Axel Borup-Jørgensen
Unicorns, Op. 143 (1992)
Enhjørninger
for 6 – 24 guitars in combinations of 1 – 12 movements
Dur. 5′ – 20′
Commissioned by the European Guitar Teachers’ Association
SCORE – VERSION FOR 6 GUITARS
T/ (+45) 3313 5445 · E/ sales@edition-s.dk · W/ www.edition-s.dk
Composed with support from the Danish Arts Foundation Supported by Koda’s Cultural Funds. Støttet af Kodas kulturelle midler.
Edition·S publications are supported by the Danish Arts Foundation / Edition·S udgivelser er støttet af Statens Kunstfond
Axel Borup-Jørgensen Unicorns, Op. 143 (1992)
Enhjørninger
for 6 – 24 guitars in combinations of 1 – 12 movements
Dur. 5′ – 20′
NOTE
Unicorns was commissioned by the EGTA (European Guitar Teachers Association). They requested a piece for any number af guitarists (the 6–24 limitation is my own) that was playable by amateurs (music students) after having looked at it a little (concentrated preliminary-exercises would make this easier), and which professionals (teachers) would be able to sight read. Both approaches were tested at EGTA’s Danish/English guitar festival and congress 8–11 October 1992, where students from the local music school played it at a closing concert, and where the composer tried it with teachers that attended the festival, in connection with a lecture held on the previous day.
Many musicians find “contemporary music” or “modernism” difficult , especially those who are not familiar with the style. First and foremost it tends to be the rhythmical complications that cause problems when playing together with others (as is also often the case with the classical repertoire). Therefore this piece is without a strict rhythmical coordination between the guitarists, and the timing between notes in the individual parts is relative.
In order to randomise the beginning of the different movements and everything that follows, the performers count to their birthdays or months of birth before playing. The counting does not have to follow the exact metronome markings, but for the rehearsals I recommend counting out loud together as an approximate guideline. When performing, all counting should be silent.
Axel Borup-Jørgensen
PERFORMANCE INSTRUCTIONS
Subdivision into groups of 3
Each guitarist has their own individual number: A1, B1, C1, A2, B2, C2.
Tuning
standard tuning except for: which use a special tuning 2 C4 C6 C8
Standard tuning: guitar A1, A2, C1. Scordatura tuning: guitar B1, B2, C2.
Placement
The guitarists are placed in a half circle with A1 on the far right seen from the audience’s perspective. After A1 comes B1, C1; A2, B2, C2.
A note on the fermatas:
Fermatas
he fermatas:
Guitars are in standard tuning except for: and which use a special tuning B C2 C4 C6 C8 U
short
long ....................... short
long short
MOVEMENTS
Unicorns is a very flexible piece with 12 short movements.
These movements can be combined in any way you like, only try to not place two similar movements next to each other. E.g those containing flageolets: 1, 4, 7, 9, 11 or high tones 2, 6, 10. This does not apply to movements 3, 8, and Interrotto.
The composer provides 27 suggested combinations (movements in parentheses ad lib.):
I. 1 – 2 – (3) – 8 – 4
II. 1 – 2 – (3) – 8 – 7
III. 1 – 2 – (3) – 8 – 9 – 10 – 11
IV. 1 – 2 – 3 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10 – 11
V. 1 – 2 – 4 – Interrotto – 9
VI. 1 – 2 – 4 – Interrotto – 9 – 8 – 7
VII. 1 – 3 – 7
VIII. 1 – Interrotto – 7
IX. 1 – 8 – 7
X. 1 – 8 – 9 – (5)
XI. 1 – 8 – 5 – 9
XII. 1 – 7 – 8 – 9
XIII. 4 – 10 – 11
XIV. 4 – 2 – Interrotto
XV. 4 – Interrotto – 5
XVI. 4 – Interrotto – 5 – (6) – 7
XVII. 5 – 7
XVIII. 5 – 9
XIX. 7 – 2 – 9
XX. 9 – 2 – 7
I N F O ( 6 G u i t a r s )
M o s t l y h a r m o n i c s i n t h i s m o v e m e n t
D o n o t a r p e g g i a t e u n l e s s w r i t t e n
T h e g u i t a r i s t s p l a y i n r e l a y, o n e b y o n e , n e v e r s i m u l t a n e o u s l y
D u r a t i o n f r o m t h e o n s e t o f e a c h b a r t o t h e n e x t s h o u l d b e a t
R O U N D 1 ( o n l y A a n d B g u i t a r s )
m o l t o l e g g i e r o
s o f t w i t h o u t n a i l s
pp pp p p p p pp
m o l t o l e g g i e r o
s o f t w i t h o u t n a i l s w i t h i + m + a f i n g e r t i p s
l i f t i n g 1 s t f i n g e r f r o m s t r i n g s pp &
w i t h i + m + a f i n g e r t i p s
s l i g h t l y d a m p e n h a r m . b y n o t
l i f t i n g 1 s t f i n g e r f r o m s t r i n g s p pp p pp
s l i g h t l y d a m p e n h a r m b y n o t
A l l n o t e s a r e t o b e p l a y e d “ m u t e d ” ( p r e s s o n t o p o f f r e t )
E a c h g u i t a r i s t h a s t h e s a m e n o t e t h r o u g h o u t ( s e e b e l o w )
S t a n d a r d t u n i n g g u i t a r s r e t u n e 1 /4 t o n e u p ( t u
q = c 1 5 0 C o u n t to m o n t h o f b i r t h → C o u n t to n u m b e r o f g u i t a r s → P l a y N . B . E a c h p l a ye r i s r h y t h m i c a l l y i n d e p e n d e n t o f t h e o t h e r s – t h e b e a t s a r e n o t s y n c h r o n i ze d !
