Post-Paleontology [excerpt]

AARON EINBOND

POST-PALEONTOLOGY for contrabass clarinet, violin, percussion, and piano

POST-PALEONTOLOGY for contrabass clarinet, violin, percussion, and piano

AARON EINBOND 2011 duration ca. 16 minutes

written for Dal Niente for Unruly Music 2011 Based on Pal채ontolgie commissioned by Ensemble Recherche and the Freiburger Barockorchester for Concertare 2011 Instrumentation Contrabass clarinet in B-flat (metal)* Violin, with 2mm bamboo knitting needle, alligator clips, hard plastic plectrum, battery-powered milk frother (may be shared with pianist) Percussion, with paper clips, coins, glass guitar slide, 2 reibestocks (fine-gauge metal, wood), triangle beater, soft rubber mallet, battery-powered milk frother, contrabass bow, styrofoam block: Large Bass Drum (muted with cloth) Large Tam Tam (prepared with light metal chain) Steel String Guitar (amplified or electroacoustic, prepared with 2mm bamboo knitting needle); may be performed by a separate player 1 Crotale (C6) 2 Temple bowls (low, high) Wind-up Toy (producing maximal vibrations with minimal sound of its own) *to be placed over bell of Contrabass Clarinet, an A4-size sheet each of the following materials: Bubble-wrap (with small bubbles ca. 1 cm), Styrofoam sheet (width ca. ! cm), Paper (ca. 90 g), Cardboard (light-weight), Plastic (e.g. sturdy binder or report cover), Aluminum Foil Piano, with Waldteufel, battery-powered milk frother (may be shared with violinist), hard plastic plectrum, rosined plastic fishing line, contrabass bow, glass guitar slide, superball mallet, metal chain, hard plastic brush, wire brush (jazz percussion mallet), rubber (a small piece to rub on strings, cut from a bicycle inner tube), styrofoam block and bubble wrap (similar to those used by the percussionist)

Setup

TT Pno Gtr

Vln

Perc

Cbcl

BD

Notes Ecrasé / Exaggerated pressure with specific bow directions.

Clef two octaves above the treble clef.

Clef two octaves below the bass clef.

Contrabass Clarinet Breath noise with some pitch (notated with hollow noteheads regardless of rhythmic value).

Clef used for non-pitched playing techniques, indicating approximate relative register.

µ,B

Breath noise only with as little pitch as possible (notated with hollow noteheads).

"-tone sharp, flat. Accidentals last the entire measure.

Key noise sounding at indicated pitch (use an appropriate fingering).

Gradual change between playing techniques.

W , U ,U

Slap tongue.

Short (add ca. 1”), medium (add ca. 3”), and long fermata (add ca. 5”).

" f"

Dynamic indicating subjective effort applied when the sonic result may be significantly quieter.

" #

Beginning and ending of a soloistic passage during which the indicated instrument should come slightly to the fore.

Harmonics: finger lower pitch and aim for approximate high partial as indicated.

Multiphonic. Explore partials following diagonal line, aiming for approximate upper pitch, with the fundamental always audible.

Rub or scrape string or instrument “vertically,” perpendicular to usual playing direction.

Overblow. Aim for approximate upper partials indicated (in this case the 15ma sign applies only to them).

An approximate fast rhythm resulting from a continuous gesture (e.g. on the winding of the piano strings or the surface of the bass drum).

Bisbigliando. Use an alternate fingering producing a difference in timbre and/or microtonal variation in pitch.

Representation of pulsation or beating resulting from the indicated playing technique.

Small notes: proportional rhythmic notation within the indicated duration, ad lib.

Repeat small notes as fast as possible for duration of beam.

X-noteheads indicating half-note and quarter note durations.

Ecrasé / Exaggerated pressure regardless of bow direction.

e , f Embouchure open, closed. tk

Double tongue.

/i/

Sing, whisper, or scream indicated phoneme (notated phonetically or with IPA symbols).

