something to hunt AWS
something to hunt
for septet
by Ashley Fure (2014)
Oboe Alto/Soprano Saxophone Bb Clarinet Violin Viola Cello Double Bass
Commissioned for Dal Niente by the Darmstadt Stipendienpreis
ii
Performance Notes Winds in the score are notated at pitch while transposed in parts. Strings are transposed in both score and parts. Accidentals hold throughout the bar.
Strings Scordatura Violin:
Viola:
Cello:
Double Bass:
String IV on the double bass should be detuned so low that it beats rhythmically like a propeller when bowed softly, and beats loudly against the fingerboard when bowed with heavy pressure. ‘Pitch’ is an irrelevant factor here: detune the string to a point of tension where this rhythmic beating is most forceful and stable.
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Clef All strings are notated with a traditional 5-line staff and a staff indicating bow position and movement. The lines of the bow clef can be interpreted as such:
Within the bow clef, diagonal lines indicate diagonal bowing, curved lines indicate circular bowing, and horizontal lines indicate (normal) horizontal bowing at the indicated position. There is no vertical bowing in this piece. Within the bow clef, bow speed correlates roughly to slope. Thus diagonal lines that descend or ascend more sharply indicate a faster bow gesture than lines that descend or ascend more progressively. For example, in the following gesture, the bow attacks at the top of the fingerboard, slides sharply downward over the course of an 8th note, then slowly continues its slide toward the end of fingerboard.
Cup Twang Double bass and viola require one auxiliary object: a small, porcelain espresso cup to be like a guitar slide. A few important things about this cup: it should have smooth, nearvertical edges; it should be as thin and delicate as possible; and it must have a handle.
For ‘cup twang’, hold the espresso by the handle and place as lightly as possible against the indicated string. Cup should barely touch the string, allowing each
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pizzicato to resonate as fully as possible. trajectory indicated by the bow clef.
Move the cup along the string in the
On the viola, this will produce a bent, dreamy pizzicato. On the double bass, when played on strings III and IV, a more complex sound will emerge. In addition to the bent pizzicato on string III, the fourth string will rattle against the cup in soft dynamics, and between the cup and the fingerboard in louder dynamics, adding a thick percussive buzz to the pizzicato.
Open String Tremolo: Triangles symbolize the highest note possible on an indicated string. In an ‘open string tremolo,’ fingers are placed directly in front of the bridge, sandwiching the bow between the bridge and the fingers. Fingers then lightly stop and release the string, producing a tremolo between the high stopped notes and the open strings.
Harmonic Tremolo: Lightly press and release the strings at the indicated harmonic, producing a tremolo between the harmonic and the open string. In this example, the technique occurs across strings II, II, and IV of the violin. Flutter fingers erratically, so that shifts between harmonic and open strings do not occur in sync across all three strings.
: Slap the palm against the strings to mute their resonance.
: A forceful down-bow that ricochets against the string. Always let ricochet naturally die out. At Fingers: bow directly in front of fingers (so close the bow and fingers touch), wherever they are stopping the string.
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Bow Behind: Bow directly behind the fingers (so close the bow and fingers touch), wherever they are stopping the string. MSP: Molto Sul Pont. Bow directly at the bridge, producing a flux of high, light partials. +: Plus sign noteheads indicate left hand pizzicati. These often occur simultaneously with bowed gestures. Harmonic Notation: Harmonics are indicated with their string and partial number. III-7 refers to the seventh partial of the third string, fingered at the indicated position. Soft Propeller: On the double bass, bow string IV softly to produce a soft, rhythmic motor-like sound. Always let naturally die out upon release. Hard Propeller: bow string IV with heavy pressure so that it beats rhythmically against the fingerboard. Always let naturally die out upon release.
Winds Teeth on Reed: On the saxophone, triangle noteheads indicate teeth on reed gestures. They are notated on a three line staff, indicating (roughly) low, middle, and high registers (within the context of this technique).
Lip Gliss: on the oboe, this is a pitch bend produced solely with the lips.
Multiphonics in the saxophone part refer to “The Techniques of Saxophone Playing,” by Marcus Weiss. Multiphonics in the oboe part refer to “The Techniques of Oboe Playing,” by Peter Veale.
