Mike Svoboda : Violin Concerto (Growth I)

Movement 1: a dehydrated, pulverised, and then reconstituted (with lumps) 1903 recording of Joseph Joachim playing Brahms's Hungarian Dance No. 1

Movement 2: Isaac Stern sp eaking in 1999 ab out the founding of the National Endowment of Ar ts seen through a thick layer of nostalgia's sweet molasses

Mike Svoboda

Movement 3: the Hupfeld Phonoliszt-Violina playing Chopin’s No cturne Op. 9, No. 2 f rozen, broken in shards, and randomly reassembled

Growth

I

– Violin Concerto

for solo violin, baritone saxophone, accordion and percussion (2020)

written for the Concept Store Quartet

Grow th I was commissioned with the generous support from

Comissioned with the generous support from

The premiere performance by the Concept Store Quartet with Alicja Pilarczyk (violin), Pablo González Balaguer (saxophone), Nejc Grm (accordion), and Jeanne Larrouturou (percussion) took place on February 15th, 2022 in BKA-Theater, Berlin. The composition was commissioned with funds from the Fachausschuss Musik BS/BL.

Duration ca. 15 minuten

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Movement 1: A dehydrated, pulverized, and then reconstituted (with lumps) 1903 recording of Joseph Joachim playing Brahms‘s Hungarian Dance No. 1

Movement 2: Isaac Stern speaking in 1999 about the founding of the National Endowment of Arts seen through a thick layer of nostalgia‘s sweet molasses

Movement 3: The Hupfeld Phonoliszt-Violina playing Chopin’s Nocturne Op. 9, No. 2 frozen, broken in shards, and randomly reassembled

Each of the three movements draws from a historical recording of a violin, a violinist, or an attempt to mechanically imitate both:

1. The first recording of a violin with a performance by Josef Joachim playing Hungarian Dance No. 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKK5iFFPKxM&t=3s (accessed Nov. 2020)

2. An excerpt of a Carnegie Hall interview given by Isaac Stern in 1999

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZ-z2JWaGvg (accessed Nov. 2020, ca. minute 9:00 to 12:30, slightly edited)

3. The Hupfeld Phonoliszt-Violina, a music cabinet with three selfplaying violins and a self-playing piana called as the „8th wonder of the world“ at the 1920 World Fair playing Chopin’s Nocturne Op. 9, No. 2 in E flat major

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBzaSVbCWxM (accessed Nov. 2020)

Instrumentation

Solo Violin

Baritone Saxophone in Eb

Accordion

Percussion

- 3 surfaces to be rubbed, scraped, hit with scrubbers and/or brushes

- a floor tom with a tub inserted to change the air presser and therefore shin pressure (pitch)

- drum set: bass drum (small), floor tom, tom, wood block, hi-hat, ride, and splash cymbal

Composer’s note

Growth I – Violin Concerto (2020)

written for the Concept Store Quartet

It is said that Oliver Messiaen and Jean Sibelius were synaesthetes who saw colors while listening to music. I myself see geometric, undulating, wa ing forms, and when I look at ne art, I o en hear sounds in return. In my Growth series, I compose music imagining that it is seen, smelled, felt, or touched. e basic rule for Growth is that each work consists of three movements, and for each movement a found sound object serves as a point of departure – a kind of sourdough starter – from which the conceptual, rhythmic, harmonic, or structural substructure of a movement can ferment or sprout. e sound object can be a historical music recording, a eld recording, or an interview and it may be partially audible in some form or entirely not at all.

e three sources of inspiration for the Violin Concerto are recognizable in the titles of the movements: In the rst movement A dehydrated, pulverized, and then reconstituted (with lumps) 1903 recording of Joseph Joachim playing Brahms's Hungarian Dance No. 1; in the second, Isaac Stern speaking in 1999 about the founding of the National Endowment of Arts seen through a thick layer of nostalgia's sweet molasses; and in the third e Hupfeld PhonolisztViolina playing Chopin's Nocturne Op. 9, no. 2, frozen, broken in shards, and randomly reassembled.

Mike Svoboda in February 2022

Grow th I – Vi olin C oncer to

w r itten for the Concept Store Quar tet

I. A d ehydr ate d, pu lveriz e d, and then re constitute d (w ith lumps) 1903 re cording of Jos eph Jo achim play ing Br ahm’s Hungarian Dance No. 1

*) e audio is heard from a small loudspeaker placed near the percussionist and operated by her/him **) e percussionist could composing

Geplant: 29 11 2022, 08:00 bis 10:30, MEZ

xlead the ensemble e / markings indicate a sudden tempo change and " a T " a Tempo ***) e three surfaces should produce different grainy textures when rubb ed with brushes Rub in a circular fashion unless tremolo is indicate ****) e dynamics should b e compressed and the the grace notes not soer than the other notes

©Mike Svoboda / B oosey & Hawkes B erlin 2022

Mike Svob o da (2020)

Brahms (with lumps)

Brahms (with lumps)

Brahms (with lumps)

Brahms (with lumps)

Brahms (with lumps)

Brahms (with lumps)

Brahms (with lumps)

II. Isaac Stern sp e ak ing in 1999 ab out the founding of the Nati onal End ow ment of Ar ts s e en throug h a thi ck layer of nostalg ia’s swe et molass es

*) e text ab ove the players leading is not to b e spoken, but ser ves as an orientation how Isaac Stern spoke and to b e followed as close as possible.

**) e pitch of the Floor Tom is changed by inserting a tub e into the hole on the side of the instrument and blowing into it, changing the tension of the skin which is played with fingers.

Stern through molasses

Stern through molasses

Stern through molasses

to what de gree they don’t know And they don’t re cog nize the

Stern through molasses



Stern through molasses

Stern through molasses

“that we have t’words our young peo ple

Chopin in shards

III. e Hupfel d Phonoliszt-Vi olina play ing C hopin’s No c turne

Op. 9, No. 2 f roz en, broken in shards, and r and om ly re ass embl e d

tune to Saxophone pitches created w ith dy namic (bow pressure, not le hand), sempe gliss constant tremelo (key clicks) w ith pitch fading in and out w ith Accordion