Composer's Notes: In the Summer of 2014 I was involved in a project that required me to spend many days outdoors among the plains of West-Central Texas. Having grown up in Texas,I never much cared for the spacious setting of the plains. They felt cold and unwelcoming. But this particular Summer I saw something different. These golden plains no longer felt so empty and lonely, but rather warm and inviting. You could stare out for miles and see no trees whatsoever, but the fields were alive as they danced among the breeze and radiated light from the sun's rays. The more time I spent staring into the vast space of these fields, I began to hear nature come to life. Every so often I could hear the faint sound of wind chimes cascading in the breeze from someone's front porch. In this piece, I use the backdrop of the empty fields to represent the inner struggle of maintaining one's faith. With no material anchor to latch onto, faith can be much like the desolate fields of West Texas. It requires a different perspective to see the beauty in nothing.
Performance Note: If using elctronics, audio tracks will be supplied. Any small speaker system can be used. The speakers themselves should be set up off stage, and the device controlling the audio tracks will be with the pianist. The tracks will be mixed in a way so that the audio sounds somewhat muffled and distant. Do not try to overcompensate for the volume. It is better for the audio to be too quiet than too loud. If NOT using electronics, there are optional piano parts notated in the score that can be played out of time with the ensemble. Only one of these options should be utilized in a performance, never both. Cues for the electronics will be notated by large boxed numbers.
Commissioned by MAPS Trio
2
Eternal Fields Desolate (q=60)
Viola
p
Percussion
p
Desolate (q=60)
Piano
Perc.
p
Vla.
s.t.
mp
Vib.
Perc.
Pno.
yarn mallets
mp
p
Copyright © 2015 by Paper Thin Publishers. All Rights Reserved.
3
5
s.p.
use both forearms
p
ord.
arco
p
9
Cymbal
mp
mp
p
p
p
Pno.
5
Vla.
mp
Vibraphone motor off
arco
Andrew Rodriguez (b. 1989)
3
A 14
Vla.
Perc.
Pno.
Glockenspiel
mp
A p
19
Vla.
q = q. ord.
Perc.
(e=e) gliss.
+ f
+
Glockenspiel
Vibraphone
+
p motor on medium
p
3
3
+ +
mp
3 +
simile
p
mf
+ + q = q.
Pno.
mp
+
22
Perc.
Vla.
Pno.
B + +
+
+
mp
B +
+
gliss.
gliss.
+ Perc. + + 24
Vla.
Pno.
+
+ + +
+
+
+
+
q. = q
f
q. = q
Pno.
+ +
f
+
5
mf
sul pont.
Perc.
+
+
30
+
Vla.
Perc.
Pno.
+ + +
27
Vla.
gliss.
4
open-handed
p
motor off
Play pitches randomly in erratic and uneven rhythms to imitate the sound of household wind chimes. fade out
5 Vla.
C
35
norm.
p
Vibraphone
Perc.
arco
p
C
Pno.
41
Vla.
mp
Vla.
3
p
3
Furiously (q=75)
sul pont.
f
47
Perc.
Pno.
5
mf
Furiously (q=75)
Toms use mallets like a cadenza
5
f f mp 3
f
3
Cymbal
Perc. mp 3 5 Pno.
choke To Vib.
*Corigliano Tremolo: An unmetered, broken-up tremolo. Think of it as "morse code" tremolo.
mp
norm.
mf
6
p
mp
mf
arco
sul pont.
mf
Vib.
detached
pizz.
mp
*
arco
52
Vla.
Perc.
Perc.
Pno.
Perc.
Pno.
Marimba hard mallets
5
D
f
5
f mf f
60
Vla.
mp
56
Vla.
f
To Mar.
Pno.
6
D arco norm.
pizz.
3
gliss.
Play 'x' notes behind bridge
ff
7
Vla. Perc. 63
Pno.
Perc.
Pno.
Perc.
Pno.
ff
Toms use mallets
f
To Toms
69
Vla.
66
Vla.
f
Splash
choke
71
Vla.
Perc.
f
Pno.
(q=50) E Prayer
Vla.
Vla.
3
Vibraphone yarn mallets motor on low
mp
pp
mp
mp
p
p
mf
p
mp
p
Pno.
ff
p
Perc.
ff
p
To Vib. Perc. E Prayer (q=50)
77
f
Pno.
Splash choke
f
74
8
as before
senza vib.
mf
fade out
11 115
Vla.
Perc.
pp
It may be necessary to cue pianist so they may regain a sense of the set tempo.
Cymbal
Resume tempo with ensemble.
Pno.
Perc.
p
mp Vibraphone
G accel.
p
mp
121
Vla.
arco
mallets motor off
mp
accel. 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 G Pno.
3
3
122
Vla.
3
legato p
3
3
3
senza sord.
mp
3
(q=85)
3
poco a poco cresc.
Perc.
3
mf
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 (q=85)
Pno.
mf
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
125
Vla.
Perc.
Pno.
3
3
f
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
3
3
f
3
3
3
3
Furiously (q=75) s.p.
ff marcato
Perc.
Pno.
127
Vla.
12
To Mar.
6
Marimba
mf
Furiously (q=75)
6
6
10
ff
Perc.
129
Vla.
f
Pno.
detached
Toms
use mallets
13 133
Vla.
H
Perc.
Pno.
Cymbal
f
create cluster w/ fist
Perc.
Pno.
H
f
135
Vla.
Marimba
ff f
mp
highest note possible
137
Vla.
heavy
Perc. ff
Pno.
sul A . gliss
To Vib.
f
Vibraphone
mf
f
140
Vla.
Perc.
Pno.
Perc.
Pno.
Perc.
arco ord.
f
Pno.
14
f
gliss.
ff
148
Vla.
144
Vla.
6
scratch tone
*See Note
arco
p
n
p
n
*See Note 3 7 sec.
fff
*If using electronics, viola should enter in freely after track has begun; piano should follow as written. Sustain the respective figures until after the track has finished then fade out as written. If not using electronics, allow the hall reverb to settle before entering in the last bar; play as written.
p
n
March 2015