Niels Rønsholdt – Gloomy Room

Niels Rønsholdt Gloomy Room (2009) performance for solo percussionist Dur. 8′

Written for Mathias Reumert

SCORE

Niels Rønsholdt Gloomy Room (2009) performance for solo percussionist Dur. 8′

PERFORMANCE NOTES This piece is as much a performance as a piece of music. The gestures at the table mean more than just their sound and the quality of the experience is tightly linked to the the way these gestures are acted out.

The piece is to be performed as if the room were completely dark and the table and the objects were blindly explored/touched for the first time. This ‘blindness’ of the performer is becomming more and more evident throughout the piece.

Depending on audience location, it is advisable to have a live video feed showing the table from above. If Gloomy Room is performed in a dark space, it could be performed in complete darkness with only a night vision video feed of the table.

There are quite a number of unpredictable things in this setup and the score should be regarded as a guideline for the performance rather than a source to be carried out with extreme precision.

It is strongly advised to learn this piece by heart, thus the relatively simple score.

The performer is to wear a white shirt.

The performer is to wear a white shirt.

Notes on the notation

NOTATION stroke the table with the palm of the hand : stroke the table with the palm of the hand.

strike the table with the palm of the hand : strike the table with the palm of the hand.

direction of the hands on the table

: direction of the hands on the table

he a e he

ects

Gloomy Room is written to Mathias Reumert

THE TABLE / THE OBJECTS audience bottle of arolo a poured glass

woodblock

coins

sandpaper fastened

balls of greaseproof paper

pencils piece of paper

small triangel rough carton fastened

small cymbal

corrugated cardboard fastened

small massage ball

paper fastened

triangel sandpaper fastened

tin box

percussionist

X

The objects and the placement are a guide and can vary.

The table is amplified by contact mics under the table, as well as two overhead mics if necessary.

The objects and the placement is a guideline and can vary.

Furthermore there is a mic for the voice of the percussionist. The signal of that mic is heavily manipulated.

The table is amplified by contact mics under the table and two overhead mics if necessary. urthermore there is a mic for the voice of the percussionist, the signal of that mic is heavily manipulated.

The actions of this score is accompagnied by taped guitars. atches and files info@nielsroensholdt.dk • www.nielsroensholdt.dk

The actions in this score are accompanied by taped guitars. Patches and files: info@nielsroensholdt.dk · www.nielsroensholdt.dk

GLOOMY ROOM

= max. 66 (follw guitar)

Niels Rønsholdt 2009

lightly move the right hand across the table very slowly from bottom left to upper right, trying to avoid touching the objects

perc

4 8

Right Left

p lightly move the right hand across the table from bottom left to upper right, touching and pushing the objects and feeling the surface(s) the same [but always with variation, exploring the table with the hands and without watching it]

perc

Right Left

p

mf both hands

left hand carefully along..

perc

Right Left

mf

p first object ‘accidently’ falls to the floor (preferably on beat).

perc

Right Left

mf

mf

Voice

(8)

I 2

p

wanna

see where it ends

let your hands wander, exploring the table and its objects as if you couldn’t see them. Groping and clapping lightly

From here on objects fall to the floor occasionally. The amount and should gradually increase

perc

Right Left

p

finish the movement at a curled greaseproof paper ball and squeeze it lightly

Right Left

pp

perc

mf

Voice

(8)

Help me to

find

it all

continue the groping gestures but clapping more systematically and syncronically

finish the movement at a curled greaseproof paper ball and squeeze it lightly

6

Right Left

p

perc

Voice

(8)

I

wanna

see where it ends

3

3

3

Right Left

pp

perc

f

Voice

(8)

I

should’ve seen what it meant

I

wanna

see where it ends

still moving the hands around while striking (as if looking for something with the hands)

perc

Right Left 6

4:3

p

crescendo sempre

crescendo, but not too directional 3

perc

3

3

Right Left 3

f

mf

4

crescendo sempre

3

hammering both palms in the table rythmically into the spilled wine on the table. Red wine on the white shirt.

3

perc

Right Left 3

ff

swipe slowly across the table with hands and underarms.

Remaining objects fall on the floor.

p

again from left to right, even slower and harder

Right Left

f

perc

Voice

(8)

I

things seem to fall from my hands

wanna

see where it ends

mf

Right Left

perc

Voice

(8)

Help me to

find

Niels Rønsholdt 2009

it all 5

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