Sandra Boss
Sorte negle (2023)
Black Nails for solo guitar
Dur. 5′
Written for Jonas Egholm
Commissioned by the Danish Composers’ Society and DR P2 (Danish National Radio)
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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
Black Nails
for solo guitar
Dur. 5′
NOTE
In Danish, ‘sorte negle’ refers to having dirty nails or having dirt under your nails. In this piece, the dirtyness of the nails is explored both sonically and performatively, where the nails become both an opponent and a partner in the work.
The use of long nails speaks into a current fashion phenomenon known as ‘nail art’, where more and more people, regardless of gender and class, decorate themselves with artificial, painted nails. But it also adds to a debate about gender and class, as nails have historically helped to reveal a person’s status in society: long nails have belonged to the upper class, since they exclude hard manual work (including quite ordinary tasks such as washing up, washing clothes, care for others etc.). Finally, long nails can also indicate aggressiveness: the ability to defend oneself, show claws, be ready to fight. These themes have served as an inspirational outset for the piece.
Sorte negle was originally written for Jonas Egholm as part of the PR Talent prize 2023. The piece premiered 12 October 2023 as part of a concert series hosted by the Esbjerg Ensemble.
Two artificial fingernails are to be taped onto the natural fingernails of the little finger (c) and the ring finger (a). The artificial fingernails should be as long as possible and painted. These nails are only used as effect nails. All other nails can be natural, however preferably as long as possible and if possible also painted. The piece can also be performed without artificial nails. The bowing with fingernails will then be substitued with a normal tremolo.
Tremolo or use long nail on ring finger (a) to bow on string indicated
Muted tone
Indefinite high pitch
Let ring
Wide lento vibrato with left hand
Use nail to make arpeggiated chord at the head – random pitch
Quick slide with pinky finger on 6th string
Muted Bartok pizz.
Scratch with thumb nail on string, no pitch only noise
