Electric Serpent, for piano and electronic sound

ELECTRIC SERPENT

for piano and 4-channel electronics

Lefteris Papadimitriou

Electric Serpent Part 1: Serpent on the edge of an abyss Part 2: Electric currents Part 3

Program note:

Electric Serpent is a piece for piano and electronics written for the pianist Sarah Nicolls. It is part of a larger cycle of pieces which are a representation of time as movement of the four astrological elements in the zodiac signs through the year. The titles used in each section are based on the description of the 9 cards of the wands suit of the minor arcana

by Aleister Crowley on his Thoth Tarot.

The piece explores the various spectral possibilities of the metallic piano sound. The first part is based mostly on sounds created from exciting the strings inside the piano, while the second part explores normal hammered piano and synthesized sound.

Multiple layers of pre-recorded instrumental material and synthesized sounds, and live piano are mixed through timbral relations and relations of temporal behaviour. The live piano is treated not much differently from the electronic sound layers although the performer may provide a link to the real sound-world and human gesture, both aurally and visually. The musical discourse is approached as a single complex, almost physical, sound object, consisting of various closely connected surfaces and continually unfolding in time, providing thus different �views� of the same object.

Performance notes

General: The piece is for piano and 4-channel recorded audio. There are 3 parts comprised of 10 short sections marked with numbers in circles. Part 1 is comprised of six sections, part 2 of three sections and part 3 of one. In the beginning of each section a new audio file is triggered and

lasts for the whole section (except for part 3 which is for solo piano).

Section 1 is for solo piano but a silent sound file can be used in order to act as a stopwatch through the Max/MSP patch. Electric Serpent is part of the larger modular piece Magical Theatre. When played as a solo piece, the silences between sections should be minimum to non existent.

Sound producing techniques: Part 1 and 3 are to be performed entirely inside the piano, by exciting the strings in various ways.

-Sections 1-2 and 10 require the use of a common guitar plectrum to scrape the strings. Section 3 requires a plectrum and also hitting the strings with the fingers ( as if hitting a hand drum).

-Section 4 requires the use of a 25mm bolt. The pianist scrapes or hits the strings with the head of the bolt.

-Section 5 requires the use of a plastic, coarse, rectangular surface with a length of about 15 cm. It can be a small ruler, a large plastic card or anything that produces a similar sound. It should be soft enough to be able to bent a little when much pressure is applied and hard enough to resist much deformation by pressure. The pianist scrapes or hits multiple neighbour strings with the plastic surface, creating thus a dense dissonant sound.

Notation: -In parts 1 and 3, the upper empty, wide piano staff depicts position along the strings. The lower line indicates the position closer to the hammers and the upper line a position farthest from the hammers, depending on the performer's ability to stretch his/her hand. An auxiliary normal 5 line staff appears in the position of the lower line when necessary (the middle line of the five line staff is also the lower line of the main upper staff). The shape of the lines indicates the relative scraping speed. Dashed lines indicate a very slow speed which creates grain beats in the bass strings. Speed is not intended to be constant in a machine-like manner, random changes in the indicated speed may occur, especially when other gestural vectors generate them (dynamics, pressure).

-The lower one-line staff marked ''mute'' indicates muting of the strings with hand, behind the hammers (when pedal is pressed). A thick line indicates muting. Muting pressure may be varied at the discretion of the performer.

-Squares above the main staff indicate scraping pressure on the strings. Black square indicates heavy pressure that may distort sound, white square indicates light pressure, black and white square indicates normal pressure. Arrows indicate gradual changes between states.

-A cross on top of a note indicates holding the hand down in order to mute the string with the bolt or ruler.

Electronics-Synchronization: -A stopwatch (when played solo) or preferably a Max/MSP patch with timer is required. The patch is provided by the composer. The pianist should navigate through the piece by consulting the time indicators in the audio part. A number in italics above each system, in the audio part, indicates the duration of each system. The time in the audio file, at the beginning of each system, is also given as are many other significant events. As duration of each system changes, relative distances in space should be observed with precision, though a certain freedom is intended. Familiarization with the audio part by listening and studying its spectrograph is very helpful.

