PEDRO ALVAREZ INTERSPERSO-ULTRADIANO for electric bass and ensemble (2017)
Instrumentation: -Solo Electric Bass, scordatura: G#, D, A, Eb (controlling distortion on/off, and volume) -Bass Clarinet (in Bb) -Viola -Violoncello -Percussion (4 Cymbals) -Electronics (Pre-recorded sounds) The work consists of eight textures (numbered T.1 – T.8). Each texture is started by a brief distorted bass solo. A longer solo concludes the piece after T.8. When you need to play together (i.e. T4 and T.7) look at each other. Regardless of playing together or independently, listen to each other. There is no general score. One page of text/visual/score instructions is provided for each performer. Total duration: ca. 9� Commissioned by and dedicated to DecibelNewMusic ensemble for their Electronic Concerto project. Premiere: 24 October 2017 at PICA, Totally Huge New Music Festival in Perth, Australia. www.pedroalvarez.info
v.2017-11-08
Pedro Alvarez : INTERSPERSO-ULTRADIANO
Textures
ELECTRIC BASS
Numbered T.1–T.8. Clean sound. All notes/dyads consist of open strings and/or natural harmonics. Play the notes/dyads in silence (vol. 0), then fade in and out (with vol. pedal or knobs) to make the sound appear and dissapear smoothly. These sounds should be scattered freely throughout each texture, and blend in with the general dynamic of electronics and other instruments ( p - mp ). T.4 and T.7 follow defined patterns (see below).
Scordatura: G#, D, A, Eb. Transposed
T.2 (~1’)
Solos
Numbered Solo 1 – Solo 8, solos introduce a pair of open strings with a heavily distorted sound, distinctly louder than textures, picking any of the options below (A–D). Solos interrupt the ongoing texture and give other instruments the cue to change to the following texture. Duration ~4–12”.
T.1 (~20”) / T.5 (~40”)
A [init: vol. 0, max. distortion.]
1. Pluck the (open) pair of strings indicated 2. vol. fade-in dal niente al f 3. interrupt the sound by disconnecting the lead from the bass intermittently and irregularly.
C [init: vol. f, max. distortion, lead disconnected from bass.] 1. Pluck the (open) pair of strings indicated 2. Connect the lead to the bass and sustain the sound for about 7”, then disconnect.
D [init: vol. 0, max. distortion.]
1. Pluck the (open) pair of strings indicated 2. vol. fade-in dal niente al f 3. (after about 7”) interrupt the sound by disconnecting the lead from the bass.
T.3 (~40”) / T.6 (~20”)
Solo 6 II+IV
Solo 1 I+IV Solo 5 I+IV
B [init: vol. f, max. distortion, lead disconnected from bass.] 1. Pluck the (open) pair of strings indicated 2. Connect the lead to the bass and then interrupt the sound by disconnecting and re-connecting intermittently, slowing down the intermittence of sound.
Solo 3 II+IV
Solo 2 I+III
T.4 (~1’40”)
Solo 4 II+III
Solo 7 I+II
T.7 (~1’) T.4 only. Constant. Together with the others. Change note/dyad each time (in any order). 5”
:
7”
:
Solo 8 III+IV
(... mp ...)
T.7 only. Constant. Together with the others. Change note/dyad every 1-3x (in any order).
:
3” (... mp ...)
4”
:
Final Solo III+IV Play all 4 solo options, allowing plenty of feedback and wildly striking the last 2 strings. (~30”)
T.8 (~2’20”)
v.2017-11-08
Pedro Alvarez : INTERSPERSO-ULTRADIANO
BASS CLARINET Transposed
A distorted bass solo marks the beginning of every new texture (durations in parentheses are a guide only, follow the bass!). Pitches within each texture can be played in any order, one or more times, following model A. Occasionally play model B. T.4 only uses model C. T.7 only uses model D. End T.8 when the distorted solo bass interrupts it, and remain quiet until the end.
A
Apply the dynamic sequence shown to each note in Textures 1-8 (except T.4 and T.7). Once finished, start again with another note and different duration/repetition variables. Don’t repeat any pitch before having played at least other two different ones in-between. Any instance of A can occasionally be interrupted to play B. 1” – 5”
0.5” – 3”
(dal niente al ... pp ... al niente)
1x – 5x
: (... p ...)
(... mp ...)
B 3” – 7”
: (... p ...)
(... pp ...)
(mp – mf)
Pitchless noise (air on b.cl. or damped trem. on strings) with any single one of the dynamic shapes shown. Play immediately if you hear others playing it (overlap with them). Take the innitiative if you haven’t heard it in a while.
T.2 (~1’)
T.3 (~40”) / T.6 (~20”)
T.1 (~20”) / T.5 (~40”)
T.4 (~1’40”) T.7 (~1’)
C :
D
Only for T.4 Constant. Together with the others. Change note each time (in any order). 5” (... mp ...)
7”
:
:
Only for T.7 Constant. Together with the others. Change note every 1-3x (in any order). 3”
4”
T.8 (~2’20”)
:
(... mp ...)
v.2017-11-08
Pedro Alvarez : INTERSPERSO-ULTRADIANO
VIOLA A distorted bass solo marks the beginning of every new texture (durations in parentheses are a guide only, follow the bass!). Pitches within each texture can be played in any order, one or more times, following model A. Occasionally play model B. T.4 only uses model C. T.7 only uses model D. End T.8 when the distorted solo bass interrupts it, and remain quiet until the end.
A
1” – 5”
0.5” – 3”
(dal niente al ... pp ... al niente)
No vibrato. Ever.
