Written for Ensemble InterContemporain
for trumpet and contrabass clarinet
Dur. 10′30″
Instrumentation
Trumpet in Bb (incl. plunger mute)
Contrabass Clarinet in Bb (LeBlanc paperclip model)
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 re-articulated.
8va lines do not affect tied notes.
1⁄4 tone above natural +
1⁄4 tone below natural d
1⁄8 tone above natural r(
1⁄8 tone below sharp l)
1⁄8 tone below natural j
Gradual changes between two techniques ▶
Clarinet
T.R. tongue ram
Colour fingerings Alternate fingerings ad libitum (in some cases such as A5, use of additional/ non-conventional keys may be necessary).
Harmonic sweep – harmonics ad lib., roughly following the contour indicated by the line(s).
Low register colour fingerings: the piece uses the low D, C≥ and C keys to produce microtonal inflections in the lower range (here seen with harmonic, see below). “0” indicates the default fingering of the pitch being played (here, written E≤), C indicates default fingering plus C key, C≥ indicates default fingering plus C≥ key, D indicates default fingering plus D key.
Numbers in parantheses are cautionary and repeat the fingering one is coming from.
Gradual transition between fundamental/3rd partial: over/underblow and/or introduce/release the register gradually to transition smoothly between the fundamental and 3rd partial, here marked by a box.
Conventional multiphonics
Below follows a list of conventional multiphonics used in the piece, in order of appearance. These are all conventional dyad multiphonics, sometimes with a discrete extra note emerging, which are indicated in parantheses. It should be possible to isolate pitches in all of these (except for those pitches in parantheses). These multiphonics are intended for LeBlanc paperclip model and may not work on other contrabass clarinet models. (Clarinet, conventional multiphonics, continued)
* At louder dynamics, a D starts to appear.
In terms of notation, the rhythms for the upper pitch should be taken as an indication of when the pitch should have clearly emerged and be stable:
The actual sounding result will naturally be more fluid than what the rhythms imply. Note that the 8va line does not apply to the tied A.
Spectral multiphonics
These are overblown harmonics from the fundamental’s spectrum. The normal notehead indicates fundamental, the diamond notehead the harmonic. Generally, the harmonic should be allowed to ”pop out” gently from the fundamental. They should also generally be circa one or two dynamic levels above the fundamental. For example, with fundamental at ¬, the harmonic should be ca.
Except for the passage from measure 204 and on, harmonics should be played as cleanly as possible, without a rough sound or distorted sound (insofar as is possible). To the right follows a list of the spectral multiphonics used in the piece, in order of appearance. The precise intonation of individual harmonics may differ slightly from the notation.
Trumpet
T.R. tongue ram – cover mouthpiece entirely, rapidly attack with tongue into the air stream (notated with diamond notehead). colour fingerings Alternate fingerings ad libitum.
The trumpet part uses plunger mute throughout. As a half-covered position for the mute is often used, the following symbols are used to indicate plunger position, rather than the conventional circle and plus sign:
○ Fully uncovered position.
◑ Half covered position.
● Fully covered position. The edges of the mute should however not seal tight along the bell’s edges
All gradual transitions between plunger mute positions should be done very gradually and in an undramatic manner.
Half-valve split-tone multiphonics
The pieces uses four split-tone half-valve multiphonics, found in and transcribed from an online video demonstration of free jazz/experimental music duo Streifenjunko (link: http://tiny.cc/h0p8lz). Below follows a model attempting to give a feasible explanation for what is going on acoustically.
There are two sets of closely related multiphonics that can be switched between legato, below indicated as A and B as well as with their respective fingerings. (Note: all notation examples are given at written pitch.)
(Trumpet, half-valve split-tone multiphonics continued)
* Parantheses indicate half-valving.
It appears to be the case that half-valving allows the trumpet to maintain two separate air columns oscillating, one going into the corresponding tube of the valve, one not doing so.
In the case of the first A multiphonic, it seems to be the 5th partial of a 0 fingering combining with the 6th partial of a 1 fingering:
When the 2nd valve is depressed at half pressure, the air column representing a 0w fingering, and this air column only, appears to go into the corresponding tube:
The first multiphonic of letter B appears to work in a similar fashion, drawing the 6th partial of a 1-2-3 fingering and the 5th partial of a 1-3 fingering:
However, it appears as if a shift down in partials is required to produce the second multiphonic of letter B, going down to the 5th partial of a 1-2 fingering and 4th partial of a 1 fingering:
Note: the split-tone multiphonics should always be played legato, and changes between them should never be tongued. In the piece itself, the notation of the upper pitches of letter B’s two multiphonics (C≥ 1⁄8th high and low, respectively) h been simplified to C≥ only, without the microtonal inflections, although there is a circa 25 cent difference between the two.
