Love, Loss and Exile (women's poems from Afghanistan). Song cycle for soprano with cello and piano. by Juhi Bansal Music

Program note

We don’t often think of poetry as rebellion, but the women of Afghanistan have built a tradition out of artistic defiance, of speaking in rhyme words they are forbidden in prose. In the Pashtun culture from the mountainous regions near Pakistan, girls and women share, compose and speak landays – an oral tradition of short poems by and for women, passed down for generations from woman to woman and tribe to tribe. The anonymous nature of these poems allows them to speak the unspeakable – to talk frankly of sensual love and desire, of yearning to make choices, of girls wanting to be more than an adjunct to their fathers, brothers and husbands. In a society where young girls are bartered to old men, where to choose where to love is to risk death, where girls are forbidden from education, the landays tell women’s stories in their own words, unfiltered and unchecked by the men’s voices that surround them.

The texts chosen for this song cycle are only the tiniest smattering of a powerful tradition, but were chosen to highlight recurrent themes that appear in landays - love and desire, grief, exile, war, and yearning. While set for classical soprano with western instruments, the music pays homage to the origins of the poetry by calling for each musician to use a variety of timbres, modes and ornamentation that come from this style.

Duration – 15 minutes

juhibansalcomposer@gmail.com www.juhibansal.com

Texts

1. Love

Your love is like water, like fire;

The waves engulf me, the flames consume me.

2. The Stoning Ground

Mother, come to the prison window

Talk to me before they take me to the stoning ground.

Grief

If my love dies, let me be his shroud Together we will wed the dust.

4. Exile

I hold a fading flower in my hand

I don’t know who to give it to in this strange land.

Tulip

I’m like a tulip in the desert, I will die before I can open

And the waves of desert wind will scatter my petals.

Performance directions and notation

To all performers

• Movements 1 and IV (Love and Exile, respectively) use proportional rhythmic notation, indicated by dashed barlines or no barlines, and an “X” time signature. In these movements, rhythms given are approximate, and may be stretched or condensed at will. Play expressively and with great freedom, always following the singer.

Vocalist

• This piece draws on a number of different vocal traditions, including Afghani folk singing and ornamentation from Hindustani classical singing. These styles use a variety of timbres, particularly those including heavier use of chest voice, no vibrato, scooping, slides and other ornamentations not found in Western classical tradition. Although the piece can certainly be sung in a more typical Western classical voice, you are encouraged to use as much of these tones and colors as you are comfortable doing. (Some vocalists you may listen to for ideas of these timbres include the Pashto singer Zarsanga, and Kaushiki Chakraborty from the Hindustani tradition.)

• A few different notations are used to convey ornamentation:

• Small notes are often used in juxtaposition with regular sized noteheads. Smaller notes should have less emphasis and a much lighter articulation.

(This example is from I. Love, rehearsal 9)

• A dashed line between two notes indicates a portamento (a subtle slide).

• a solid line between two notes indicates a clear, drawn-out glissando. The majority of the time should be spent on the slide, not on the start/ end notes.

(from V. Tulip mm 73)

Piano

• All dynamics should be interpreted on the softer side, such that the voice is never covered.

• Two types of grace notes are used throughout: x(16th notegracenotesshouldbeplayed extremely rapidly, creating an inarticulate blur) e(8th notegracenotesshouldbeonly moderately fast and flowing, and remain articulate and melodic)

Cello

• All dynamics should be interpreted on the softer side, such that the voice is never covered.

• This notation (used in the aleatoric boxes as described below from mvt. 1) indicates a tremolo of varying speed; start extremely slowly moving back and forth between the two notes, then gradually speed up into a true unmeasured tremolo. Then reverse the process.

• Aleatoric gestures are used in several sections of this work.

• Figures inside aleatoric boxes are to be repeated at will for the duration marked with the arrow. When dashed lines are used within the box (as in the example below, from I. Love) Move freely between the gestures separated by these lines, repeating and jumping from one to the other at your discretion. Any of the figures or fragments may be repeated at will before moving to a different one.

