Frej Wedlund: Innermost peace (2020)

Frej Wedlund

Innermost peace (2020) for piano quintet

Dur. 10′30″

Frej Wedlund

Innermost peace (2020)

for piano quintet

Dur. 10′30″

PERFORMANCE NOTES

Instrumentation

Violin

Viola

Violoncello

Piano

Notation

Glissandi should start immediately on the beginning of the note value affected. Stems without notehead are used only to clarify the rhythm and duration of glissandi and should not be rearticulated, unless slurs/bow markings indicate otherwise.

1⁄4 tone above natural +

1⁄4 tone below natural d

1⁄8 tone above natural r(

1⁄8 tone above flat w

1⁄8 tone below natural j

1⁄8 tone below flat g

Gradual changes between two techniques ▶

Strings

Harmonics that sound the same as their fingered pitch are indicated with a normal notehead with a circle above. Double stops with such harmonics are indicated with two circles.

Harmonics where the fingered pitch is not the same as sounding pitch are indicated with diamond notehead and the string on which it is played. The string is indicated nominally with roman numerals, but in the case of very quick passages, with the string’s fundamental in paranthesis. Filled-in diamond noteheads are used for quarter notes to clarify rhythms.

Sounding pitch for harmonics (where they differ from the fingered pitch) are only indicated for the first few occurrences of less common harmonics (6th and 7th partials), as well as always for more exotic harmonics (8th, 10th and 11th partials). The 7th partial’s differing intonation is indicated with an arrow, the 11th partial’s as a quarter tone. Fingered pitches which differ significantly microtonally are indicated as the closest 8th or quarter tone. Any harmonic node may be substituted for another (of the same partial) as seen fit, e.g. to yield better fingerings.

n. naturale (only used with s.t., s.p. etc.)

s.p. sul ponticello

The entire piece should be played with extremely little or no vibrato.

STRINGS

Scordatura

All string instruments use scordatura on some, but not all of the strings. It is suggested to use a tuner, as the scordatura is highly microtonal. It is preferable if the piano is tuned to A = 440 hz, otherwise, a tuner with adjustable A is suggested. If this is not possible, contact the composer for adjusted cent tuning numbers based on the tuning of your piano.

The scordatura strings are almost exclusively played with harmonics or open strings. Pitches on scordatura strings are notated at fingered pitch, i.e. transposing pitch. Stopped notes are used very occasionally on scordatura strings. These fall into two categories: 1. fast, wide glissandos and 2. long, held notes.

For the first category, exact intonation is not important, and the pitch should be seen as a starting point for the glissandi only. The real sounding pitch is therefore not indicated. For the second category, where intonation matters, real sounding pitch is indicated.

Harmonics are indicated at transposing pitch. It is therefore typically best to find the harmonic where it sounds on the same string, if struggling to find a more exotic harmonic. A complete table of scordatura string harmonics, along with their fingered (transposing) pitch, their sounding transposing pitch, and their real sounding pitch (in C) is found on the last page of this preface.

The piece uses double node harmonics, which look as such:

These are used either for very high partials, to more easily force the string into the partial (by touching two nodes of the partial), or in harmonic trills, to produce trills between partials that would not otherwise be possible to trill between.

Scordatura harmonics, sounding pitches

Below is a table of all harmonics used on scordatura strings, along with their real sounding pitch. Arrow accidentals are used to incidate deviations between a 10th and 3rd tone. Intervals closer to quarter-tones are indicated with quarter-tone accidentals. Exact deviation from the principal semitone (e.g. for 8th tone low G, G natural, for quarter-tone high F-sharp, F-sharp) are indicated with cent numbers on the top staff, relative to equal temperament.

Harmonics with two nodes marked with a bracket are achieved by touching the two indicated points on the same string, as detailed under the String notation section.

The piano is prepared with bluetack and extremely strong neodymium magnets. Magnets can be sent by the the composer at request.

The following strings are prepared with bluetack (only), which are placed on the string, right by the string holds:

Note that the high strings must have the bluetack fastened at the string holders away from the pianist, rather than the ones closest to the pianist.

The high range will produce a percussive, almost pitchless and typewriter-like sound. The lower range will produce a more conventional muted, “thudding” sound.

The following two strings are each prepared with one or more magnets, fastened to bluetack, which is then placed and fastened at a harmonic node on the string:

Every piano is different, and the sounding result will depend on many factors. The ideal sound of the magnet-prepared strings is one with a slightly detuned fundamental, and where a higher partial does not dominate the sound completely. A starting point is to place the magnet (with bluetack) on nodes of the 3rd, 4th or 5th partial. Different amount (and sizes) of magnets can also be used, as neodymium magnets are strong enough not to rattle when the string is played. The magnet-prepared strings should have considerable sustain, and their notes should not decay too quickly.

The sostenuto pedal is used to hold down every D key that has a damper, as well as the four lower prepared notes. Sustain pedal can be used to facilitate legato playing even when not indicated, but the resonance from the keys undampened by the sostenuto pedal should dominate the resonance except for where pedaling is indicated.

q = 7 6

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s o u n d i

∑ & S c o r d a tu r a : I V - 2 0 c e nt

0 n µ

I V l e ga t o

S c o r d a tu r a : I V - 2 0 c e nt , I I I + 5 5 c e nt o o œ œ œ & ( I I I ) I V o I V

0 0 n µ B o o ∑ o ? pi z z p

? pi ? p

z z > . >

a r 5 œ œ n > œ & ( I I I )

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B ! S e e pr e f a c e f o r pi a n o pr e p > 3 3 5

œ œ Ó ≈ œr ≈ ‰ ≈ œ

I I > ( 8 ) B o o o

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o o o ? & . > * * 3 3

> œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ ® œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ # œ œ ?

œ

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3 °

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ # œ œ œ œ œ œ > œœ # # œ œ

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