for Hypatia for solo viola
Kirsten Volness 2020
for Hypatia for solo viola 2020 _____________________________________________
PERFORMANCE NOTES — Accidentals carry throughout the bar/phrase.
— Opening and closing sections are ametric, general proportions are notated with recognizable rhythms, but music is meant to be played rubato. Each line of music is a separate phrase. — Given the early Greek influence, feel free to experiment with timbre, intonation, and vibrato or lack therof. —Feathered beams in m.27–32 indicate accel. and rit. of figure. Note that not all beams are feathered (as it can be subtle visual difference.) —in m.43 and 45, it’s more about the energy expended and the shredding than the specific pitches so feel free to annihilate those measures.
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PROGRAM NOTE Hypatia of Alexandria (370–415) was a philosopher, astronomer, and influential member of her community whose spiritual and mathematical writings were revered in her time. In 415, newly appointed Bishop Cyril’s followers accused her of sorcery, “dragged her from her chariot, tore off her clothes, and armed with abalone shells, flayed her flesh from her bones. Her remains were burned, her works obliterated, her name forgotten. Cyril was made a saint.” (from Sagan, Cosmos). The destruction of the library at Alexandria around the same time ushered in the “Dark Ages.” It’s an elegy and a reminder of how far we still have to go in ending misogyny and violence against women, particularly trans women of color who are most at risk today. There are many things you can do to help, including donating to Trans Women of Color Solidarity Network on Patreon.
for Hypatia is the second part of a series of works celebrating inspiring women in science.
_____________________________________________ DURATION: 5 MINUTES
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CONTACT:
KIRSTEN@KIRSTENVOLNESS.COM • KIRSTENVOLNESS.COM
(maybe?) Commissioned by Maggie Snyder
(possibly maybe) commissioned by Maggie Snyder
for Hypatia
Kirsten Volness
Freely lamenting ( q=40-60) =40-60) sul tasto
Viola
B -œ
-˙
-œ
œ œbœ
ord, senza vib.
˙™
U bbw w
œ
p 4
con vib.
B -œ
mp sul tasto
U ˙™ b˙ ™
œœ
˙ bw
U w w
b˙
p 7
ord., more deliberate
B œ -œ -˙ mp 13
A
œbœ
™ œœ ˙
bwbw
w
œ
mf
mf
con vib.
b-œ -˙
b-œ
23
mf
p
senza vib.
bœbœ
˙
˙ b˙
˙ b˙-
mf
B
w w-
Moving forward more with warmth (q=66) with warmth ( =66)
B œ 18
senza vib.
wbw
bw w
w w-
f
con vib.
œ-
b˙˙
b-œ ˙˙
-œ
bœbœ
˙
˙ b˙
p
˙ b˙
b˙˙
molto vib.
w bw
w w
More desperate
œ B >œ œ
b˙ ™™ > ˙ œ
#œ > œ œ
œ >œ œ
> œ
œ > œ bœ
˙ ˙
œ
> bœ
b˙˙
ff 25
œ b B bœ œ
œ
˙ ˙ œ
bœ
œ
œ
longer grace note
b-œ 3
w bw
bœ
œ 3
œ
4 4
2
Time coalescing in waves q=66 =66
B 27
œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ
>B 44 bœ œ
œ œ
mf start slowly
œ œ œ
bœ
œ œ œ
6
bœ
œ
6
continue this figure longer ad lib. as exhale
28
B bœ œ
œ
œ
œ
œ
œ
œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ bœj™ ˙
6
30
bœ
mp
6
With more vigor
œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ bœ bœ bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ B œ œ >bœ
f 6
6
continue this figure longer that first ad lib. as exhale 6
31
bœ œ œ B -œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ j œ œ œ™ ˙ 6
mp
33
C
Mostly in time, with some push/pull of rubato, flowing more with each repeat legato, bow ad. lib.
6
6
6 6 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ B ™™ b-œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ - œ 43 -œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 6
mp start slowly
35
6
3x total
rit. last time only
b œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 5 b œ œ œ œ œ ™™ B4 5
Kirsten Volness - for Hypatia - 2020
5
5
5
5
D 36
Starting slowly again, with more freedom, growing ever more articulate accel.
B 68 œ
œo œ œb œ
bœ œ
œo œ œ
3
Groove q. q. = 52
o œ œ œ b œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œbœ ™™bœ œ œb œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ
pp delicately
2nd time staccato
more accel. œ œ b œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ œb œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œb œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ B bœ œ œ œ œ œ
39
q=66 =66
42
. . œ. . . œ. œ. . œ. . œ. . œ. œ. . œ. . œ. . œ. œ. . œ. . œ. b œ . œ œ . . B 44 bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 7
7
7
2nd time repeat this figure ad. lib. and accel. (timbre/pitch can get ugly)
.œ œ. bœ. b œ. . œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. . œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. . œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. . œ. B bœ. œ œ. œ œ. œ œ. œ ™™
43
7
46
B
E
7
7
U ˙˙o
fff
mp
˙
violently
bU w > w œ æ æ
"
sfff
con vib.
bœ ˙ œ- - -
bœ-
œbœ
˙
˙ ˙
˙ ˙-
con vib.
bœ-
œbœ
˙
˙ ˙
bœ-
˙ ˙-
˙
mf
noisy/fuzzy tone, on the edge of presence (still no vib.),
œppp
bw w
˙ ˙
˙-
bœ-
w w
pp senza vib.
bw w
p
lighten touch and move s.p. to allow random harmonics
œbœ
bbw w
p
f
mp echo
B
U >˙ ˙
Freely, like beginning with warmth and introspection
B bœ- -˙˙ œ57
even longer grace note
7
mf 51
7
w
w wpp
fragile
wo
pppp Kirsten Volness - for Hypatia - 2020