    Soprano Violoncello Piano Flowing,restful, q =80(Taketimebetweeneachphrase) siempre pp sfzppsfz pp S. Vc. Pno. Your mf loveislike water, 1 2 3 pp  *ALLPERFORMERS:Thismovementusesproportionalrhythmicnotation,allrhythmsareapproximateandmaybe stretchedorcondensedatwill.Playexpressivelyandwithgreatfreedom,alwaysfollowingthesinger. Pleasereadthe'PerformanceDirectionsandnotation'pageinscoreorpartcarefullyforclarificationsonnotation, style,andperformancetechniques. X X 1.Love  Irregular, shimmering, like flowing water    X X  alwayssoft  X X           leavesustainpedalhelddownandringingstraightthroughthismovement  X X              (holdaslongasdesired) 3  Alwaysmatchingtheenergyandmotionyouhearinthepiano sulA  7-10secs          sfz                                                                         2

      S. Vc. Pno. like wa ter, 4 5 sfz S. Vc. Pno. 6 pp sfz pp sfz S. Vc. Pno. Yourloveislikewater, 7 8 9 pp  3    3                       3                        3                                                                                           3

      S. Vc. Pno. thewaves 10 11 ppp sfz S. Vc. Pno. engulf-me, thewaves engulf-me, 12 13 14 pp S. Vc. Pno. likewater, 15 16 17 sfz pp                                   3 3    7-10secs   sulA                       3                                                                                                                                 4

Fast,aggressive, q =90 (drivingaheadfromeachgesture tothenextwithoutpause)

(drawn-out,dramaticgliss)

      S. Vc. Pno. engulf----me

18 S. Vc. Pno.

19 20 mp S. Vc. Pno. theflames 21 22 mp  3 3   sfz        

   gliss.

                     Fast,aggressive,driving (3-4secs)             (3-4secs)     Fast,aggressive,driving                                                                                                                                                                      5

likewater,

Yourlove islike fire (fahyer)

      S. Vc. Pno. consume-me, theflames 23 24 25 pp pp S. Vc. Pno. consume-me, like fire,

26 27 28 pp S. Vc. Pno. like fire, (fah yer) 29 30 pp pp  3   sfz       sfz                           3    gliss.   sfz                                 sfz                                                                                                                                        6

(fah yer)

      S. Vc. Pno. like fire, 31 32 sfz pp S. Vc. Pno. Theflames consume-me 33 34 sfz S. Vc. Pno. thewaves engulf-me 35 36 37 pp    gliss.                                          

slowingdown  3        (3-4secs)      Losingenergy                      Losingenergy                                     3   slower,longer,losingenergy  5-7secs                                                                                                                                                                                           7

Gradually

    S. Vc. Pno. likewa ter, 38 39 sfz pp S. Vc. Pno. yourloveislikewater, 40 41 pp  3 q =80 Restful,take timebetweenphrases                   3                                                           8

release withnatural decayofpianopedal)

    S. Vc. Pno. yourloveislikefire 42 yourloveislikefire 43 pp S. Vc. Pno. yourloveislikefire 44 yourlove islikefire 45 46 pp   (ossia)  gliss    gliss.   slower

  7-

 

           (ossia)  gliss    gliss.   (long,

    (long,

   (ca4mins)                                                               9

still

10secs

(long)

holdpedaltill soundnaturallydecays)

    Soprano Violoncello Piano Mo mf ther come q =70-80 ff n ff n ff ( ppp ) ff ppp S. Vc. Pno. totheprisonwindow, Mother cometotheprison-window, 6 f n ff ppp                                  Vocal timbre: Childlike, very little vibrato, as if looking for comfort  moltoespressivo 2.TheStoningGround  Heavyanddramaticwithoutevercoveringthevoice      Heavyanddramaticwithoutevercoveringthevoice             3  (alldiminuendosshoulddisappear intothesoundofthepiano)                                                                                                                     10

    S. Vc. Pno. Mother, Mother come 14 11 pp f n f n ff ppp ff ppp S. Vc. Pno. totheprison-window, Mother cometotheprison 16 pp f n ffp                                                                                                                                                                              11

