Commandes, op. 4 (2014, ed. 2017) for solo amplified cello

CommandĂŠs for solo amplified violincello

(2014)

Bernie Walasavage

Program Notes CommandĂŠs is a French noun that can apply to a number of different meanings. In this piece the definition refers to things ordered or arranged. The noun can also mean an "indent." The material for the piece is manipulated in this way: harsh, lower register gestures, exploited by the fourth string, is juxtaposed with light and airy melodic figures. As my own process, I manipulated this simple relationship of indents and line, encompassing "low/high, harsh/airy, quick/moderate," as materials for an untilmate deconstruction and elusive build-up which borders chaos, absurdity, and beauty. It is this entity which births a 'coda' section of stagnant, emotionless playing, a purposeful dynamic contrast from previous material. Think of dynamics as always changing, or always a battle between intensities. Amplification can be used to better convey dynamic intensity.

Written for Jordan Hamilton

Key Unstable scratch tone.

Continue tone.

Hit the strings on the side of the bow (half-wood, half-hair) As harsh and abrasive as possible.

Snap pizzicato, "BartĂłk pizz."

Continue tone which becomes unstable (wavering of pressure with the bow)

Tone grows from nothing.

Decay, niente

Notehead denotes molto sul Ponticello, on the bridge.

Left hand violently hits the fingerboard at variable locations.

(The right hand is hitting the bow on random open strings during this figure). Do not hold back.

Note played 3/4 sharp Note played 1/4 sharp

Note played 3/4 flat

B.W.

Commandés

Bernie Walasavage (*1989)

For solo amplified violincello 2x

Jagged line indicated uncontrolled scratch tone.

'15

?

Grace notes, quick and heavy pressure on the bow.

7'

wo

w πo

'15

(high pitch continues)

'20

III

w∏

π

π

5'

w o

o

'7

Sim., non harmonic.

w∏

w

p

p

œ œ v v

ƒ

o

'5

p

π

..

œ œ v v

ƒ

Gradual transition to doublestop.

'10

w

w p

π

œ œ v v

ƒ

p

..

o

A Sense of rubato throughout, Tempo markings for guidance q = 40

w? w π

œ œ

œ #œ

#œ œ

œ œ

˙#˙ œ œ

f p fPf F

q = 60 Norm.

accel.

More pressure (1/2 scratch tone.)

q = 90

q = 60

sul Pont.

Norm.

w ≈ & œ- œ ≈ œ œæ œ œ œ œ w > vv v f P fp ƒ subito ppp

Scratch.

37

& œœ .. # œ # œ.

œ ‰ œ . œ œ- . subito pp

?

& œœ

œœ ƒv v f

# œ Œ ˙˙ # œ. p π

j ≈œ . w œ. w p

#˙. ˙.

œ # œF

?

œ œ. f

≈

œ œ œ œ . œœ œ .

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ.

œ œ œ. ƒ

&

? œ b œ b œœ n œ # œ œ œ. # œ. # œ œ ≈ œ œ œ œ > # œ. π F ƒv v v v

? nœ bœ ? ? œ œ œ œ. ? œ bœ ? œ. œ œ œ . œ œ œ . œ œ œ œ œ & œ œ. œ œ œ œ œ & œœ b œœ. œ & œ œ. œ œ œ œ œ œ & œ . œœ œœ œ . œ œ œ œ œ œ & # # œœ # œœ. œ n n œœ #œ. œ. v v v v F #œ. v > > v v> v p v P v π f ƒ f f ƒ f ƒ

?

ø . #ø ø.

&

j ‰ œœ œœ œœ ..

F

j œ œ œœ .. œ œ

œ. œ œ œ. œ œ & œ œ œ # n œ >œ œ >œ œ œ œ > œ œ œ >œ œ >œ # œ # œ. œ n œ v v ƒ f C Ad. lib. dynamics - very uncontrolled and crazy.

Sacrific intonation for intensity.

Note-head: transition to molto sul Pont.

œ. #œ œ. ˙ & œ. œ œ. ˙ œ v F

#œ j ≈& œ. œ œ œ œ ®œ œ œ œ . π ƒ > >v F

q = 130

Hardcore scratch.

Make use of rapid dynamic changes, even if one has to radically over-emphasize.

41

Scratch.

?

B accel.

Norm.

j œ œ œ . ˙˙ œ.

& b ww π

Norm.

sul Pont.

j j? j ‰ ‰ & ww #œ ‰ œ. œ œ . œœ ˙˙ ≈ œ. # œ. # œ . œ. œ- . œ- œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ- œ . v> â Ø v P subito pp ƒ F

With each transformitive line (dotted), transition from Sul pont. to Norm. bowing.

27

q = 110

accel.

b˙ ? ˙ & œ œ œ œ >œ >œ œ œ v subito pp ƒ

ø. ø.

