Karin Rehnqvist: Blodhov (Bloodhoof)

Bloodhoof

monodrama for mezzo-soprano

and eight instruments

Winner of the 2019 Järnåker Prize

The 2019 Järnåker Prize

“The 2019 Järnåker prize is awarded to Blodhov, a work that weaves contemporary chamber music together with Nordic folk music into a unique, dramatic composition in both its form, content and expression. The work is a highly charged monodrama for mezzo-soprano and chamber ensemble that, thanks to its emotional depth, never lets go of the listener. The thematic, dramatic and poetic origin can be found in Gerður Kristnýs’ poetic story Blodhov, which is based on a fable from the Old Norse Edda about power, threat and abuse. By setting the poems to a responsive and empathic musical score, an intensive and touching image emerges of the maltreated woman’s pain, loneliness and memories. The music has a rich timbre that varies between dynamic extremes and expressions; from the painful cries and earthly tones to the naturally lyrical and beautiful melodies that are occasionally brought out in a mere whisper.

By allowing the exploratory sound worlds and playing techniques of contemporary art music to blend with the rich, ornamental lines of folk music, the old fable’s violent message is neatly fused together with burning issues of our day. The work thus ties together the old with the new, musical traditions with auditory innovations, and ancient mythology and modern poetry with painful human endeavours and burdens through the ages—all conveyed by means of an outstanding application of the intimate, dramatic and magnificently expressive possibilities allowed by the chamber music format.”

Ett sorl fyllde sinnena

Ner under bergens rötter rann jag

ångade upp ur rämnorna

på järnfrusna jöklar gick jag

Huden höll inte ihop

köttet lossnade från krossade ben

Blicken ville vidare

ryckigt som rödingar

längst in i skräcken slungades jag

Han skar ett sår i grässvålen vareviga natt

Kroppen svek kuvad av sparkar och slag

Utvänd på avigan och hastigt hoptråcklad

Foten fast under en stol

Handen i ett hörn

Fingrarna överallt på golvet

6. Nej Nej vara kvar där jag kände var sänka och källa

Nej Guldäpplen på grenarna En tugga?

Nej

Den skulle fastna i halsen på mig

Nej

Nog med guld gav mig far min

Nej

Drog ett svärd härdat i hat

Jag föll till föga

Döda var mina anletsdrag i Skírnirs svärd

7. Mamma Mitt i mörkret

Mamma Hennes armar omslöt mig

ville jag skulle visa mig igen

för henne som en skugga krypa bort från klippan

som en dimma grå i gryningsskogen

Mamma

8. Tanken längtar hem

Ovanför bygden breder natten sitt blå

Min son är vaken somnar inte

över fält och ängar färdas vi

Vågorna känner på stranden

Se, mamma, min son!

Liten och buskbrynt med ulvgrå ögon

Fin som en fisk i havet!

I vattenbrynet en vacker tron med drakhuvuden på

Tanken längtar hem

9. Nio nätters fruktan

Nio nätter

Nio nätters fruktan

Den ena efter den andra

Var gång än värre

Huden höll inte ihop

köttet lossnade från krossade ben

Mamma

Utvänd på avigan och hastigt hoptråcklad

Mamma

Ger∂ur Kristný, translated from Icelandic by John Swedenmark, adapted by Karin Rehnqvist and Svante Grogarn

Text in English (for understanding only)

1. Memories Memories

snow which I press in my hands knead into ball and throw

but only in my mind

snow does not settle here

The bridge reaches out from waving grass into smoky grey cloud

There is my country wrapped in calm of night steeped in steel-cold ice

Here the moon watches over valleys and rivers in my homeland, over chasms and dizzying steepness

2 Spring – instrumental

3. Skírnir

Skírnir, fixed me with his gaze

His horse of ample stature stood with head held high dark of hue as if hewn from darkness

His mane a sunlit field his tail a sheaf of corn

To them I would tell the story of the steed

The clattering of hooves on the slabs of rock was like breaking of bones

Skõrnirs voice rose over dusk-covered trees

The god Freyr stole into Ó∂inn’s throne looking over all worlds his longing grew His love had gone reeling in mad career

not eating, not speaking he would find no rest

What was awaited now was his bride

4. Lament

5. Sabre-toothed darkness

( Whispered by the musicians) Sorrow Solitude Suffering

Evil the evening

That the day had reached (Spoken by the singer, pre-recorded) Sabre-toothed darkness prowled through the firmament

I let myself fall

In a heap in the grass burrowed into the earth descending the descent roaring in the portals of my ears

I dived deep under rocks then sprang from gullies walked over stretches of ice hard as iron

skin wasting away

flesh bruised and broken from crushing of bones

My eyes peered ahead flickering like fish I was reduced to terror

He scored a new scar on my skin each night

My body faltered in the face of blows and kicks no sooner ripped apart than cobbled together with a foot stuck fast under a chair a hand in the corner fingers all over the floor

