Writing the Letter

JULIE HERNDON

Writing the Letter

FOR STRING TRIO commissioned by Left Coast Chamber Ensemble duration: 5 minutes 2017

Program notes Natalya Weinberg wrote a letter. It was 1953 and her husband, Mieczyslaw Weinberg, had been arrested by the M.G.B. The letter Natalya wrote gave their close friends, the Shostakoviches, power of attorney over the well-being of their daughter should anything happen to the both of them. Meanwhile, Dimitri Shostakovich was himself undertaking the dangerous task of writing the chief of police a letter of protest on behalf of his friend. He did this fully knowing that the act could cost him his own freedom. One month later, when Stalin died and Mieczyslaw was released, the Shostakoviches came over for dinner to celebrate. They burned the power of attorney papers together in an act of joy.

This piece is based around the sound and practice of writing. I analyzed a recording of processed writing sounds and constructed a melody with the resultant pitches. I used the contour of the waveform to dictate techniques such as bow pressure and placement.

Considering the interpersonal content of letter writing, I created three paradigms in which the trio relates: parallel, symbiotic action contingent, conditional action relative, supportive or soloistic action Their multifaceted relationships explore the subtext of the written letter and the expressive physicality of writing.

Š Julie Herndon 2017

Performance Notes freely

-----------

R1 , R2 , etc.

Tempo marking:

these sections are rubato, and durations therein are to be stretched and compressed liberally in response to the playback and the actions of other players.

Electronics cue:

this symbol marks each of two electronics cues (m.1 & m.23) and can be executed with the spacebar key, a foot pedal, or any MIDI triggering device. While the cues are written to be easiest for the cello part, they can be done by any member of the ensemble, or by someone offstage. Generally, the electronics, once cued, need not align precisely with specific notes or rhythms in a predetermined way, but rather provide a textural framework or counterpoint. The volume should be set so that it never drowns out the players.

Elec. rehearsal cue:

rehearsal cues are marked parenthetically throughout. These shorter clips are cued by pressing number keys on a computer keyboard (for example, R1 is played by pressing the “1� key). Because of the improvisatory nature of some sections, the timings selected for these cues are approximate and may differ slightly from the performance timings.

Bow pressure:

ad lib. bow pressure distortion is depicted by the given waveform: darker/thicker = harder pressure lighter/thinner = lighter pressure

Relative timing:

vertical dotted line: events occur simultaneously angled dotted line: events occur sequentially, the left-most occurring before the right-most.

Harmonic glissando: ad lib. harmonic glissando is depicted by the given waveform contour.

S.P.

Sul ponticello

bow near the bridge

S.T.

Sul tasto

bow over the fingerboard

Score

Writing the Letter

Julie Herndon

commissioned by Left Coast Chamber Ensemble

q ( ) = 60 = 1"

freely

vary bow pressure to distort:

œ & 42 Œ œ o

S.P.

Violin

stretch and compress durations

.

43 HH . ƒ

X

B 42 Œ Œ

œ ˙ 43 œ ˙ o ƒ

X

˙˙ .. ˙. ƒ

X

bow ad lib. vary bow pressure to distort: S.P.

Cello

?2 ΠΠ4

3 4

Sampler

2 R1 ã 4 œ Œ

3 4

(S.P.)

Vln.

&

Vla.

B

˙ F

(S.P.)

Vc.

Samp.

ã

œ ˙

F

, #œ œ œ #œ p F

(~0:33)

P

F

#˙

˙

#˙ p

F

stretch and compress durations

áá F

#˙

p F

,

#œ

, œ œ #œ

F

,

œ #œ ˙ p

œ œ œ ˙ œ P

π

˙ #œ ,œ œ œ ˙

˙ #œ œ ˙ #˙ , ˙ œ œ ˙ f F œ œ œ ˙ P

œ˙ ˙

,

áá á

stretch and compress durations (vary bow pressure)

? #˙ œ ˙ ˙ œ#œ ˙ p F (S.P.)

p

ƒ

freely

,œ œ œ ˙

cue: [scribble]

˙ #œ œ ˙ #˙ , ˙ œ f

F

˙ ˙ œ #œ ˙

freely

vary bow pressure to distort: S.P.

Viola

#˙ œ

˙ #œ F

F

œ ˙ #œ

, #œ œ œ œ ˙ p F

© 2015

U w

œ #w

. p

,

œ œ œ ˙

œ #˙

œ U

˙ p

U

w. p

Writing the Letter -2-

= ~72 Vary note durations and entrance timings sustain each pitch until next given pitch

4

Vln.

#œ œ P

&

Vla.

˙.. . . . . ˙@

P

ã ( œ)

U

w

B

Vla.

6

Vla.

Vc.

Samp.

#˙

S.T. (non vib.)

p œœ œ œ

#œ

S.P. (non vib.)

P

?

Vc.

Vln.

œ

#œ ˙

œ œ π P

#w

S.P.

˙

˙

#˙

S.T.

P

p

˙

œœ F

#œ œ #œ

œ #˙

*cue: vln. begins after open chord is held ~5"

(S.P.)

&

Vln.

œ œ

(ord.)

#œ ( œ) P p

R2

Samp.

p

( œo )

F

arco ord.

S.P. non vib.

.. ˙ P

(~1:05)

non vib.

arco ord.

S.P. non vib.

# ..w

œœœœ

S

col legno riccochet ad lib. ....

?U w p

Vc.

U ord.

col legno riccochet ad lib. ....

# ˙..

B w

col legno riccochet ad lib. ....

œ # œ Uw

œ œ

*S.T. non vib.

w P

S.T. (non vib.)

