Alone

ALONE For: Baritone and Cello (duration: c. 6 min 10 sec)

By: Gillian R. Menichino Copyright Š 2011

ALONE For: Baritone and Cello (duration: c. 6 min 10 sec)

Poem By:

Edgar Allen Poe

Music By:

Gillian R. Menichino

*Commissioned by the Royal Northern College of Music for the Judith Weir Festival 2011

“Alone” for Baritone and cello was written as a response to the poem “Alone” by Edgar Allen Poe. This includes scordatura where the C string is tuned down a minor third to an A. Its effectiveness is displayed through the use of pizzicato whereas, opposed to a tighter string, the detuned, lower string can vibrate for slightly longer durations adding counterpoint to the harmony of events happening simultaneously. While creating a variety of unusual timbres, in correlation with the dark connotation of the text, it also contributes to the subtle ambiguity of the text and obscurities embedded within the music. The cello spends much of the time playing the high end of its register using harmonics to create an ethereal sound world around the baritone before its descent into darkness (the low end of the cello’s register).

Alone From childhood's hour I have not been As others were — I have not seen As others saw — I could not bring My passions from a common spring — From the same source I have not taken My sorrow — I could not awaken My heart to joy at the same tone — And all I lov'd — I lov'd alone — Then — in my childhood — in the dawn Of a most stormy life — was drawn From ev'ry depth of good and ill The mystery which binds me still — From the torrent, or the fountain — From the red cliff of the mountain — From the sun that 'round me roll'd In its autumn tint of gold — From the lightning in the sky As it pass'd me flying by — From the thunder, and the storm — And the cloud that took the form (When the rest of Heaven was blue) Of a demon in my view —

Alone

C string is to be tuned down a minor third to an A Score Untransposed

Gillian Menichino (b. 1984)

Edgar Allen Poe (1809-1849)

        

Baritone

From child- hood's

p

o - thers saw;

Vc.

 

9

 

my

  

Vc.

 

arco sul G

 

         

Bar.





mf

I

have not

  



Vc.



      mf

16

Bar.









arco

   



espress. pp

ppp

   at

Vc.

 



    mp

the same







mp

   

spring.

   mp

    

my sor

-

      

pp

   



row;

poco rit.

   pizz.           



  



a - wa -

ken

my heart

   





mf 3



to

joy



 3



p



 

 

mf







tone;



  

mf

mp



     

pp

arco



as

p



           

could not



pizz.

ta - ken

   

mp

I

A tempo

from a com - mon

   

    

  p          



mf

13

pas - sions



 

have not seen

             p 

(sub) p

mf

From the same source

pizz.

I

mf   3           

      



o- thers were;

mf

could not bring

        mp  

p

Bar.

I

mp

           3   

       

3     

5

as

      

mp

        

p

 3       

I have not been

             

      l.v.

Violoncello

hour

legato arco

con sord. pizz.

Bar.

mp     

p

legato

 

 

and

pizz.

 

mf

 

arco

 

Copyright © 2011





 

espress. mp distant





 

 mf

 

2

   

 

   

  

all

I loved

I

a - lone.

18

Bar.

Vc.

 pizz. arco                          p  23

Bar.

Vc.

loved

 

 

 





p

          distant

From child - hood's

       



 



     arco



espress. mp

pp

 

 

hour

senza sord.

mp mf



 





 pizz. arco pizz. arco                                                    28



 



p

mf

mp mf



 



 



 



q = 63

poco accel.

Vc.

  

     

pizz.

f

Bar.

pp

A tempo

                                                     mp

 

f

Bar.

mp

  

33

mf               

Then

Vc.

   37

Bar.

 

in my child - hood

  mf

Vc.

mp

dawn of a most stor - my

life

  

 

of good



in the

  

f

       and ill





       

pizz.

p

          

was drawn from

     

e - very depth

3        

arco

mf

mp

p

3

mp



mf

    The

arco                                               mp mf pizz.

f

mp

mf

 3    mp 

mys - tery

  

  

binds me still:



  

3

rit.

 

41

Bar.

 

      

   

From the tor - rent,

Vc.



44

Bar.

  



or the foun tains,

from the red

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

mp

        that

round me

    

A tempo

        

      

Bar.

light - ning in

Vc.



the sky

as it passed

 



mf

53

Bar.

   







Vc.

    

56

Bar.

Vc.

     

3

 

 

 

mf

mp

fly - ing

 



mp



nat.

the

  

that took

      

 

    3        

pizz. arco

   mp

au - tumn tint

 

sul pont.

of a

de - mon in my view.

 





mf

   from the

  

  

mp

p

 

(sub) p

gold,

     

mf

mf

mp

f

3               

 by,

from the thun - der and the

arco

3





mp

storm,

 mf

       

the form

(when the rest

   

pizz.

p

of

hea - ven was

    

   



          mf distant

      mp

mf 

 

blue)

sul pont arco

    

mf

     

of

mf

      

cloud



mp

mf

mp



f

me

p

and the

       

 

          

pizz.                             

p

mp

 

    from the

f

pp

49

moun - tain

mf

in

    

the



            

rolled

               

 

p

sul pont.

mf

     

arco

(sub)

3

3

   

A tempo

pizz.

of

f





cliff

rit.

sun

Vc.

mf

p

 sul pont.

   



ppp