Joel Phillip Friedman
Continuance for mezzo-soprano and viola*
* originally scored for mezzo-soprano and viola da gamba
www.joelfriedman.com
Joel Phillip Friedman
Continuance for mezzo-soprano and viola Commissioned by Jacqueline Horner-Kwiatek and ModernMedieval Duration: Ca. 5 minutes
World Premiere: February 11th, 2017 – Bruno Walter Auditorium, New York Public Library
Continuance is available through
www.joelfriedman.com
Continuance Performing Notes POEM no.3 (“Continuance”) by Anonymous, from the Findern Manuscript
Continuance Of remembraunce Withoute ending, Doth me penaunce And grete grevaunce, For your partinge.
(Modern English) The continuance of memory without end, does cause me pain and great grief because of your absence.
So depe ye be Gravene, parde, Within mine hert, That afore me Ever I you see In thought covert.
So deeply are you engraved, surely, within my heart, that I see you ever before me in secret thought
Though I ne plain My woful pain, But bere it still; It were in vain To say again Fortune's will.
Though I do not lament my woeful pain, but bear it still: It were in vain to speak against Fortune’s will.
When Jacqui contacted me about a project for her new ensemble ModernMedieval, newly commissioned works setting older texts and using period instrumentation, I jumped at the opportunity. She sent me a sampling of anonymous poems taken from the Findern Manuscript, a collection of 14th-century secular love poetry compiled in England in the late 15th century. It is generally thought that women wrote many of the poems although it is not definitively known. I selected the text “Continuance.” I not only loved the poem, but I adored the “exotic sound” of the Middle English pronunciation, which sounded to me like a cross between how French is pronounced when set to music, those “silent ending syllables” added and sounding, and how Scottish is spoken. For example: Con-tin-oo-an-cuh Of re-mem-bra-oon-cuh With-oot-uh ending-uh, Doth may pen-a-oon-cuh And gray-tuh gre-va-oon-cuh, For your par-ting-uh. Originally the song was composed for mezzo-soprano and viola da gamba. At the request of Jacqui I have adapted the piece to be played on modern viola. This gives the song a darker, more expressively romantic sound. The song is affectionately dedicated to Jacqui. Joel Phillip Friedman Continuance was commissioned by Jacqueline Horner-Kwiatek and ModernMedieval and was premiered by Ms. Horner-Kwiatek (mezzo-soprano) and Elizabeth Weinfield (vioal da gamba) February 11th, 2017 at the Bruno Walter Auditorium, New York Public Library, in New York City.
www.joelfriedman.com
With affection: for Jacqueline Horner-Kwiatek
Continuance mezzo-soprano & viola edition
Poem: Anonymous from the Findern Manuscript
Slow, freely, con dolore
Joel Phillip Friedman
sempre < q = q >
poco rubato a tempo
¶
h = 60 (with a quasi iambic feel -q h) Mezzo-soprano
b4 &b 2 Ó
4 2
√ ∑
3 8
Ú
U Œ Œ
3 2∑
6 4
short
Slow, freely, con dolore
poco rubato
U sempre √ , h = 60 (with a quasi iambic feel -q ¶ -h ) , q=q> Œ nœ œ œ ™ œ œ < 6 B bb 42 ˙ ∑ 42 ŒW ˙™ œ ˙ ™ 83 œbœ-nœ œbœ œ 23 w ˙ #œ-#œ 4 a tempo
Viola
p
sempre < q = q > poco rubato A tempo
5
M-S.