? 44 [electronics gradual dim] ã 44

˙

(S.T.)

œœ œœ

œ

F

#˙

˙

œ p

˙@ F

cue**

œ œ ˙ @ F

**vla. cues tempo

poco accel.

S.P.

#œ œ œ œ nœ œ ˙ J J pF (ord.) vib. ord.

œ #œ ˙

P ord. vib. ord.

˙. p P

#œ œ

œ

Ó

poco accel.

S.P.

œ ˙

œ œ ˙ f poco accel.

faster q = 76

Í

ord. œ œJ œ . œ ˙ J ‰ F ( œ) # œ> œ Jœ œ . Í

‰

Ó

Ó

ord.

œ # w>

j œ- œ ˙ F

f

# ˙F

œ

ord. (vib. ord.)

˙

f

# œ>. Í

œ œ p

repeat ad lib.

S.P.

˙ Œ @ F

w

w

ord. vib. ord.

& 44 #œ B 44 œ # œ œ # œ F P

#˙

repeat ad lib.

S.P.

w

œ ˙

œ

in time q = 60

œ

Ó p

44 44 44

43

œ J # œ n œ 43

˙. œ # œ- -

43 43

Writing the Letter -3-

& 43

∑

13

Vln.

Vla.

Vc.

B 43 # ˙ P

Vla.

Vc.

Samp.

&

Í

Í

Vla.

Vc.

Samp.

n œ-

B ˙ ?

& 85 ? 85

œ- # œ 44 ‰ J # œ œ œ p F

#œ. p>

vary bow pressure to distort:

#˙

vary bow pressure to distort:

œ # œ œ-

œ. #œ. ∑ # œ¯

>

œ- .

œ #˙ >

∑

78

# œ- n œ- .

S.T.

p

ã 85 Œ

Œ.

78

#˙ ƒ

∑

# œ¯ œ¯ œ- .

œ œ œ œ #œ #˙ 78

U

œ. #œ.

# œ- .

œ¯

œ¯

P

78 ΠΠΠ.

œ- . Œ.

b œ-

Œ Œ

œ- .

85

# œ¯

# œ- n œ- . π

œ- .

(S.T.)

cresc.

œ #œ œ œ œ cresc.

œ- 5 b œ 8 85 Œ

œ- .

P Œ.

43

Í

44 œ œ ˙ p

78

S.T.

5 8

#w

œ

cresc.

44 #˙. >

5 Œ Œ. œ 8 π R3 ∑ 85 œ Œ .

œ œ #œ œ #œ œ #œ œ B 85 F

b œ- b œ- œ- .

85

œ

ƒ

# œ¯

S.T.

π

#U˙

nœ #˙

œ œ #œ œ

43 œ # œ ˙ > œ¯

ƒ

f

F

44

lightly e=e (=172)

#U˙

œ

#˙.

œ 43

44 œ #˙. >cresc.

vary bow pressure to distort:

ã & 85

P

accel. poco a poco

œ.

#˙.

43

Œ

accel. poco a poco

F

#˙.

26

Vln.

œ

44

œ œ ˙

œ

#˙.

accel. poco a poco

p

? 43 œj #œ. nœ

19

Vln.

#˙.

78 78

#˙. Í

34 œ œ # œ œ # œ

3 œœ 4 ˙ >

# œ¯ œ¯ œ- .

# œ- .

#œ > œ¯

œ¯

85

p

b œ- b œ- œ- .

7 8

b œ- .

¯ œ- n œ

7 Π8

Œ

Œ.

Œ.

Œ

Œ

5 8

78 Œ

Œ

Œ.

Œ.

Œ

Œ

85

# œ¯ œ¯ œ- . ˙

(S.T.)

# œ- .

&

P

ord. œ¯ œ¯ U˙

ƒ

U œ #œ œ #œ œ œ œ œ ˙

78 b œ- b œ- . œ(S.T.)

cresc.

78 ΠΠΠ.

ord.

f

œ- .

Œ.

5 8

ƒ

ord.

b œ- œ-

U

˙ ƒ

Œ Œ ( œ) Œ

X

X

X

R4

X

cue: [cresc.]

Writing the Letter -4-

freely h (

&X

33

Vln.

#w

) = 60 = 1" (approx. system duration: 20")

œ œ #œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ #˙ f

free, solo

Vla.

Vc.

Vln.

œ œ ˙ œ # œ # to˙ distort:# œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ #w ƒ vary bow pressure

ad lib. non vib.

BX ?X

w ƒ

˙o

& O B w p

Vc.

?

œ œ #œ œ œ œ #œ œ œ #œ f P vib. ord.

ord.

˙o # wO

P

wO F

vary bow pressure to distort:

œ œ #œ œ F

sul A, D

harmonic gliss. ad lib. sul A

P

w

S.P.

0 non vib. (ord.)

sparse like fat raindrops

Vla.

vary bow pressure to distort: non vib.

# wO f

wO

harmonic gliss. ad lib. sul A

F

˙o

˙o

P œ œ œ #œ œ # œ œ œ #œ œ #œ œ œ œ f

ad lib.

S.P.

non vib.

œ œ #œ œ p sul A, D

Vln.

&

o

dim. after playback ending

Vla.

(ord.) , #œ œ œ ,œ œ œ œ œ P F

B ˙o

harmonic gliss. ad lib. sul D

Vc.

Samp.

? ˙o P ã

[electronics dim.]

(ord.) #œ , œ œ #œ p

œ œ œ #œ F

œ œ #œ

S.P.

harmonic gliss. ad lib. sul A

p

˙o

˙o

o

dim. after playback ending

sul A, D

o

dim. after playback ending