Ejnar Kanding
Angstallein (2023)
Fearfully Alone Angstalene
String Quartet No. 8 for string quartet & live-electronics (Max)
Dur. 6′
Commissioned by and dedicated to the American Contemporary Music Ensemble (ACME)
String Quartet No. 8 for string quartet & live-electronics (Max)
Dur. 6′
Commissioned by and dedicated to the American Contemporary Music Ensemble (ACME)
String Quartet No. 8 for string quartet & live-electronics (Max) Dur. 6′
Angstallein (fearfully alone, angstalene) for string quartet and live-electronics is composed with inspiration from a poem by Rainer Maria Rilke titled Wir sind gans Angstallein, dedicated to and commissioned by the American Contemporary Music Ensemble (ACME).
Textual source (1898) by Rainer Maria Rilke titled: Wir sind ganz Angstallein
We are utterly fearfully alone Vi er helt angstalene
German:
Wir sind ganz angstallein, haben nur an einander Halt, jedes Wort wird wie ein Wald vor unserm Wandern sein. Unser Wille ist nur der Wind, der uns drängt und dreht; weil wir selber die Sehnsucht sind, die in Blüten steht.
English:
We are utterly fearfully alone, holding onto each other alone, every word becoming like a forest ahead of our wandering. Our will is only the wind, that urges and turns us; for we ourselves are the longing, that stands in blossoms.
Danish: Vi er helt angstalene, vi holder kun fast i hinanden, hvert ord bliver som en skov foran vores vandring. Vores vilje er kun vinden, der skubber og drejer os; fordi vi selv er længslen, der står i blomst.
Premiere by the American Contemporary Music Ensemble at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in Humlebæk, on October 15, 2023.
The live electronics are indicated in the score as a number of cues to be triggered by using the spacebar on a computer or a MIDI pedal. If a sound director is available to control the balance between instruments and live electronics the “spacebar” model can be used. The best solution, though, is to run the piece from stage using a MIDI pedal. In that case it is recommended that a person located roughly in the middle of the hall controls the overall sound balance.
The piece is developed for a quadrophonic loudspeaker setup (L=1 R=2 Lr=3 Rr=4), but it can also be performed in stereo. Front of house must have subwoofers, rear speakers should be the of the same kind as the front speakers. Make sure the volume is balanced between the four speakers.
The piece can be performed either using a mixing console that is connected to an audio interface or just using an audio interface.
If a mixing console is used, connect the microphones and the four outputs from the audio interface (output 1-4) to the mixer inputs. The mixer outputs are connected to the loudspeakers. AUX send 1-4 from the mixer are connected to the audio interface (input 1-4). All AUX sends must be in PRE mode.
• AUX1 for the violin I – continued to audio interface input 1
• AUX2 for the violin II – continued to audio interface input 2
• AUX3 for the viola – continued to audio interface input 3
• AUX4 for the cello – continued to audio interface input 4
• audio interface output 1 – through the mixer continued to L speaker
• audio interface output 2 – through the mixer continued to R speaker
• audio interface output 3 – through the mixer continued to Lr speaker
• audio interface output 4 – through the mixer continued to Rr speaker
If only an audio interface is used, connect the four instrument microphones to input 1-4 of the audio interface (same order as for the AUX sends listed above). Connect audio interface output 1–4 directly to the loudspeakers.
In both cases if you plan to perform in stereo, just two outputs are connected to the speakers.
Close-miking of the instruments is recommended. The instrument must be amplified so that it appears with a clear, present sound. Use some EQ and add reverb and compressor if necessary to create a natural sound.
To become familiar with the sound of the live electronics it is recommended to rehearse as follows:
Let the internal microphone of the computer pick up the sound of the instrument, and use the spacebar to trigger cues in the score. Make sure that the input is not distorted. Go to System preferences → Sound → adjust the input level. Connect headphones to the audio output of the computer. Set a suitable volume. Headphones are necessary to avoid feedback.
Ejnar Kanding · Anker Heegaardsgade 17 · DK-3300 Frederiksværk · Denmark ejnar@kanding.com · t: +45 20761179 · skype: ejnarkanding http://kanding.com · http://soundcloud.com/kanding http://www.edition-s.dk/composer/ejnar-kanding
HARDWARE:
Computer: MacBook Pro, OS 10.10 or later, 8 GB RAM
Audio interface: e.g. MOTU 8m or RME Fireface UFX+
MIDI-pedal: (optional) connected to the computer via a MIDI-keyboard or MIDI interface that connects to a (sustain) pedal – e.g. Audiofront MIDI Expression or YAMAHA FC5
Quadrophonic loudspeaker setup: PA system, 4 identical loudspeakers (L-R-Lr-Rr) & 2 subwoofers
(L-ACOUSTICS or d&b audiotechnik recommended)
Digital mixing console: At least 4 mic inputs, 4 line inputs, 4 aux sends (PRE), 4 outputs for loudspeakers – e.g. YAMAHA 01v96 or Allen & Heath SQ5
Microphones (suggestions):
String instruments
SOFTWARE:
4 DPA 4099
The patch used for performances has been developed in Max. A download of Max (which is required to run the supplied patch) is available from Cycling '74. The trial version of Max is fully functional for 30 days. After 30 days, it is still possible to run and edit Max patches, but changes cannot be saved without a purchased authorization. Not being able to save changes will however not affect running the supplied patch(es) in any way.
The patch can be downloaded from the Edition·S website: http://www.edition-s.dk/music/ejnar-kanding/angstallein
All files must remain in the same folder on your computer. Below is a description of the basic features for running the software:
• Open the application with the title of the piece.
• In the left corner is the “start Max” – to start press the gray button that says “dsp start”.
• Below is “IO mapping” where the correct inputs and outputs can be selected by pressing the “dsp status”.
• If a mixing console is used: Channel (group) 1 set to Input 1, channel (group) 2 set to Input 2, etc.
• If an audio interface is used: Channel 1 set to Input 1, channel 2 set to Input 2, etc.
• For rehearsing individually with the internal microphones of the Mac:
• Set your instrument to Input 1 and the other channels to Off.
• Output 1=L speaker, output 2=R speaker, output 3=L rear speaker, output 4=R rear speaker.
• (For stereo set Channel 3 and 4 to Output 1 and 2 respectively.)
• Below is the “stop Max” – press “dsp stop”. It stops all audio.
• Below is the “INIT Max” – press the circle inside the square. INIT is used before the start of a concert to restart from cue 0. Then press forward to cue 1 and cue 2 to start the piece.
• Below is the “CUE” – it shows the cue that is active.
• Below is the “go to CUE”. Click the small triangle on the left side of the square. Enter a number to obtain the desired cue number. Press enter. The next press of the spacebar / MIDI pedal activates the cue. Use the “dec” (backward) and “inc” (forward) buttons to navigate back and forth between the cues.
• With the use of a MIDI pedal to trigger the cues, every press of the pedal goes one cue forward. Pressing for at least two seconds will go one cue backward.
Since the real-time processing that is going on in the patch is rather complicated, it is recommended to close the patch both before a concert performance and sometimes while rehearsing.
Fearfully Alone
String Quartet No. 8 - Dedicated to ACME