WB. R. by Alex Huddleston

WB. R. Alex Huddleston 2013

Instrumentation: The score may be interpreted on any one of the following instruments: Violin Viola Cello Violin and Cello simultaneously

Program note:

Duration: 4:35 exactly.

The musical work has no reality. The content of its musical elements can always be broken down along differing hermeneutic paths, the specificity of notation always limited by human capabilities, the sonic reality always contingent to the context of it’s actualization and interpretation from the mind of those that hear. Thus there is no WB. R. – There is only the score; the interpretation of it yields many possibilities. Despite this, however, there are specifications: only bowed string instruments may read meaningfully from the score, its duration must always be the same, the sounds always must have the same relative positioning in the context of performance. Physical actions are specified, but not their sonic result. Physical actions are specified in both absolute and relative terms

Electronics and Amplification Using contact microphones, the live actions of the instrumentalist(s) are to be amplified through a speaker located at the rear of the performance space, which should be facing away from the audience (i.e. towards the back wall) and at a volume level such that the artificial reproduction is slightly louder than the real sounds in the front. There may or may not be included a live electronic processing, notated in the score as red actions as numbers to indicate cue number of MAX/MSP patch and bar along timeline when sounds come from the patch. If live electronics are to be used, the contact microphone should be fed both into the mixing board for live amplification (as above) and into the laptop for processing. If live electronics are to be used, the desired output is 8-channel surround. 4 channel surround, though less optimal is also adequate. If 4 channels are used, the outputs should be arranged as points of the compass.

A note: This score has no one sonic consequent. The traditional realtionship between score and performance is one of attempt (and implicit failure) of realizing some metaphysical object - “The Work.” I find this a stifling notion, and this is the basis for this particular experiment with notation. A number of visual metaphores may be appropriate, and I cannot decide which I find most helpful. We could consider “The Work” as a room behind a closed door. We look through the keyhole in the door, and depending on the angle, a different part of the room is seen; depending on the time of day, the hues and saturation may appear different. Alternatively, we could consider it like some object to which we only see the shadows. With enough shadows (performances) considered and compared, we can get a sense of what “The Work” is. The idea is not to find this one thing in music, but to find many ways of dealing with the same things. That is to say, each performance must be it’s own thing - while still recognizable as a reading of “WB. R.” it remains musically a unique and unrepeatable event. This is why the score is both specific and vague.

There are no pitches specified â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it is desired that the placement of the hand should not fall upon conventional tempered pitches, and harmonic nodes should not be specifically aimed for. The goal is for a highly complex harmonic and timbral world, which defies clarity and conventional musical descriptors.

Notation:

nut

Right hand:

The diagrams in the left hand correspond to the strings as they are activated by the bow: I

hand position

II III IV

end of fingerboard

There are three levels of bow pressure:

molto sul tasto

overpressure (complete distortion of pitch)

bow position Left hand:

molto sul ponticello

normale

underpressure

Further modifications or techniques of bowing are specified: â&#x20AC;&#x153;bow tremoloâ&#x20AC;? (rapidly alternate between the two indicated strings) normal tremolo:

The diagrams in the right hand correspond to the hand position and arrangement of the fingers on the strings, with three levels of finger pressure: fully stopped:

half harmonic:

harmonic:

And five levels of finger spread: 1 2 3 4 5 extremely tight ------------------extremely spread Glissandi are shown as lines extending to the right of the diagram. Finger pressure changes are shown as a destination level of pressure. Any changes should be as smooth as possible. No change in pressure should occur if there is no destination level. No glissandi should occur if there is no line extending. There are three levels of vibrato: N.V. = non vibrato

V. = vibrato

sustain is either continuous (solid black line) or segmented (dotted line) segmented sustain can be realized as, depending on context (other specifications should allow for limited options) jete, ricochet, or an unevenness in down- or up-bow such that the hair catches on the string. Col legno occurs in three levels: Ord. (all hair) clt .5 (half hair/ half wood) clt 1 (all wood)

The diagrams are arranged along a timeline, which should be followed with the aid of a stopwatch in performance. White on the timeline indicates silence. Though the performance should not have an overtly dramaturgical affect, it is more within the character of the music to not have extraneous movements during silences.

E.V. = extreme vibrato

Occasionally harmonics are shown to provide orientation (ie, the second partial is slightly lower then the diagram, thus the hand should be slightly higher.)

Indications in red refer to the optional live electronic component. Cues are numbered, and a red time line indicates output from the speakers.

...1...

3rd partial

N.V. 5

5 5

2nd partial

end of fingerboard

4 3

:05

:00

:10

:15

ppppp

ppp

sfppp

pppp

ord

pppp

ppp

sfpp

:20

sfppp

ffff

ppp

:25

:20

:30

:35

ppp

sfpp

pppp sfpppp

2nd partial

2 5

4th partial

4 2

2 5

:45

:40

sffz

ppp sffffz ffff

ff pp f sffz

pppp

ffff

mf f

:40

ppp

sfp

pppp

:50

mfpppp

:55

ffff

sfffz pp

1:00

ppppp

clt .5 mfpppp

... 2 ...

N.V.

1:05

1:00 sfzppp

1:10 ord ff

clt .5 pppp

E.V. 5 3

ppp

clt 1 mp

E.V.

N.V.

1:30

1:25

ord mp

1:35

sffzppp ppp

clt .5 clt 1

N.V.

1:20

pppp

sffzpp

1:15

ppp

ffff

fff

ppp

1:40

ff mp

sfpp

sffz

fff

4 3

E.V.

1:40

E.V.

N.V.

1:50

1:45

1:55

2:00

6 ppp

sffzppp

clt .5

pppp

ord pp

... 3 ... 2nd partial

N.V.

(non gliss)

(N.V.)

2:05

2:00 clt 1

ord

clt .5

2:20

ord pppp

clt .5

sffffz

pp pppp

2:15

2:10

ord

clt 1

ord ppp

ppp

pppp

sffffz pp

ppp

2nd partial

N.V.

(non gliss)

N.V.

(gliss)

E.V. E.V.

2:25

2:20 clt .5 ord

ffff

fff

sfpp pp mf

(I & II)

fff

ord

pppp

ord p poss.

clt .5

N.V. (non gliss)

ff pp

ord clt .5 mf sfpp

2:35

2:30

clt 1 ppp

2:40

f 7

fff

sfpp

pppp

sfpp ffff f ffff f

fff

fff clt 1 pp

clt .5

pp ord fff

sffffz

3 5

2:45

2:40

2:50

2:55

3:00 *

pp pppp

* the bow must be at a sufficient level of sul tasto in order to achieve proper triple stop

... 4 ...

N.V.

3:05

3:00

3:10

3:15

clt 1 pp

3:20

sfpp

ord

pppp

pp mf

3 4

3:25

3:20

3:30

3:35

3:40

clt .5 mf clt 1

ff ord

ord

ppp

fff p

sffffz ord

sffzppp

clt 1

fff

ppp

pppp

(almost imperceptibly slow glissando)

3:40

3:45

3:50

3:55

clt .5 pp

p pp

clt 1

4:00

ord pp

fff

... 5 ... N.V. 1

4:05