ø. nø œ. œ ø. ? œ œ. œ & œ œ œ œ œ œœœœ œ > œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ f > > v > > v Ï f

œ. #œ œ. ‰ p

^ œ w æ #œ ƒ

'10

?

Î

4

C1 q = 60

w ? w subito pp

sul Pont.

48

Dynamics: less intense than before. q = 90 Norm.

œ

ww ∏

events become quicker.

q = 100

'15

#œ ˙ # œ #w p

Ó

'3

j #œ ‰ ˙. ˙. π

˙w

Ó F

'10Pont. sul

bw

˙

œ‰Œ J F π

j œ ‰Œ Ó w

w π

π

j œ˙ .

let ring pizz.

pizz.

arco pizz.

I œ Ó œ Œ Œ Œ I œ arco œ œ . œ J œ& ‰ ˙. œ‰ ˙ R≈‰ œ J Pπ F π P pizz.

arco

sul Pont. arco

œ.

‰ ? œ. π

j pizz. œæ r ≈ ‰ œ ˜œ f

C2 and more jumbled and sloppy.

q = 110 Norm. arco

j #w ) ¿¿ ‰ ( ¿¿ & # ¥w v π ƒ

sul Pont.

? Ó w π

˙

wæ œ

sul Pont. arco

j ? ‰ #œ w #œ w arco

j ‰ œ¥ P

œ

f

Ó ¥ æ.

œ ‰ ¿ ®‰ J ¿¿ ¥ v ¿v πf æ P

Œ

# ϴ ..

J

arco Norm.

µœ Œ

¿¿ v ƒ

&Ó

w π

˙

D q = 130 70

& ˙œ J

j #œ. nœ œ J f

pizz. arco pizz. very harsh. > > ^r 5 œ œ bœ œ #œ nœ ≈ ‰ œ ¿ Ó ( ) œ œ ? œ œ ? ¿¿ & Œ œœ œ œ œœ œœ œ¥ ≈ œœ œ.

R œ. # ¥ œ . œ¿ œ ˜œ œ. v v vœ v v v π f ƒ Ï

q = 100

( ‰) ¿¿ ¿ Œ v v¿

arco

molto sul Pont.

LH - violently tap on the fingerboard at variable location RH - violently bounce on open strings with bow or tap harshly with fingernail (allow the indeterminate LH to create crazy pitches) LH

¥ ? ˙

77

p

pizz. Ë ¿¿ ‰ ≈ ËœË œ Ë ≈ ‰ b œ ≈ ? Œ j‰ # ø ø ø ø & œ ø ø #ø nø ¿ ¿ œ œ œ ≈ Ó œ œœ œ ÿÿÿÿ ÿ ÿ ÿÿ ¿¿ œ v v P ƒ F ƒ ƒ pizz. arco

RH (w./ bow)

pizz.

pizz.

œ # arco œ # œœ #œ ¥œ ..

6 5 ¿¿ Œ J J ≈ ‰ J ≈ ø ø ø #ø #ø nø ‰ ≈ J ≈ ‰ #ø ‰ ø ø ø ø ø # ø ¿ œ œ œ œ #œ #œ œ œ œ # œ ÿ # œ n œ f F (possible) #œ nœ #œ œ œ n¿ p ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ subito p ÿ ÿ ÿ ÿ v F f f ç ƒ arco

q = 90 ËË j œ ËË œœœ ËËœ ‰ ?¿ œœ œœ œ ‰& œ Œ ¿¿¿ Œ œ Œ Ó v f ƒ f

¿¿ Œ ¿¿ ¿¿ Œ ¿ ¿¿ ¿¿ ¿ v vv ƒ

ª

3

5

Figure should be heavily ab. lib. in accordance to previous material.

Build up of deconstruction from Section C. Go maniacally crazy. Actual climax.

E

'25 accel.

? ËËœ ËË œ œ œ œ

œ ËË

œ œËË

œ

¨¨ ¨¨ œ

œ

¨¨

œ

¨¨ ¨ ¨¨ ¨¨œ ¨¨ ¨¨ ¨ ¨¨ œ œ œ

Maniacal

œ

Accent open low C more and more.

Î

ª

#w

w

Nonchalant. Stagnant. Resultant from trauma.

Arrive at each pitch then fall or rise out-of-tune. Do not gliss to next pitch.

'15

'25

ø

ø

molto sul Pont.

?

99

#ø

ø

?

w w F

ø

ø

(ø )

ø Ø

w

#w

w

w

#w

w

w

Norm.

ª

P

accel.

w

ø

ø

'15 113

ø

'10

w

#w

w

w

w w

w

w

w

w

w

w

U

π December 15, 2014 Kalamazoo, MI

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