B
Apply the dynamic sequence shown to each note/dyad in Textures 1-8 (except T.4 and T.7). Once finished, start again with another note/dyad and different duration/repetition variables. Don’t repeat any pitch before having played at least other two different ones in-between. Any instance of A can occasionally be interrupted to play B. 1x – 5x
: (... p ...)
(... mp ...)
3” – 7”
: (... p ...)
(... pp ...)
(mp – mf)
Pitchless noise (air on b.cl. or damped trem. on strings) with any single one of the dynamic shapes shown. Play immediately if you hear others playing it (overlap with them). Take the innitiative if you haven’t heard it in a while.
T.2 (~1’)
T.3 (~40”) / T.6 (~20”)
T.1 (~20”) / T.5 (~40”)
T.4 (~1’40”) T.7 (~1’)
C :
Only for T.4 Constant. Together with the others. Change note/dyad each time (in any order). 5” (... mp ...)
7”
:
D :
Only for T.7 Constant. Together with the others. Change note/dyad every 1-3x (in any order). 3”
4”
T.8 (~2’20”)
:
(... mp ...)
v.2017-11-08
Pedro Alvarez : INTERSPERSO-ULTRADIANO
VIOLONCELLO A distorted bass solo marks the beginning of every new texture (durations in parentheses are a guide only, follow the bass!). Pitches within each texture can be played in any order, one or more times, following model A. Occasionally play model B. T.4 only uses model C. T.7 only uses model D. End T.8 when the distorted solo bass interrupts it, and remain quiet until the end.
A
Apply the dynamic sequence shown to each note/dyad in Textures 1-8 (except T.4 and T.7). Once finished, start again with another note/dyad and different duration/repetition variables. Don’t repeat any pitch before having played at least other two different ones in-between. Any instance of A can occasionally be interrupted to play B. 1” – 5”
0.5” – 3”
(dal niente al ... pp ... al niente)
No vibrato. Ever.
1x – 5x
: (... p ...)
(... mp ...)
B 3” – 7”
: (... p ...)
(... pp ...)
(mp – mf)
Pitchless noise (air on b.cl. or damped trem. on strings) with any single one of the dynamic shapes shown. Play immediately if you hear others playing it (overlap with them). Take the innitiative if you haven’t heard it in a while.
T.2 (~1’)
T.1 (~20”) / T.5 (~40”)
T.3 (~40”) / T.6 (~20”)
T.4 (~1’40”) T.7 (~1’)
C :
Only for T.4 Constant. Together with the others. Change note/dyad each time (in any order). 5” (... mp ...)
7”
:
D :
Only for T.7 Constant. Together with the others. Change note/dyad every 1-3x (in any order). 3”
4”
T.8 (~2’20”)
:
(... mp ...)
v.2017-11-08
Pedro Alvarez : INTERSPERSO-ULTRADIANO
PERCUSSION -Four suspended cymbals numbered 1–4 from high to low, with medium-soft mallets. -Each texture (numbered T.1 – T.8) follows a unique model given. -A distorted bass solo marks the beginning of every new texture (durations in parentheses are a guide only, follow the bass!). -Occasionally, do ‘contaminate’ the given texture with interspersed single strikes on other cymbals at the same dyamic level. -End T.8 when the distorted solo bass interrupts it, and remain quiet until the end.
Cymbal 1:
Cymbal 3:
Constant beating, ~3 bps (dur. ~0.3”) Near the edge. Quasi-continuous sound. Constantly cresc./dim. between pp and mp
Constant beating ~3 bps (dur. ~0.3”) Near the edge. Quasi-continuous sound. pp
Constant beating ~1 bps (dur. 1”) Near the bell. Clearly differentiated, scattered beats. mp
T.2 (~1’)
T.3 (~40”)
Cymbal 2:
Fluctuate constantly between two beating rates (~1.5 bps to ~4 bps) without ever stabilizing a regular pulsation. Vary the point of attack independently. p
Tremolo dal niente al mp al niente. Constant. Together with the others. Change cymbal every 1-3x (in any order).
:
rallentando
T.1 (~20”)
Cymbal 1:
T.4 (~1’40”)
T.5 (~40”)
accel.
T.6 (~20”)
rall.
:
3”
:
4”
(... mp ...)
T.7 (~1’)
T.8 (~2’20”)
Cymbal 2:
Cymbal 4:
Cymbal 3:
Cymbal 4:
Fluctuate constantly between two beating rates (~1.5 bps to ~4 bps) without ever stabilizing a regular pulsation. Vary the point of attack independently. p
Tremolo dal niente al mp al niente. Constant. Together with the others. Change cymbal every 1-3x (in any order).
Constant beating, ~2 bps (dur. ~0.5”) Near the edge. Quasi-continuous sound. Constantly cresc./dim. between pp and mp
Constant beating ~5 bps (dur. ~0.2”) Near the edge. Quasi-continuous sound. pp
:
accel.
rall.
:
:
5” (... mp ...)
7”
:
:
Constant beating ~0.2 bps (dur. 5”) Near the bell. Clearly differentiated, scattered beats. mp
rallentando v.2017-11-08
Pedro Alvarez : INTERSPERSO-ULTRADIANO
ELECTRONICS
-Play the soundfiles corresponding to each of the textures (numbered T.1 to T.8), at the level of an instrumental mp. -A distorted bass solo marks the beginning of every new texture (durations in parentheses are a guide only, follow the bass!). -Cross-fade smoothly from one soundfile to the next (overlap time: ~2”) together with the distorted bass solos. -Let T.8 play beyond the distorted solo bass that interrupts it, fading out slowly through this final solo (~20”).
T.1 (~20”)
T.2 (~1’)
T.3 (~40”)
T.4 (~1’40”)
T.5 (~40”)
T.6 (~20”)
T.7 (~1’)
T.8 (~2’20”)
v.2017-11-08