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for septet
by Ashley Fure (2014)
Oboe Alto/Soprano Saxophone Bb Clarinet Violin Viola Cello Double Bass
Commissioned for Dal Niente by the Darmstadt Stipendienpreis
ii
Performance Notes Winds in the score are notated at pitch while transposed in parts. Strings are transposed in both score and parts. Accidentals hold throughout the bar.
Strings Scordatura Violin:
Viola:
Cello:
Double Bass:
String IV on the double bass should be detuned so low that it beats rhythmically like a propeller when bowed softly, and beats loudly against the fingerboard when bowed with heavy pressure. ‘Pitch’ is an irrelevant factor here: detune the string to a point of tension where this rhythmic beating is most forceful and stable.
iii
Clef All strings are notated with a traditional 5-line staff and a staff indicating bow position and movement. The lines of the bow clef can be interpreted as such:
Within the bow clef, diagonal lines indicate diagonal bowing, curved lines indicate circular bowing, and horizontal lines indicate (normal) horizontal bowing at the indicated position. There is no vertical bowing in this piece. Within the bow clef, bow speed correlates roughly to slope. Thus diagonal lines that descend or ascend more sharply indicate a faster bow gesture than lines that descend or ascend more progressively. For example, in the following gesture, the bow attacks at the top of the fingerboard, slides sharply downward over the course of an 8th note, then slowly continues its slide toward the end of fingerboard.
Cup Twang Double bass and viola require one auxiliary object: a small, porcelain espresso cup to be like a guitar slide. A few important things about this cup: it should have smooth, nearvertical edges; it should be as thin and delicate as possible; and it must have a handle.
For ‘cup twang’, hold the espresso by the handle and place as lightly as possible against the indicated string. Cup should barely touch the string, allowing each
iv
pizzicato to resonate as fully as possible. trajectory indicated by the bow clef.
Move the cup along the string in the
On the viola, this will produce a bent, dreamy pizzicato. On the double bass, when played on strings III and IV, a more complex sound will emerge. In addition to the bent pizzicato on string III, the fourth string will rattle against the cup in soft dynamics, and between the cup and the fingerboard in louder dynamics, adding a thick percussive buzz to the pizzicato.
Open String Tremolo: Triangles symbolize the highest note possible on an indicated string. In an ‘open string tremolo,’ fingers are placed directly in front of the bridge, sandwiching the bow between the bridge and the fingers. Fingers then lightly stop and release the string, producing a tremolo between the high stopped notes and the open strings.
Harmonic Tremolo: Lightly press and release the strings at the indicated harmonic, producing a tremolo between the harmonic and the open string. In this example, the technique occurs across strings II, II, and IV of the violin. Flutter fingers erratically, so that shifts between harmonic and open strings do not occur in sync across all three strings.
: Slap the palm against the strings to mute their resonance.
: A forceful down-bow that ricochets against the string. Always let ricochet naturally die out. At Fingers: bow directly in front of fingers (so close the bow and fingers touch), wherever they are stopping the string.
v
Bow Behind: Bow directly behind the fingers (so close the bow and fingers touch), wherever they are stopping the string. MSP: Molto Sul Pont. Bow directly at the bridge, producing a flux of high, light partials. +: Plus sign noteheads indicate left hand pizzicati. These often occur simultaneously with bowed gestures. Harmonic Notation: Harmonics are indicated with their string and partial number. III-7 refers to the seventh partial of the third string, fingered at the indicated position. Soft Propeller: On the double bass, bow string IV softly to produce a soft, rhythmic motor-like sound. Always let naturally die out upon release. Hard Propeller: bow string IV with heavy pressure so that it beats rhythmically against the fingerboard. Always let naturally die out upon release.
Winds Teeth on Reed: On the saxophone, triangle noteheads indicate teeth on reed gestures. They are notated on a three line staff, indicating (roughly) low, middle, and high registers (within the context of this technique).
Lip Gliss: on the oboe, this is a pitch bend produced solely with the lips.
Multiphonics in the saxophone part refer to “The Techniques of Saxophone Playing,” by Marcus Weiss. Multiphonics in the oboe part refer to “The Techniques of Oboe Playing,” by Peter Veale.
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