F

Sing, hum, or scream into instrument while playing.

Violin

Percussion

For part of the work string IV is detuned so that it almost completely loses all tension (sounding below C2). If necessary a second instrument may be used for these sections. Knitting needle and alligator clips are used to prepare the instrument for parts of the work as indicated in the score.

Steel-string guitar: throughout the work the steel-string guitar is prepared with a knitting needle, ca. 1 mm wide, woven between the strings near the bridge. The guitar is placed on a table and amplified with output placed near the instrument.

For part of the work the lowest string of the guitar is tuned down (scordatura) a minor 6th to G#1. Throughout, including these sections, the guitar part is notated at sounding pitch.

m.s.p. molto sul ponticello / directly on the bridge s.p. sul ponticello / near the bridge s.t. sul tasto / near the fingerboard m.s.t. molto sul tasto / directly on the fingerboard c.l.b., c.l.t. col legno battuto, tratto / bow wood with no hair

+

Pluck knitting needle.

Actions with the left hand (such as pizzicato). When combined with “x� play in the pegbox.

Rub or scrape in a continuous curve for the duration of the indicated note or group of notes.

Natural harmonics (notated with hollow noteheads regardless of rhythmic value).

Harmonics are notated at sounding pitch but may be fingered at the players discretion.

Piano Dampen indicated string with left hand to produce a white-noise-like sound with as little pitch as possible.

Play indicated string behind bridge. When combined with

+ , play indicated string in pegbox with left hand.

A7 – C8 are muted with Blu-Tack throughout the work.

Bb0 and F#2 are prepared with rosined plastic fishing line around the string near the bridge, and C8 between bridges and tuning pegs.

Play on the body of instrument (with bow hair or hand as indicated).

Ricochet (as many bounces as possible within the indicated duration).

Harmonic, with lower pitch played on keyboard and string touched lightly to produce resulting upper pitch.

Vertical bowing: move bow parallel to string with as little movement as possible in the ordinary (perpendicular) direction.

Silently depress.

Pluck knitting needle (violin).

Play directly on the strings (with fingers, wire brush, or mallets).

String prepared with paperclip or knitting needle (resulting sound will be distorted as a result).

Play between bridges and tuning pegs.

Play with nail (on body or string) Play on tuning pegs.

Play percussively on keyboard (without pitch).

l ,h

Audibly depress or lift damper pedal.

to Ensemble Dal Niente

POST-PALEONTOLOGY

Transposed Score

AARON EINBOND 2011

for contrabass clarinet, violin, percussion, and piano

1.

mouthpiece alone whisper (without instrument)

Contrabass Clarinet in B b

q = 60 , e = 120

/!/ /s/ /f/ /r/ /s/ /!/ /s/

⇤

&

⇤

⇤

6

⌥ ^ ^ ^ ^@@ ^ ^ ^

⇤

f

" "

Violin

&

V

4 8

Percussion

ã

&

4 8

⇤

⇤

⇤

/s/

⇤

6

/!/

/s/

A

J

^ ^ ^

^ ^ ^ ^

^ J

/!/

3

"

‰

sZ"

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

Steel String Guitar

Œ

rub styrofoam slowly along low strings in a long, continuous motion (RH only)

⌥. i yy y ⇧ ⇤

j yy y

YY Y

yy .. y.

YY Y ⇤

3

⇤

yy yy y y > " sZ" ⇤

wire brush between bridges and tuning pegs

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

ã

on muted strings

‹y

‹y 5

y ‹

‹y

3

3

f

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

j y‹

⌥ë

y!yj

⇧

" "

Piano

>

/s/

⇤

© 2011 Aaron Einbond

Œ

Πf

" " rub hard plastic brush slowly on low strings 6

® yyi yy >

j yy

YY

YY

YY

2

POST-PALEONTOLOGY

10

Cb Cl.

&

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

Œ

breath

6 > " f"

6.

