Christopher Cerrone
Requiem (for K.V.) for amplified soprano and live electronics
(2007) full score
Notes on performance: Requiem for K.V. is a piece for amplified solo soprano with two prerecorded tracks of the soprano. The two tracks should be panned left and right as far as possible (as indicated in the score) in the stereo mix, with the live voice directly in the center. The realization of the piece requires an alternatingly very free and very strict realization rhythmically. Therefore, it is a possible that the singer make use a click track for performance, but only for the sections with tape. It is also completely possible to perform without a click track. In both the live and prerecorded parts, the soprano should make no attempt to conceal the sound of her breathing between phrases.
General notation guide:
= sustained sound = cresc. dal niente
Pronunciation guide: The score occasionally makes use of the International Phonetic Alphabet to indicate vowels that are not attached to words. They are notated with a bracket surrounding them (e.g. [e]). Below are English examples of all of the vowels used: [ә] = done [I] = it In addition, the following symbols are used: floa/ = fragment of a word (t)ing = attack with a consonant originally attached to another word
Text by Kurt Vonnegut (from the book A Man Without a Country): When the last living thing has died on account of us, how poetical it would be if Earth could say, in a voice floating up perhaps from the floor of the Grand Canyon, “It is done.” People did not like it here.
The Text is Copyright 2006 and Used by Permission
Requiem (for K.V.) Stage Layout
S2
S1 Footpedal to cue tape
(Microphone and Tape - Left channel)
(Microphone and Tape - Right Channel)
F
Mixer
Tape
AUDIENCE
(Tape Only - Right Channel) S4
(Tape Only - Left Channel) S3
written for Daisy Press
Requiem (for K.V.) Kurt Vonnegut
Christopher Cerrone
Quiet and cool (q = 63-66) p without any
When
the
trace of vibrato; very breathy throughout
Voice (Live)
3
poco rit.
short
3
last
liv - ing thing
poco
has died
on
As before
ac - count of
us,
start tape 1
el.
Voice (Live)
how
As before
poco acc
Slower
3 3
po
-
et
As before Slower Slower (q = 46) (q = 63) (q = 46)
-
i -
p
cal
it
if
earth
p sotto voce
would be
Left (Tape)
ppp
[I]
sotto voce
Voice (Live)
in
Left (Tape)
Right (Tape)
a
pp
[I]
[ә]
voice
As before
float
floa/
pp
floa/
p sotto voce 3"
mp
-
(t)ing up
p sly
per
-
haps
mp
could say,
from the floor
2
p 1-2" p
Voice (Live)
of
the
Grand Can - yon,
(non cresc.)
"It
is
start tape 2
Very slow (q = 46)
done."
"It
is
done."
Left (Tape)
Voice (Live)
morendo
"It
Left (Tape)
Right (Tape)
p
is
"It
is
done."
done."
*
p
"It
p
[I]
p
[ә]
p
morendo
[I]
[ә]
morendo
morendo
[I]
morendo
(non cresc.)
is
done."
p
morendo
*) Hover slightly below the pitch, just flat enough to produce beats.
Voice (Live)
[I]
Left (Tape)
p
morendo
[I]
morendo
p
"It
(non cresc.)
is
morendo
p
"It
p
is
done."
morendo
"It
Right (Tape)
p
done."
**) Proportional notation: place the attack approximately in the middle of the third beat.
gliss.
is
(like an overtone forming)
morendo
**
"It
[I]
p
morendo **
Voice (Live)
done."
Left (Tape)
p
"It
(s)done
p
"It
p
It
[I]
pp Voice (Live) "It
is
It
is
done."
It
"It
p
done."
p
done
is
is
ppp
[ә]
is
ppp
done."
is
"It
is
"It
is done
pp
mp
done
mp
morendo
is
done."
done."
morendo
morendo
It
It
pp
morendo
done
p
is
(t)[I]
pp
Right (Tape)
"It
is
p
pp
is
Left (Tape)
**
morendo
done."
morendo
** "It
(like an overtone forming)
morendo
done."
Voice (Live)
Right (Tape)
is
is
is
Left (Tape)
3
(t)[I]
(t)[I]
Right (Tape)
(like an overtone forming)
4 Voice (Live)
"It
Left (Tape)
is
"It
is
"It
[ә]
[ә]
done."
Right (Tape)
"It
is
is
is
done."
is
is
done."
done."
is
Freely Voice (Live)
"It
Left (Tape)
Right (Tape)
is
ppp legato
"It (non dim.)
is
"It
morendo
1, 2, etc.
is
"It
last time
is
done."
3x
is
start tape 3
Voice (Live)
ppp
Left (Tape)
"It
Right (Tape)
is
"It
morendo
is
ppp
"It
is
"It
is
Voice (Live)
"It
Left (Tape)
is
morendo
[ә]
Right (Tape)
Voice (Live)
Left (Tape)
morendo
morendo
Right (Tape)
Voice (Live)
morendo
is
morendo
"It
"It
Right (Tape)
morendo
"It
morendo
is
is
[ә]
is
morendo
"It
Left (Tape)
is
morendo
"It
is
"It
"It
[ә]
5
morendo
is
As at the beginning
as long as possible...
Voice (Live)
done."
p
Peo - ple
did
5"
not
like
it
here. October 1, 2007 New Haven, CT