A Sutured World
for solo cello and orchestra 2024 Full Score Copyright:RicordiBerlin-
onlyforperusal
Co-commissioned by the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks/ musica viva, the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Amsterdam ‘Cello Biennale, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, and Casa da Música – Porto.
Performances 2024–2025:
World Premiere: 25 October 2024, Herkulessaal der Residenz, Munich Symphonie Orchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, conducted by Edward Gardner Soloist: Nicolas Altstaedt
Copyright:RicordiBerlinonlyforperusal
master processed on 24.10.2024
Sy. 9024/01
ISMN 979-0-2042-9024-2
Copyright © 2024 by G. Ricordi & Co. Bühnen- und Musikverlag GmbH, Berlin
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All rights reserved / Tutti i diritti riservati
Netherlands Premiere: 7 November 2024, Muziekgebouw aan’t IJ, Cello Biënnale Amsterdam Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, conducted by Matthias Pintscher Soloist: Nicolas Altstaedt
Also: 8 November 2024, Concertgebouw Amsterdam 9 November 2024, November Music Festival, ‘s-Hertogenbosch
Australian Premiere: 6 and 7 March 2025, Hamer Hall, Melbourne Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Jaime Martin Soloist: Nicolas Altstaedt
Portuguese Premiere: 4 October 2025, Casa da Música, Porto Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto Casa da Música, conducted by Ryan Wigglesworth Soloist: Nicolas Altstaedt
Liza Lim
A Sutured World (2024) for solo cello and orchestra
2.2.2.2–2.2.2.0–3 perc.–harp–strings
Dedicated to Nicolas Altstaedt
The work is in four sections:
1. take this broken wing... 2’30 page 1
2. Chrysalis 8’30 page 7
3. Sutra 6’30 page 31
4. Simon says: Alle Vögel fliegen hoch 7’30 page 51
InstrumentatIon:
Solo cello (with Baroque bow and standard bow)
2 Flutes (2. doubles Piccolo)
2 Oboes
2 Clarinets in Bb (2. doubles Bass Clarinet in Bb)
2 Bassoons (2. doubles Contrabassoon or Contraforte)
2 Horns in F
2 Trumpets in Bb [wa-wa and straight mutes needed]
2 Trombones (2. uses tenor-bass trombone) [harmon and straight mute needed]
3 Percussion Perc 1: Triangle (small)
Crotales (2 octaves) + bow
Tubular Bells
Perc 2: Triangle (medium)
Vibraphone + bow
Tubular Bells
Perc 3: Tambourine (high)
Vibraphone + bow
Snare Drum (drum sticks and brushes)
Bass Dr um
Harp
Violin I
Violin II
Viola
Violoncello
Double Bass (half the section needs C-string extension retuned down a semitone to B)
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Score is in C
Duration: approximately 25 minutes
Quartertones
Accidentals generally apply to the whole bar however additional courtesy accidentals appear to assist with clarity of reading.
Harp
Buzz produced by holding pedal in between positions
Strings
h. sul pont = ‘harmonics sul pont’ Br ing out different harmonics by changing bow position/pressure/speed (use vibrato to add resonance)
same position tr ill between normal finger pressure and harmonic (emphasise resonance)
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s.f.p. = maintain the same finger position (distance) for the glissando
At times non-standard harmonics are used resulting in either complex multiphonics (notated with ‘M’ in the solo ‘cello part or for the viola and double bass) or in coloured airy pitches; treat the resulting sounds as part of a gestural shape.
Background
The word ‘suture’ refers to stitching up a wound or an incision. That in turn evokes things in the world (humans, creatures, landscapes etc) that are torn, lacerated, and wounded, and processes of sewing and binding edges together for healing. In surgery, making repair of the body with sutures results in scars. But rather than ugliness, think of the Japanese art of kintsugi in which broken pottery pieces are re-joined with gold lacquer — instead of the damage being hidden, the imperfect lines of the join are illuminated.
Also interesting is that the English/Latin root for ‘suture’ is the same as the Sanskrit ‘sutra’ (or Pali ‘sutta’), i.e., to sew. The Buddhist sutras were sewn texts: palm leaves bound by thread. Thread, string, yarn, sewing – the sutras and sutures weave story lines: scars that shed light, brokenness that is stitched into new life.
Copyright:RicordiBerlinonlyforperusal
The work is in 4 sections:
1. take this broken wing…
2. Chrysalis
3. Sutra
4. Simon says: Alle Vögel fliegen hoch
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Vln. I Vln. II
Perc. 1
Perc. 2
Perc. 3
Hp.
Solo Vc.
Vln. I
Vln. II
O
Perc. 2
Vln. II
Vln. I
Perc. 1
Perc. 2
Perc. 3
Perc. 1
Perc. 2
Perc. 3
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Vln. I
4. Simon says: Alle Vögel fliegen hoch
Vln. I
Vla.
Play with bow in each hand (2 bows move in same direction)