Vla.
p √ 2 6 ∑ Ó Œ 2 œ 4 √ sempre Con (quasi iambic, lean poco rubato Con into the longer note) < q = q > ,A tempo n ˙ , b ˙˙ , b ˙˙ , ˙ ™ ™ # œ œ n ˙ ˙™ w œ 3 J nœbœbœ 2 w 6 nœ 4 B bb 46 #˙ nœ œ bœbœ 43 2 8 2 4 w #œ nœnœsub p
b6 &b 4
3 4
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poco rubato 10
M-S.
b6 2 &b 4 ˙ œ ˙ œ 2 w tin - u - an - ce tin - u - an - cuh
6 4 Œ œ œ ˙ œ ˙™
œ˙
Of re-mem - bra - un Of re - mem - bra - oon
2 2 ˙ #˙
ce cuh
-
3 4
With With -
poco rubato
Vla.
n˙ , ˙˙ ™™ , # ˙ 2 ˙ #œ bœ 3 ˙ #œnœ- œ 2 bœ- 4
2 ˙™ œ 6 w ™ 2w 4 w™
B bb 46 w w ™™
poco rubato rall. (h = 60) 15
M-S.
b3 &b 4 ˙
2 œ 2w
√ ∑
U,5 œ œ ˙ 16
4 2œœ ˙
a tempo
2Ó 2
6 4
Œ œ
out - e oot - uh
end -ing end - ing
-
(e), uh,
Doth Doth
rall.
a tempo poco rubato (h = 60)
Vla.
˙˙ ™™ B bb 43
œœ , , n ˙˙ ™™ 2 4 œ n œ 2 bœ- œ œ nœ 2 -
U w nœ w nœ-
,
√ 5 œ- œ œbœ 2 Œ ˙ 16 #œ 2 n˙ ™ mp
© 2016 Joel Phillip Friedman Grey Bird Music All rights reserved
6 4 œ- œ
p
Revised 4.20.17
2
h. = 40 20
M-S.
b6 &b 4 ˙™
œ œ œ n˙
me may h. = 40
Vla.
œ ˙ œ
pen - a - un - ce pen - a - oon - cuh
˙
And gre - te And gray - tuh
˙˙ n œ œ- œ ˙˙ œ-nœ ˙˙ nœ -
B bb 46 ˙˙ œœ ˙˙
2 4
œ ˙™ œ ˙ œ œ œ gre-va - un - ce, gre -va - oo - cuh,
œ œ œ œ œ 42 œJ œ
˙™ œ- ˙ ™
˙ œ- ˙
rall. a tempo 24
M-S.
-˙
2 -˙ 2
b2 &b 4 ˙
For For
9 4˙
your your
œ
par - ting par - ting
rall. Vla.
œ ˙ -
˙™
6 4 ˙
e. uh.
nœ œ ˙
par - ting - e par - ting - uh
a tempo
˙™ nœ ˙™
9 ˙˙ B bb 42 œ œ 22 œ Œ Œ 4 ˙ œ-
˙ nœ- ˙
6 n˙˙ 4
-œ œ
˙˙
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28
M-S.
b & b n˙
par - ting par ting
Vla.
˙™
port.
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B bb ˙ ™ w™
n˙
˙™ ∑
-
∑
e. uh.
-
œ ˙ , -˙ ™ œ œ n˙˙ ™ ˙
#˙ ™
nœ œ
œ , œ nœ œ œ n˙ #œ
U œ &
mf
rubato rall.
poco rubato a tempo
32
M-S.
U ∑
b &b
6 4
√ ∑
3 8
∑
9 4
poco rubato rubato , rall. ten.
-œ b -œ b œ œ nU bœ Vla.
b &b
a tempo
nœ œ B
œb œ bœ #œ
,- √ nœ œ œ bœ- bœ nœnœ 6 Œ n˙ œ n˙ 3 œ bœ bœ nœœ 9 8 nœ œ 4 w™ œ4
35
M-S.
b9 &b 4
∑
œ Vla.
B bb 49 Œ˙™ n˙
Revised 4.20.17
œ ˙ œ
∑
>˙ b œ
˙
bœ ™ œ ˙
˙ œ œœ
& œ
œ bœ
3
molto rubato
a tempo
37
p M-S.
U ∑
b &b
3 6 4Ó œ 4˙ So So
œ ˙
nœ œ ˙ ˙ œ
de - pe ye day - puh yay
be bay
Gra Gra
molto rubato
Vla.
