18

4 4 6 4 4 4&

air

mp

> sharp cutoff hold stable intonation: beats against violin

pp mf

&

in a sudden movement

sub pp

.>lift immediately

∑”;

mf

>

mp3:2

3:2

?sffz

>∑

Ped

p3:2

& III

IV

pp

s.t. o.b.

mp

> stop bow III

flaut.s.t.

p

ordslow gliss from unison:produces audible beating

f

3:2

&


pizz

sfz

.>B

arcoricochet

mp o∑

p

>

mp3:26:4

Ó Œ 6 )

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≈œ# ≈ ‰ Œ Œ

œœbn O ˙## ™™ Oœ ~w ™™

5


10/16

22

C

™

™

™

™

™

™

™

™

™

™

4 4 6 4 4 4 6 4 4 4&

sharp cutoff

∑ po o po

4x

o

&

”

mp

.>∑

p p

? ∑

Ped

pp

ø

pp

&stop bow

∑ ∑port.

flaut.s.t.

po

m.s.t.

o

flaut.s.t.

po

m.s.t.

o

Bsub p

ord>pitch becomes indiscernable

m.s.p.

o

s.t.

o p

beats with soprano

ord

mp o

s.t.

o p

ord

mp o

∑ Œ ‰ ≈ œb œ ™ œ œ w œ œ ≈ ‰ ≈ œb œ ™ œ œ w w ™

œ ≈ ‰ Œ Ó Œ ‰ ≈ œb œ

™

œ œ‰ ™œb œ

ww Œ ‰ ≈ œb œ

™

œ œ‰ ™œb œ

ww

w™

w ™

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˙ ˙

ww

œb œ ™ œ œ‰ ≈ ™ œ œ

˙ ˙

ww

w ™w ™

Œ™

œb ̇ w œ œ ≈™

œb ˙ w w ™

æ

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µ

œO

w œO ≈ ™

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µ

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w w™

6


11/16

D

29

4 4 2 4 5 4 4 4 6 4 5 4& ∑

o mf

Ÿ ~~~~~~~~~~~~

o mp p o ∑

5:4

5:4

&mp mf

>lightly

mf o

Ÿ ~~~~~~~~~~~

p

very lightly:accelerate tremolo over crescendo

o mp o

5:4

5:4

? p &.>

pp

Ped

p

ø

∑ ∑ ∑

& IIIs.t.

p sub mpoIII

III

pp IV

flaut.s.t.

mf

III

beats with viola

m.s.t.

p

7: 4

o

B p

>

mf

beats with violin

mp ppp

ord

accelerate tremoloover crescendo

s.p.

mf

ord

o

3:2 3:2

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˙ œ ≈

œ œ œ œ# œ#

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7


12/16

35

5 4 3 4 4 4 3 4&

mf o

Ÿ ~~~~~~~

mp

Ÿ ~~~~~~

o∑ ∑

mpo p

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∑

& ∑

”;

mf

.>

pp

[l.h.]

mp

beats with soprano

pp ppp

∑

&

Ped

near-imperceptibleattack ppp

Ped

?

ø

p

∑

&

(m.s.t.)

o f III

ord

#Ÿ ~~~~~~~

mf

flaut.s.t.

p

Ÿ ~~~~~~ m.s.t.

o

crossfade with viola:

match timbre

ppo o

ord

I

mf o p

s.p.

B ∑ p

ord

pitch becomes indiscernable

> m.s.p.

o

IIIIV

ord

noo oo

o pp

oo

o

IIIIII

mp

3 o∑

œ œ# œ œ Œ Ó ̇˙b œœ œœ œœ ̇˙ ™ œœ œœ ‰ Œ Ó

Ó

œ ≈ ‰ Ó Œ ˙ ˙™‰

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æ

O ˙## ™™æ

Oœ ™™ ‰ ˙ ˙ ww œœ Ó œ

œ œœ ww

8


13/16

42

™

™

™

™

™

™

™

™

™

™

3 4 4 4 6 4 5 4 1 4&

∑o mp

Ÿ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

o pp o

3x

∑ ∑

attaca

& ∑ p

lightly

o p oŸ ~~~~~

p

echo

pppp

ppp

pp

in a sudden movement .>

3:2

? ∑mf

Ped.>

mp

1x:2x:3x:

∑ ∑

sffz

>

3:2

&

ord

o


po ppp

pp

p o

B ∑ pp

flaut. stop bow . I

II

m.s.t.crossfade from soprano

po o

1x:2x:3x:

∑ ∑ &


pizz

sfz

.>B

3:2

Ó ‰ œ

™

œ

œ ‰ ˙ ™ w ˙ Ó Ó

˙ ˙b ™™œ œ Œ

˙n ™ w‰ œ w

Ó̇ ww

ww

œœ

≈œœ# ≈ ‰

Œ ≈œ

‰ Ó ww## wwœ

≈ ≈ ‰

˙™ O™

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9


14/16

E

49

ii. unstill water

&

ppp

8"

o

10"

,

o

breathe

2"

repeat

30"

(mp)

&sub p

6"

pp

5-7"

repeat ad. lib.: give the feeling of aperiodicity

?Ped

(mp)

& IIIII

s.t.

pp

slow gliss: should produce audible beats at increasing frequency

50¢ difference:12 bps

ord

Barcoo.b.

mp

aperiodically vary bow speed/pressure

œ

œn œ œ

œœ œœ

)

10


15/16

F

57

4 4&

o mp

6"

o

ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ

,

(mp)

8"

o

10"

,

o

2"

repeat

30"

pppp

&

mf

11th partial of Ebobeats with harmonic

5"

p

5-7"

repeat ad. lib.: give the feeling of aperiodicity

pppp

?

Ped

>

&

ord

mf

slow gliss: beat frequency decreases to nothingprepare forharmonic

s.t.

o

,

B III

bow position: m.s.p.

bow speed: long

sub ppp

gradually increase duration of bow lengths from long and sustained towards a very rapid tremolo

gradually move contact position of bow from the bridge towards the fingerboard

s.p. ord s.t.flaut.m.s.t.

ff

œœb œ

œ œn œ œ

~b

œœ œœ

œœ œœ œœ œœ æœœ

11


16/16

G = 67

62

4 4& ∑ ∑ ∑

mp

air bright air

o

√

& p o

√

Bbeats with violin

mpo o∑ ∑

April - May 2016New York - Boston

√

Ó ) ) ) 6 6 ‰ Ó

w w w Ȯ Ȯ w w œO œO ‰ Ó

Ó Oœ Oœ˜ O ˙ Ó Ó

12

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Wire Attached to Thin Frame; Unstill Water