m o l t o s u l p o n t ” “
A 1 , B 1 , C 1
2 , B 2 , C 2 p p
m o l t o s u l p o n t
; P r o c
P r o c e e d t o o p t i o n s 1 , 2 , 3 a d l i
O p t i o n 1 & ·
O n l y d e t u n e d g u i t a r s ( B 1 , B 2 , C 2 ) p l a y t h i s p a r t
N o s y n c h r o n i z a t i o n
Tu n e ① b a c k t o n o r m a l w h i l e p l a y i n g
q = c 1 0 0
C o u n t to 8 U 7 ″
s u b i t o f pp
O p t i o n 2 &
A l l g u i t a r s c r e a t e a s o f t c o n t i n u u m b y p l a y i n g
N o s y n c h r o n i z a t i o n
D e t u n e d g u i t a r s t u n e b a c k t o n o r m a l w h i l e p l a y i n g ① m a n y t i m e s
S t o p w h e n a l l g u i t a r s a r e i n t u n e q = c . 1 2 0
r i t . pp
O p t i o n 3
A l l g u i t a r s p l a y o p t i o n 2 b u t t h i s t i m e w i t h c r e s c e n d o a n d d e c r e s c e n d o
I n t h e m i d d l e o f t h e d y n a m i c s w e l l , fo l l o w i n g t h e i n d i c a t i o n o f
¢
T U T T I
2 , a l l p l a y t h e s e c t i o n b e l o w q = c . 6 5
r e p e a t t h i s n o t e a d l i b pp mf mp pp
I f p e r fo r m e d a f t e r a l o u d m o v e m e n t =
I f p e r fo r m e d a f t e r a s o f t m o v e m e n t = p
D a m p e n s t r i n g s = * q = 6 5 ( o r s l i g h t l y f a s t e
Ve r y s p r e a d a n d a p p a r e n t l y r a n d o m c h o r d a l i m p u l s e s ( t h e m a t e r i a l i s t a k e n f r o m 8 “ C a c c i a ” )
E a c h g u i t a r i s t p l a y s o n l y o n e b a r ( s e e b e l o w ) .
T h e m u s i c i a n s a r e n o t s y n c h r o n i z e d
E a c h n o t e h a s a d u r a t i o n o f 1 ″ o r s l i g h t l y s h o r t e r
D y n a m i c s r a n g e b e t w e e n f a n d mf
E a c h g u i t a r i s t p l a y s o n l y o n e b a r
E a c h g u i t a r i s t p l a y s t h e i r b a r 2 t i m e s , e xc e p t fo r t h e l a s t g u i t a r i s t i n t h e s c o r e
T h e g u i t a r i s t s p l a y o n e b y o n e , n e v e r s i m u l t a n e o u s l y.
Af t e r t h e l a s t b a r , t h e m o v e m e n t i s p l a y e d b a c k wa r d s - t h i s t i m e w i t h a r i t a rd a n d o
S t a r t w i t h a s l o w s p r e a d b e t w e e n t h e z i g - z a g o n s e t f r o m o n e p l a y e r t o t h e n e x t ,
g r a d u a l l y i n c r e a s i n g a s o n e m o v e s t o wa r d s t h e c e n t r e o f t h e e n t i r e g r o u p .