Ua tempo -œ œ œ <b> œ b œ gliss. b bœ bœ œ œ bœ œ œ œ nœ 3 ˙ ™™ B 6 Œ ˙ &b 4˙ 4 w™
˙™ w™
œ n˙
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p
passionately, molto espressivo 41
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ten. M-S.
b &b ˙
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œ ˙
ve - ne, par veh - nuh, par
œ œ œ œ nœ
œ 3 ˙ 2
œ
- de, duh,
With - in With - in
min -e mi - nuh
hert, hehrt,
ten.
Vla.
B bb Œw™ ˙
œ n˙
, passionately, molto espressivo b œ b œ œ œ œœ b˙ ™™ 2 œ œbœ œ œ 3 B & 2 œ œ 2 ˙ œ œ œ mf sonore
44
f M-S.
p
4 œ 3œ œ œ œ œ ˙ 2
œ nœ œ 3œ œ 2 w 2
˙
b <n>w ™ &b
That That
a - for - e a for -uh-a
me may
Ev-er I you Ev - er I you
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see see
In In
colla voce
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p
48
mf M-S.
b3 & b 2 œ œ œ bœ #˙
4 2 ˙™ œ w
3 2 Œ œ #˙ ™
thought co - vert. taw - ght coh - vert.
Vla.
w ™™ w B bb 23
Though I Though I
4 ˙ ™ œ œ bœ #-œ n-œ 3 nw w 2w 2 œ
#œ Œ œ
œ n˙ ™ ne nay
plain plain
My My
3 œœ œ œ œ bœ#œ nœ Ó --œ
mf 52
M-S.
b &b
Ó
˙™
Ó
2Ó 2
œ œ œ ˙ wo - ful pain, wo - ful pain,
> œ 2 œw ˙™ œ œ n œ # œ 2 ˙ #œ
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6 4
But bea - r it But beh-ruh it
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Vla.
B bb n˙ ™ œ
#œ ˙
5 4 ˙˙
˙˙
6 4 n œ œ
p Revised 4.20.17
4 56
M-S.
f
#˙ ™ b6 & b 4 ˙™
Ó™
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still: still:
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, Vla.
still: Still
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It it
wer - e weh - ruh
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, ˙ , ˙ ™ ™ #œ œ œ ˙ ™ ˙ #œ# œ ˙ ™ #˙ nœ# œ mf agitato > >
n˙ ˙
˙ œ ˙
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it it
#œ
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declamatory mf
ten. 59
M-S.
b #˙ ™ b & #œ ˙ vain vain
to to
say say
3 #˙ ™ nœ œ bœ ˙ ™ 2
˙ a a
bœ n˙
gain gain
-
˙™
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œ bœ nœ 4 2 For-tun - e's For - too-nuh's
doloroso slowly ten.
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Vla.
-œ 3 w bw œ Œ Œ nœ w B bb ˙™ b˙ ™ ˙™ b œ 2 ˙™ b œ bœ nw ™ nœn œ > p >
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4 œn œ 2
63
M-S.
b4 & b 2 n˙ b˙ #˙ n˙ will will
Vla.
6 4 #˙ ™
a - gain a - gain
B bb 42 b˙
˙
For For
3 4 #˙ ™
˙™ -
tun too
4 2W
e nuh's
-
n ˙ , n ˙˙ , b ˙˙ , ˙˙ ™™ n ˙w # ˙ n # ˙ 6 3 4 b œ n œ ˙ bœ #œ#œ 4 nœnœ bœ 4 nœ 2 nœ
mp
rall.
A tempo
67
,
, p
M-S.
b & b <#>w
3 œ 2 #˙ ™
#˙ ™ For For
U œ ˙
-
tun too
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e's - nuh's
6 4 w™
U w™
will. will.
, rall.
<#> w w B bb Vla.
, A tempo U -œ n œ. n,#U œ b œ œ 3 #-œ #-œ nœ #œ 6 Ó nœ ˙ nœ ˙ nœ ˙ ™ 2 4 ˙™ ˙™ ˙ œ ˙™ # œ # œ nœ #œ 3 u p sub p
Revised 4.20.17 March 8, 2016 Washington D.C.