    S. Vc. Pno. window, Mother, Mother 20 pp f n ppp ffpppn S. Vc. Pno. Mother talktome, Withmotionq = 96 100 25 mf n n mf pp mf   3            pocoapococresc.                                                                                                                                                                                           12

    S. Vc. Pno. mother, talktome, be f 30 mfn mf n pp mf pp mf pp S. Vc. Pno. fore theytake me 34 mfn mfn mf pp mf pp  3                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           13

    S. Vc. Pno. to thestoning-ground. mo-41 38 mf n f nmf n mf pp f pp mf S. Vc. Pno. ----ther, come 42 mpn mpn p ppmppp p                                                                                                                                                                                         14

    S. Vc. Pno. come talktome be48 46 n p n pn pp pp p p S. Vc. Pno. fore poco dim. theytake 54 51 pn p pp pp pp                                                                                                                                                                                          15

    S. Vc. Pno. meto they 59 55 n pn pp p dim. S. Vc. Pno. takeme, to p thestoning-ground, 63 60 ppn pppp possible                                                                                                                                         16

    S. Vc. Pno. tothestoning-ground. Mo p ther mother Relentless q =70 70 67 p n p pppp pppp S. Vc. Pno. mo poco a poco cresc. ther mother mother mother withgrowingurgency,pocoapocoaccel. 72 n mp poco a poco cresc. (never covering the voice) n mp n mf n mf mp poco a poco cresc. (never covering the voice) ppp mpppp mfppp mfppp    pleading     (notremolo)   (notremolo)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     17

    S. Vc. Pno. mother mother mother mother 76 n f n f n ff n ff fppp fppp ffppp ffppp S. Vc. Pno. Mother 82 80 Mo ff ther n ff n ffp ( ff) ff p ff p ff            (ossia)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                18

  S. Vc. Pno. (q =96) 83 ff ff   

       

                                                               19

(notremolo)

(4mins)

    Soprano Violoncello Piano Sombre h = 70 - 85 8 p S. Vc. Pno. If mp molto espressivo mylovedies, 11 15 9           Vocal timbre: keening, piercing, with little vibrato. (Long held notes may be released early as needed)  3. Grief      Heavy                                                                                                                                                                                                             20

letmebehisshroud.

    S. Vc. Pno.

17 p n S. Vc. Pno. ifmylove 24 p n   molto legato (mirror the timbre of the voice)                                                                                                                                                                                                                  21

    S. Vc. Pno. dies n 31 p n S. Vc. Pno. let mp mebehisshroud. 38 p                                                                                                                                                                                                                              22

    S. Vc. Pno. Ifmylovedies, 49 45 n S. Vc. Pno. let poco a poco cresc. mebehis 57 52 p n poco a poco cresc.                                                                                                                                                                                                                    23

    S. Vc. Pno. shroud. 58 p S. Vc. Pno. If mf mylovedies n mp           (ossia)                                                                                                                                                                                                                24

    S. Vc. Pno. 71 mp poco

to 77 n mp poco a poco cresc. S. Vc. Pno. ge ---ther 78                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       25

a poco cresc.

    S. Vc. Pno. 89 we willwed f f dim. f S. Vc. Pno. the mf dust, 91 mp p  (ossia)          3  3                                                                                                                                                                                                            26

    S. Vc. Pno. dust, mp dust, p 102 97 pp pp S. Vc. Pno. 103  3 3   3 3      3    3                                                                                                                                                                                              27

    S. Vc. Pno. to p ge ----ther wewill 109 115 n S. Vc. Pno. wedthedust to p 116 p          3                                                                                                                                                                                         28

      S. Vc. Pno. ge -ther wewill 127 123 p ppp S. Vc. Pno. wedthedust 134 130 ppp ppp S. Vc. Pno. wed p thedust rit. 138 137           3          3  3          (4 mins)                                                                                                                                                29

