Vine (women’s poems from Afghanistan) For mezzo-soprano or soprano with violin and electronics (fixed media)
2022
Juhi Bansal
Program note
Vine is part of a larger project of music I’m writing setting texts by Afghan women. 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.
Duration – 5 minutes
Copyright ©2022 Juhi Bansal Music All rights reserved
juhibansalcomposer@gmail.com www.juhibansal.com
Notes on performance This piece draws on elements of both Afghan and Hindustani music traditions to create a sound world that is about storytelling, expressiveness through ornamentation, and ruminating on a single, simple idea as if making music were an act of worship. This piece sits within a limited sonic palette, but every part of that palette should be explored expressively (dynamics, instrumental and vocal timbre, ways of articulating words and gestures).
Electronics The fixed electronic track is a multi-layered drone that includes pre-recorded violin elements. The track should be started once the musicians are ready to play, and manually faded out as indicated in the final measure of the score. The volume should be set so that the track is clearly heard but never covering either singer or violin.
Notation Both players: Multiple notations are used to capture the typical ornamentation of this style • All grace notes are slashed • 16th note grace notes are to be played before the beat; • 8th note grace notes are to be played on the beat. • All glissandi should be long and drawn out, the slide itself should be at least as emphasized as the beginning and ending notes • Bracketed notes should be imperceptibly slid into and out of (the arrival to the note should not be articulated in any way) • Small notes are relatively lighter in weight, large notes are at a normal emphasis Violin • All gestures with dynamics to or from niente should emerge and fade seamlessly into the electronics • Aleatoric boxes are used for semi-improvisatory gestures. The indicated notes should be played in the indicated order, very rapidly but freely, to create a flurry similar to a fingered tremolo for the duration marked.
Singer • Although it’s not at all a requirement that the singer be experienced in Hindustani vocal technique, since the vocal writing draws heavily on some of those elements, it would be helpful to listen to some recordings of Hindustani classical vocalists to get the sound in your ear. Recordings by Kaushiki Chakraborty (there are many on Youtube) would be a good place to start.
Some key elements of this style: • Mostly straight tone (vibrato may be used sparingly for expressive effect) • Extremely flexible, light, and fluid, particularly in the use of ornaments, grace note, and glissandi. (Not every note will have equal weight or emphasis) • Overall, a very rounded, bending approach to notes that frequently uses scooping and sliding intentionally between pitches.
An aural guide to the ornamentation will be sent with this score as well, please give preference to that in learning the music and refer to the written notation only second.
Texts
I bend towards you Like a vine twists along the earth.
I walk twisting paths to see you, Like a peddler I cry at every door.
Vine Juhi Bansal
(Women's poems from Afghanistan)
Soprano Solo
Espressivo, pushing and pulling the tempo with complete freedom (Initially beginning at q = 70 - 80 )
Wait until a few seconds after you hear the high shimmer enter in electronic track)
Violin
(Follow soprano throughout, never covering the voice)
e spe
p in du
to
slo w
olo trem
sul G n
do wn tre m
olo
e spe
du
p
re ot int
lo mo
sul G n
mp
mp
n
6 * Timbre: straight tone, light, warm and flowing (See notes on performance for specific details) (mp - mf throughout)
S. Solo
I
Vln.
d spee
olo trem
mp n
you
bend
int d up spee
3
simile.
to up in
10
3
I
3
ward
Vln.
n
12
S. Solo
3
to-
molo o tre
n
n
15 Naturally gaining momentum
I
espressivo
bend
3
(3/19/23 version)
lo remo into t
up speed
spe
olo trem into p u ed
n
2
19
18
S. Solo
to -
Vln.
S. Solo
wards
vine
Vln.
S. Solo
Vln.
31
S. Solo
3
3
olo o trem up int
I
walk
twist - ing
paths
mp
n
3
3
3
mp
Pushing still further ahead
earth
speed
just to
see
lo tremo
speed
to up in
n
mp 5
the
n
3
you
Vln.
25
a - long
3
3
3
27
mp
twists
26
molo to tre up in
n
like a
22 3
you
speed
Like a
3
pedd - ler
I
cry
3
3
3
pp poco a poco cresc.
34
S. Solo
Vln.
35
at
eve
p in speed u
-
ry
slo w
olo to trem
3
do wn t
re
3
door
mo
lo
mp
3
41 39
S. Solo
Slow
Vln.
I
3
I
up speed
rem into t
olo
3
S. Solo
3
bend
Vln.
to - ward
mp
tremolo
slow
pp
o
you to speed up in
molto espressivo
to tr
n
Gradually pushing ahead
l emo
n
47 45
s
in d up pee
mp
d ow n tr
emo lo
50
4 S. Solo
51
I
Vln.
S. Solo
61
S. Solo
walk
to
o trem up int speed
S. Solo
olo
slow d
up
66 Floating, q = 100 pp
slow
own tr emolo
pp
p
p
pp
olo into trem speed up
d ow n t re mol o
mp
you lo remo into t
own tr emolo
you
mp
you
Vln.
see
speed
slow d
see
Vln.
o to tremol
you
mp
pp
to - ward
pp
55
in speed up
3
I
Vln.
bend
p
slow
dow n
trem
mf
olo
f
to
70
you
73
S. Solo
Vln.
78
S. Solo
74
to
you
5
Cadenza (out of time)
x
Slow, accel x Cadenza, completely free and expressive
Vln.
( ppp )
poco a poco cresc.
rit. 79
S. Solo
Cadenza (out of time)
rit.
Vln.
S. Solo
Vln.
80 Cadenza (out of time)
molto vibrato, molto rit.
f
85 6
In time, espressivo
S. Solo
(mp - mf throughout)
I
Vln.
89
S. Solo
94
S. Solo
Vln.
you
93
I
to -
wards
lo remo into t p u d spee
3
you
mp
n
lo to tremo
n
n
S. Solo
p in speed u
3
lo remo into t p u d spee
99
mp
to -
bend
Vln.
mp
wards
Vln.
olo o trem up int speed
bend
n
fade out electronic drone gradually over 6-10 seconds