requiem for kv (large)

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: [!] = 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

#

( ( & ' $ " $% $ ) $ $ short

$

poco rit.

3

last

liv - ing thing

$# $ # $ poco

has died

on

As before

( "

$ ) $ $

ac - count of

us,

start tape 1

el. poco acc

Slower Voice (Live)

! $ .

how

As before

& ' /$ $ ' ' % $.% 3

po

3

-

et

As &% before Slower Slower (q = 46) (q = 63) (q = 46)

-

i -

(0 p ( ( 1 1 $ $% $% #.%

cal

it

* + $$.

p sotto voce

would be

if

2 * $$ Left ! + (Tape)

#.

earth

ppp

[I]

' + ! + $$. 4$ #. . sotto voce

Voice (Live)

in

2

Left (Tape)

+ ! + $$ [I]

Right (Tape)

+" ! ( +

a

voice

pp

2

$

[!]

As before

3 5# +.

float

3 # +.

floa/

pp

.$% $ 6

p sotto voce

mp

3 # +.

floa/

-

(t)ing up

( " 3"

p sly

( #

per

-

( " / $ $ % haps

, - $ $ "# . .

+ +

"#

+ +

mp

could say,

," -

&" $ ) $ $

from the floor

2

!

p 1-2" " ( 7 p ' " $ " + $ #. ) $

of

!0" " +#.

Very slow (q = 46)

! $& /$

Voice (Live)

the

Grand Can - yon,

/8

(non cresc.)

#.

"It

is

done."

Voice (Live)

#.

#.

/+ #

morendo

"It

Left (Tape)

Right (Tape)

!

p

(! ;

/8

is

6

) #. #

#.

done."

"It

2 ' /8

/# #

*

is

*

p

[I]

!0"

done."

2 /8 [!]

:* + p

: +# .

6 ' ;

morendo

2 &' 4# #

*

#

is

+9

"It

p

/8

6 ' "

morendo

done."

[!]

2

&%

#

"It

Left (Tape) !

' !

start tape 2

p

+#

morendo

[I]

morendo

2 : +#

[I]

#. #

(non cresc.)

is

/# done."

p

morendo

*

*) Hover slightly below the pitch, just flat enough to produce beats.

Voice (Live)

' 2 ! #

[I]

Left (Tape)

!

p

morendo

*

*

2

#

[I]

6 ' "

morendo

Right (Tape)

(! # .

"It

4#. #

(non cresc.)

is

/#

morendo

*

p

< +# .

"It

p

#. #

#

*

morendo

"It

p

p

is

/#

4#. # is

(like an overtone forming)

3=3=3

< /$ +

morendo

done."

6 ' "

done."

**) Proportional notation: place the attack approximately in the middle of the third beat.

)$

gliss.

< +

2 0 **$

< +

"It

< +;

2 48 [I]

p

< +

' < /$ !+

3=3=3

Voice (Live)

done."

Left (Tape)

! +< +

morendo

!0"

2 0 **$

+

p

"It

3=3=3

/$

' : /$ !+ ! +: +

p

0

"It

8

: ! + ( 8.

)# #

It

' , pp !+ 8

is

;#

!0" $.

It

mp

#

"

$. # is

morendo

is

'

done."

"

"

+" +

$. #

done."

!0"

It

+ ## + "It

$. # # $ # $. .

is done

"It

"

#.

done

p

$

$ is

# is

$

[!]

is

ppp

8

done."

, +

is

ppp

##

, + , +

$

"It

$. is

"

p

!0" + pp + ##

mp

+$ +.

morendo

done."

done."

morendo

done

, ! + (

+ /$ # +

8.

It

It

$

/# , !+

morendo

$. # # $ # $. .

, +"

[I]

"It

Right (Tape)

p

: +

+ /# # +

done

2

pp

is

, /8 +

: +

(t)[I]

$

pp

p

Left (Tape)

"It

is

!0"

!0"

+

p

!0" pp , +8

2 $

is

Voice (Live)

2 0 **$

morendo

done."

morendo

2 0 **$ "It

(like an overtone forming)

/$

3=3=*

morendo

done."

3=3=3

(s)done

Right (Tape)

is

is

is

: +

.

8#

8.

8. #

8.

< Right ! + (Tape) ( 8. #

Left (Tape)

3

(t)[I]

(t)[I]

Voice (Live)

!0"

(like an overtone forming)

!0"

4 Voice (Live)

!0"

' !

#

$

"It

Left (Tape)

is

"It

! 8

is

"It

[!]

$

"It

is

$

[!]

(! ##

#

$

##

done."

Right (Tape)

#

$

8

is

done."

# is

+ +

$

##

is

$

+ +

done."

is

+ +

$

## done."

is

Freely Voice (Live)

' + !+

#

$

"It

Left (Tape)

Right (Tape)

##

is

! ++

$#

#

#

is

"It

1, 2, etc.

$#

$

is

##

$#

"It

last time

$# is

$

0 0

$

done."

ppp legato

"It (non dim.)

+ ## ! ( +

3x

is

start tape 3

Voice (Live)

' ! 8 &%

morendo

ppp

Left (Tape)

! # "It

Right (Tape)

(!

# is

9

$#

"It

& ' "

;

9 morendo

$# is

9

$ ppp

#

"It

# is

$#

"It

$# is

$

Voice (Live)

' ! # "It

Left (Tape)

* + /# #

morendo

# is

! & ' "

;

#

;

morendo

* + /$

[!]

Right (Tape)

Voice (Live)

Left (Tape)

(! 8

morendo

#

' + !+

morendo

+ !+ #

Right (Tape)

Voice (Live)

+ ! ( +# ' !

"

;

+ +#

is

morendo

;

"It

* + ##

9

"It

Right (Tape)

(!

#

#

"It

* 3

morendo

+ +$

* +

"

is

is

morendo

"

+ +8

* +

#

#

"

/$

[!]

!

is

morendo

"It

Left (Tape)

#

#

+ +

9

+ +

is

morendo

3 + /#

morendo

+ +

"

#

"It

is

"

* +

#

#

+ +#

3 +

#

"It

;

"It

3 + /$

+ +

[!]

/# #

"

5

"

+ +

9

"

"

* 3 * 3

9

is

As at the beginning

/( $ * !3

as long as possible...

Voice (Live)

done."

( "

p

/$

( $

Peo - ple

did

5"

$

$

not

( "

) $ like

$ it

& $$

'

here.

October 1, 2007 New Haven, CT