INSTRUMENTATION

Flute (also Bass Flute, Alto Flute and Piccolo) Oboe (also Baritone Oboe)

Clarinet in Bb (also Bass Clarinet and Contrabass Clarinet)

Percussion

2 Large Bass Drums, Vibraphone, Glockenspiel, Flat Gong (Kungari), Tam-tam, Bundle of twigs, Large Thunder Sheet, 2 Car springs (horizontal), Large Gong, Movement 2 also: Small Bells, Small Triangles, Thin metal sheet, High metal object, and more ad lib

Piano (also computer)

Violin Viola

Cello

Score in C

Voice register: d–bb 2, the technique of kulning is asked for, see https://karin-rehnqvist.se/eng/about-kulning

Microphones: Since the piece spans a very wide register with great dynamic variations, the voice could be carefully boosted

In movement 5 the voice should be prerecorded

= double trill, with two different pitches, unarticulated

= small crescendo at the end of the note, the next note starts at origin dynamics, e g mp < mf mp, play legato to the next note

Skírnir is pronounced Skirtnir

Blodhov should performed mainly senza vibrato, when not said so Vibrato may be used for colouring

Grace notes before the beat

Accidentals apply to the bar

Duration: 40 min

Commissioned by Statens Musikverk, with additional support from Helge Ax:son Johnsons Stiftelse

Composed for Lena Willemark and ensemble recherche

Text from the poem Blodhov (Bló∂hófnir, Bloodhoof) by Ger∂ur Kristný

Translated from Icelandic into Swedish by John Swedenmark

Adapted by Karin Rehnqvist and Svante Grogarn – sung in Swedish

World premiere 24 May 2019; Gothenburg Concert House

Lena Willemark, ensemble recherche

Light and staging: Svante Grogarn

ISMN 979-0-070-14094-2

Score: GE 14094 Parts available on hire

Copyright © 2021 Gehrmans Musikförlag AB, Stockholm

Stema Specialtryck, Borås KR/MM 2023

B l o d h o v

( B l o o d h o o f )

m o n o d r a m a f o r m e z z o - s o p r a n o a n d e i g h t i n s t r u m e n t s

m o n o d r a m a f o r m e z z o - s o p r a n o a n d e i g h t i n s t r u m e n t s

Prolog (Prologue)

q = 5 0 F r e e l y

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B a s s F l u t e B a r i t o n e O bo e

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i n s i d e , m u ffl e d t a p p i n g o n t h e r i m wi t h m a l l e t , wi t h p e d a l

g l i s s i n s i d e , m a l l e t l v ∑ & ∑

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TAP E , s l o we r : ∑

( 2 vo i c e s )

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* D e e p s o u n d i n g e x h a l a t i o n , u s i n g t h e wh o l e bo d y a s r e s o n a n c e

ho * ho mp ho * ho *

( s u l p o n t )

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I n t e r r u p t s u bi t o " o c h h a s t i g t h o p t r å c kla d "

K u va d o c h h a s t i g t h o p t r å c k l a d

På a vi g a n / a vi g a n / U t vä n d / På a vi g a n / U t vä n d / ∑ K u va d k u va d o c h h a s t i g t h o p t r å c k l a d

I n t e r r u p t s u bi t o " o c h h a s t i g t h o p t r å c kla d "

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Fa s t H u d e n - Fa s t

o r d ve r y s l o w a n d wi d e vi br a t o

ba r t o k p i z z «

o r d . ve r y s l o w a n d wi d e vi br a t o

ba r t o k p i z z «

h u n d e r s h e e t , wi t h s i n g e

o n t i n u e f r e e l y, a l s o wi t h s o u n d s f r o m t h e t h r o a t a n d m o r

7. Mamma (Mother)

n s i d e , m u ffl e d t a p p i n g o n t h e r i m wi t h m a l l e t , l i g h t e r s o u n d t h a n be f o r e

8. Tanken längtar hem (In my mind I fly home)

s e o r n a m e n t a t i o n a d l i b u n t i l l e t t e

d e n - br e d e r - n a t t e n - s i t t bl å

9. Nio nätter av fruktan (Nine nights of fear)

Pe r c

Vi b

M e z z o

Vl n I

Vl a

Pe r c

Vi b

M e z z o

Vl n . I

Vl a

S e n z a mi s u r a , f r e e ly

h = 4 0 ve r y t e n s e a n d e x p o s e d , vu ln e r a ble

/

U

U

9 . N i o n ä t t e r a v f r u kt a n ( Ni n e n i g h t s o f f e a r ) &

4 0 2 pp ppp mp

p a s s t h e h a n d q u i c k l y ba c k a n d f o r t h i n f r o n t o f t h e m o u t h

&

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° ¢ ° ¢

B

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p o - n ä t t e r - h o

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U U ì U U ì U &

U c o n s o r d

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4 0 3 ppp mp

p o - n ä t t e r - D e n e n a - e f t e r - d e n ∑