B

"^ 6 6 ‹ ^ ^. ^. ^. ^. ^. ^. ^. ^ < fl " SZ"

U

j 6.

⇤

⇧

bow body of instrument near f-hole

Vln.

&

⇤

⇤

⇤

^ > " f"

c.l.b.

U

j ‰ Œ 6. ⇧

^

j ^ ^. Ø

5

^ ^ ^ ^. ^ < < <

sim.

F

⌥.

⇤

5

yy yy yy yy yy ⌥ fl . . . . " SZ"

^

c.l.t.

⌥ y y

yy

3

yy

j yy ‰ . ⇧

‰y y y y. y y y y. . .fl

3

yy

Œ

Styrofoam alone

V ΠPerc.

ã

Ù yi.. yy .... > " f"

rub with fingers in slow circles

j yy y

YY Y

⇤

⇤

ã œJ

yy .. y.

YY Y ⇤

˙

œ.

J

˙

o

⇧

⇤

⇤

Ø

U

‰

Œ

plastic mallet handle on rim

® ˘œ . "

SZ"

œ.

œ.

œ. œ. œ. œ.

ë

crinkle slowly with fingers

œ ..

ã

˙

˙

˙

o

Pno.

> Y Y

10

yy ..

yy

œ.

J

U ˙

˙

⇧ ⇤

⇤

Ø ⇤

⇤

U

⇤

j l> ° " SZ"

sim.

‰

® "

‰

>9 .

Ù œ .. ‰

Œ

œ J

plectrum tuning pegs

Bubblewrap alone

⇤

⇤

⇤

Bass Drum (muted with cloth sempre)

U⇤

⇤

⇤

‰ ®œ œ Œ 6

sim.

999

99

⌥

>9

j 9

‰

>9

j 9

⇤

3

⇤

⇧

SZ" 6

®

>l

‰

‰

5

>l

‰ ‰

3

>l

Œ

Ó l ° " F"

3

POST-PALEONTOLOGY

, ‰

20

Cb Cl.

&

^ F

Vln.

& ‰

ã

^ arco m.s.p.

yy . . â " f"⇧

⇤

5 8

j yy

YY

⇤

half breath

j ^ t. ⇧

, ‰

beating////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

^ Ø

4 8

T

j yy ‰ o

YY

Œ

T

^

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

5 8

‰ ⌥ ..

half breath beating/ /

^ Ø

^ ⇧

6

t

flaut. beating///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

y y. Ø

⇤

4 8

Y ⇧

Y

j ٌ y y ..

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

Perc.

ã ®œ ‰ Œ ⇧ 5

ã

⇤

>

⇤

5 8

4 8

⇤

⇤

5 8

⇤

⇤

4 8

Pno.

20

(°)

Ó h

P

‰

⇤

4

POST-PALEONTOLOGY

C 30

Cb Cl.

Vln.

&

//////////////////////////////

T bT bT

T

&

⇤

ã

⇤

5 8

T bT

⇤

⇤

‰

percussionist places bubble wrap over contrabass clarinet bell

‰

beating//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

^ Ø

4 8

T

T ⇧

j T

T.

T

⌃ J˙

half breath

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

^

5 8

T mT

Ø ⇤

⇤

4 8

T

T ⌅ ⇤

T

Œ ‰.

T

T

7

j y y Y Ø ⇧

Y

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

5 8

#U ‰

T bT bT nT

Y

U j y

Ó

U‰

Ó

U‰

Ó

U ‰

Ó

U ‰

4 8

Perc.

ã

⇤

ã

⇤

5 8

⇤

⇤

4 8

Œ

percussionist places bubble wrap over contrabass clarinet bell

.

⇤

⇤

⇤

‰

⇤

5 8

⇤

⇤

4 8

P"

"

Pno.

> 30

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

⇤

Ó l °

"

⇤

5 8

P"

Ó h

&

4 8