One alternative is to perform these as more conventional, sung multiphonics. However, since this is unfeasible for most male voices for the high multiphonics, also see the end of this section.
In the case of sung multiphonics, measure 11 would for example be performed as follows:
And measure 106 as such:
Another option is to play the line upper voice monophonically, half-valved.
Both instruments are written at their relevant transpositions in all versions of the score.
Tr a n s p o s i n g s c o r e
q = 8 4
Tr u m p e t i n B b
C o n t r a b a s s C l a r i n e t i n B b
“
c o l o u r n ge r i n gs su b i t o n i e n t e
p lu n g e r mu t e 1 ( 2 ) 3
* P a r a n t h e s e s i n d i c a t e h a l f - va lvi n g
* s p l i t - t o n e ( s e e pr e f a c e )
c o l o u r n ge r i n g ( n o r m a l A n ge r i n g) spl i t - t o n e s s e m pr e l e ga t o
”“
* * I n t h i s a n d s i m i l a r p l a c e s , t r a n s i t i o n t h r o u g h u n d e r / o ve r bl o w i n g a n d / o r u s e o f t h e r e g i s t e r ke y
* * * L e t t h e h a r m o n i c " p o p o u t " ve r y g e n t ly I n g e n e r a l, t h e h a r m o n i c s s h o u l d a lwa ys b e l o u d e r t h a n t h e f u n d a m e n t a l, c a
F
1
2
”“ 5 & L ñ ( 1 ) ( 2 ) ï ó ∑ ∑ U &”“ x s d g n 3 ”“ z x s d h j ”“ ∑ U & ∑ 1 ( 2 ) 3 3 ∑ ∑ & ”“ > ( 0 ) * ( 0 ) D o C 0 C # ”“ 5 w Ó ‰ œ ™ ˙ w Ó Ó ˙ ˙ ™ w œj ‰ Ó œ œ ™ œ ™ œ ˙ Œ ‰ œj ˙ ™ w Œ ‰ œ ˙ ‰ œ # r œ w˙ œ ˙ # w w ˙ ˙ Ó œ Œ Ó w Ó ˙ œ ™ ˙ ‰ Ó Œ Ó ‰ œ R œ æ æ æ O æ æ O r ‰ ™ Œ Ó Œ ‰ œ w œ œ œ œ œ œ ™ œ œ ™ ˙ ˙ ‚ Œ w Œ O Ó w Œ ‰ O J O Œ œ Œ Ó w Œ ‰ œj ˙ ˙ œ Œ Ó Ó œ j ‰ Œ Ó Œ ‰ œr ˙ w œ j ‰ Œ ≈ œ b J œ w ‰ œj ˙ ™ ˙˙ ™ Œ Ó ‰ œ ™ w w œ ™ œj ‰ Œ ‰ Œ ‰ ™ œ w œ b r Ó Œ ‰ œ ˙ w Œ w Ó Œ œ w ˙ ™ Œ ‰ Ó œ R œ ˙ Œ ˙ # ww ˙˙ Ó w Ó ‰ œ ˙ ˙ Ó Œ ‰ Ó œ ™ ˙ Œ O w O J ‰ Œ ≈ O J ˙ O O O O Œ ‚ ˙ Œ ˙ = = = = F r e j We d u n d : w h e r e d o we g o n o w ? - 6
* C o l o u r n g e r i n g s u s i n g t h e l o w e xt e n s i o n s C = n o r m a l n g e r i n g + C - ke y, e t c 0 = n o r m a l n g e r i n g
* S l a p - t o n e : s l a p f o l l o we d by n o r m a l t o n e e u pp e r d yn a m i c p e r t a i n s t o t h e s l a p, t h e l o we r t o n o r m a l t
e a t h e a t c a e su r a i f n e e d e
&
o i c e gl i ss fr e e l
&
* Ad ju s t t e mp o d o w nwa r d i f u nvi a bl e i n t r u mp e t
* * " t r i p l e t r i l l " - a lt e r n a t e b e t we e n t h e t h r e e n g e r i n g s a c c o r d i n g ly
* * * A lt e r n a t i ve ly, u s e o n ly 1 - 2 a n d 1 - 2 - 3 o r 0 a n d 1 - 2 f o r w r i tt e n E t h r o u g h o u t t h i s p a s s a g e , i f t o o f a s t
* * * * F r o m t h i s p o i n t o n , m i c r o t o n a l i n e c t i o n o f 7 t h p a r t i a l i s n o t i n d i c a t e d o n E D o n o t a d ju s t t h e 7 t h p a r t i a l u pwa r d s t h r o u g h o u t t h e e n t i r e p a s s a g e * * * * * i s d ya d mu s t n o t q u i t e s o u n d a s a m a jo r t h i r d