O n c e t h e ( a g r e e d o n ) m i d d l e p l a y e r h a s b e e n r e a c h e d , g r a d u a l l y s p r e a d o u t a g a i n
q = c 1 0 0 C o u n t to 1 2 → P l a y
m o l t o l e g g i e r o
s o f t w i t h o u t n a i l s
w i t h i + m + a f i n g e r t i p s pp pp mp
¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿
Ta m b o u r a o n b r i d g e w i t h f l a t f i n g e r s d a m p e n w i t h r h p a l m
m o l t o st a c c . pp pp mf
Af t e r A 2 p l a y b a c k wa r d s f r o m C 1 t o A 1 .
A l l n o t e s a r e t o b e p l a y e d “ m u t e d ” ( p r e s s o n t o p o f f r e t )
E a c h g u i t a r i s t h a s t h e s a m e n o t e t h r o u g h o u t ( s e e b e l o w ) .
S t a n d a r d t u n i n g g u i t a r s r e t u n e 1 /4 t o n e u p ( t u r n p e g a p p r o x . 1 / 2 r o u n d ) .
B 1 , B 2 : c h o o s e t w o n o t e s t h a t a r e t o b e s t r o n g l y a c c e n t e d w i t h a d y n a m i c o f p o r mp o r mf
q = c 1 5 0 C o u n t to m o n t h o f b i r t h → C o u n t to 4 → P l a y
N . B . E a c h p l a ye r i s r h y t h m i c a l l y i n d e p e n d e n t o f t h e o t h e r s – t h e b e a t s a r e n o t s y n c h r o n i ze d !
A 1 , B 1 , C 1
° ¢
A 2 , B 2 , C 2 pp pp
o s u l p o n t ” “
A l l g u i t a r s c r e a t e a s o f t c o n t i n u u m b y p l a y i n g ①
N o s y n c h r o n i z a t i o n
D e t u n e d g u i t a r s t u n e b a c k t o n o r m a l w h i l e p l a y i n g
S t o p w h e n a l l g u i t a r s a r e i n t u n e .
q = c 1 2 0 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 & ∑ m o l t o s u l p o n t ” “
r e p e a t t h i s n o te a d l i b .
O p t i o n a l Va r i a t i o n :
S h o r t l y a f t e r C 1 h a s p l a y e d t h e i r b a r , t h e s e q u e n c e s t a r t s a g a i n f r o m t h e b e g i n n i n g :
R o u n d 1 : A 1 B 1 , C 1 , A 2 , B 2 , C 2
R o u n d 2 : A 1 B 1 , C 1 , A 2 , B 2 , C 2 ,
Wa i t 8 - 1 0 ″ b e fo r e s t a r t i n g t h i s m o ve m e n t
( ve r y ) s l o w
pp pp pp pp pp pp & ·
E a c h g u i t a r i s t p l a y s a s i n g l e b a r 2 t i m e s
F i r s t t i m e mf
Wa i t fo r t h e o t h e r g u i t a r i s t s i n t h e s
S e c o n d t i m e p
so mew ha t f a st ( s l i g t h l y f a s t e r t h a n i s c o m fo r t a b l e )
A l l n o t e s a r e t o b e p l a y e d “ m u t e d ” ( p r e s s o n t o p o f f r e t )
E a c h g u i t a r i s t h a s t h e s a m e n o t e t h r o u g h o u t ( s e e b e l o w )
C o n t r a r y t o 2 a n d 6 n o g u i t a r s a r e d e t u n e d i n t h i s m o v e m e n t
q = c 1 5 0 C o u n t to m o n t h o f b i r t h → C o u n t to 6 → P l a y
N . B . E a c h p l a ye r i s r h y t h m i c a l l y i n d e p e n d e n t o f t h e o t h e r s – t h e b e a t s a r e n o t s y n c h r o n i ze d !
m o l t o s u l p o n t . ” “
A 1 , B 1 , C 1
0 . & m o l t o s u l p o n t ” “ & :“ ; ( ( & :“ ; & :“ ;
8 4 8 4 8 4 8 4 &
A 2 , B 2 , C 2 p p pp pp mp mp 6 4
4 4 4 6 4
W h e n a l l a r e f i n i s h e d : A 1 c o u n t s t o 6 a n d t h e n
a s i g n a l fo r a l l t o b e g i n t h e c o u n t - d o w n t o S e c t i o n 1 1 – i e e a c h p l a y e r c o u n t s s l o w l y ( q = 8 4 ) t o t h e i r d a t e o f b i r t h
E a c h g u i t a r i s t h a s o n e n o t e
E a c h g u i t a r i s t d e c i d e s h o w m a n y t i m e s t o p l a y t h a t n o t e
E a c h g u i t a r i s t d e c i d e s w h i c h n u m b e r t o c o u n t t o b e t w e e n t h e n o t e s
pp s l o w