Soprano Violoncello I mp hold afading Slow, molto espressivo with absolute freedom 1 sempre p S. Vc. flower, Ihold afading 2 S. Vc. flower, in myhand, 3 S. Vc. Idon'tknowwhotogiveittoI don'tknowwhoto 4 5  * This movement uses proportional rhythmic notation, all rhythmic figures are only approximate (long)   Vocal timbre: throaty, no vibrato, extremely expressive; in the manner of a folk singer X X 4. Exile   sul G molto sul tasto hoarse and dark  X X     (sul G) sul C      3           3                                                                                         30

S. Vc. giveittoI don't know who to 6 7 S. Vc. giveittoI don't know who to giveitto 8 9 10 S. Vc. Inthisstrange land. 11 12  3      3 (long)  3 (long)         3  3 3        (hold harmonic into next movement) (1:30 to 2mins) attacca                                                                                          31

Soprano Violoncello Piano q. = 130 p p S. Vc. Pno. 4 p S. Vc. Pno. 7 p                                          Vocal timbre: Innocent, angelic (no vibrato)  5. Tulip  (molto sul tasto)     Ethereal     sul G ord.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     32

S. Vc. Pno. I'm p likeatu lip -inthe 11 10 pp S. Vc. Pno. desert 14 p p S. Vc. Pno. I'm p likea 19 17 pp                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            33

S. Vc. Pno. tu lip --inthedesert. 20 p S. Vc. Pno. I'm p 26 24 f pp pp                   (seagull effect)                                                                                                               34

S. Vc. Pno. likeatulip inthe 27 p pp S. Vc. Pno. desert 30 p p S. Vc. Pno. I'm likea 33                              gliss.                                                                                                                                                                             35

S. Vc. Pno. tulip inthedesert 36 S. Vc. Pno. 40 39 f pp pp  S. Vc. Pno. I p willdie, 42 p              (seagull effect)                                    (ped. simile)                                                                                                                       36

S. Vc. Pno. I will 46 45 pp S. Vc. Pno. die, I poco cresc. 50 48 S. Vc. Pno. willdie, be51 poco cresc.                                                                                                                                                                           37

S. Vc. Pno. fore mf Icanopen. 56 54 pp mp S. Vc. Pno. 59 57 p S. Vc. Pno. And mp thewaves 62 60 n  take time   4 a tempo  (out of time, follow voice)     (out of time, follow voice)   shimmering a tempo                       sul pont, metallic and shimmering                                 gliss                                                                                                                                    38

S. Vc. Pno. ofdesert wind, 63 S. Vc. Pno. 66 mp S. Vc. Pno. waves mp of 69 n                                     (sul

gliss. gliss                                 gliss                                                                                                                                    39

pont.)

S. Vc. Pno. desert wind, 72 S. Vc. Pno. will p 75 mp n S. Vc. Pno. scatter mypetals, 78 p                                      (sul pont.) gliss                                                                                                                                                      40

S. Vc. Pno. scat p ter my petals, 82 81 n S. Vc. Pno. scat p ter my 86 84 p n S. Vc. Pno. petals, 87 p n                                                                                                                                                                                                     41

S. Vc. Pno. scat p ter my petals, 90 p S. Vc. Pno. scat p ter my petals, 94 93 n S. Vc. Pno. 98 96 p                                                                            (sul pont.)                                                                                                                            42

S. Vc. Pno. 99 S. Vc. Pno. 102 n S. Vc. Pno. I'm p likeatulip-inthe 105 ppp    poco a poco rit. gliss  poco a poco rit.                                    gliss.                                 a tempo morendo, poco a poco rit to end    a tempo morendo, poco a poco dim. to end                                                                                                              43

S. Vc.

109

S. Vc.

113 S. Vc. Pno.

117

   

 

                                                              gliss.                                                                                                                               44

Pno. desert.

Pno. I'm p likeatulip-inthe

desert.

ord.

gliss.

S. Vc. Pno. I'm p likeatu lip inthe 121 S. Vc. Pno. desert. 125 pp S. Vc. Pno. 129 f p f p f p f pp n                                    gliss                              (seagull effect, change strings freely) (take time)               leave ringing with pedal down till sound naturally fades  (3:30 mins)                                                                                          45

Love, Loss and Exile (women's poems from Afghanistan). Song cycle for soprano with cello and piano.