-The Max/MSP patch is used for triggering 2 stereo audio files routed to 4 loudspeakers. There are 8 sets of 2 audio files corresponding to the sections of the piece (sections 5 and 6 are connected). Each audio file name is preceded by the number 001-005 which corresponds to the section of the piece. Thus 001 is triggered first and 005 last. The name of the audio file is followed by a number which identifies the 2 stereo channels. Thus 1 means channel 1. All audio files are named in the form 001name1 and put in the appropriate samples folder in the Max/MSP patch folder.

-At some points, for example if some fast gestures seem impossible to perform in the given time, consider deconstructing them in time (contract or expand gestures).

-In part 3 stems don't indicate time values but the connection of a series of notes in a united shape.

Balance: Piano should be approached as one layer among many other layers. It is important that the pianist understands his/her role in the mix. The piano entrances or exit points sometimes are masked by electronic layers and at other times have a strong demarcative function.

Audio-Amplification: The pianist should trigger the appropriate audio files in the beginning of each section, through the provided Max/MSP patch (especially when played as part of Magical Theatre) or any other suitable way (e.g. Ableton Live software). The piano should be amplified by two condenser microphones, (placed along the string board) routed to the mixer and mixed with the audio part and projected through two loudspeakers.

When played as a solo piece, channels 1 and 2 should be routed to loudspeakers 1 and 2 and channels 3 and 4 should be routed to loudspeakers 3 and 4 placed in space accordingly to the diagram below. Piano should be lightly mixed with the audio in loudspeakers 3 and 4. Loudspeakers should be close to the piano.

In cases of small halls piano may not be amplified at all. Audio should be loud and at some peak points completely overpowering the piano.

Loudspeaker3

Loudspeaker4 Piano

Loudspeaker1

Loudspeaker2

Audience

Magical Theatre Electric Serpent is part of the piece for ensemble and electronics Magical Theatre. When it is played as part of Magical Theatre the second part (Electric Currents) is performed as a solo piece, without the electronics, although the Max/MSP patch can still be used (with empty audio files), solely for the purpose of performance notes of Magical Theatre for synchronization directions.

indicating the written durations. See

1

Part1: Serpent on the edge of an abyss 1 2: Dominion (Mars in Aries) Use plectrum to scrape string (accidentals apply only to the note they precede) (low pressure)

(normal pressure)

(high pressure)

Dynamic marks signify a general volume, scraping speed and pressure controls micro-dynamic changes

Piano

?

very slow (grainy sound)

Mute

(change scraping speed according to the shape of the lines)

w â—ŠĎ€ Ped. (hold pedalfor the whole piece)

0.15''

Audio

silence

(0)

Pno.

0.15

silence

0.15

(let ring)

Pno.

0.36

0.13

silence

0.30

0.43

2

2

3: Virtue (Sun in Aries)

(Use plectrum)

Piano

Mute

?

w â—Šp

0.15

Audio

silence

Pno.

Ď€

strings resynthesized

0.20

0.15

Pno.

0.15

0.35

0.36

0.26

3

Pno.

0.17

0.50

0.55

1.07

6

3 4: Completion (Mercury in Aries)

(Use plectrum ) Piano

?

#w F ?

0.15

#w

Audio

0.5.2

(smoothly move to adjacent string)

Pno.

?

F

w

0.18 rubbing

0.20

0.15

0.23

Pno.

?

#w

#w ◊p

ß

0.35

0.41

0.18

7

Pno.

0.23 synthesized bass

1.1

0.51

1.4

Pno.

?

nw ◊ p

#˙ ◊

nœ nœ

0.29 bass noise-snake hiss

1.14

1.21

1.48

6

4

5: Strife (Saturn in Leo)

Use the head of a 25mm bolt to scrape or hit strings ( notehead signifies hits with bolt on the marked position along the strings)

bolt scraping both strings always

Piano

?

Mute

œ ◊ f

œ

œ

vertical glissando on the strings

~~~~~~ ~

œ

fast random oscillations, up-down

#œ

œ F

œ ƒ

œ #œ f

0.15

Audio

?

+ œ

œ

œ

œ

œ œ f

œ ◊F

œ #œ ◊ f

œ œ ◊ƒ

~~~~ ~

Pno.

hold bolt down to mute string

+ œœ

0.9

#œ ◊F

œ

nœ f

œ œ

œ

#œ F

P

0.20

synthesized bass hit

hits

scraping

0.15

Pno.

?

0.18.3

œ

œ

œ

œ œ ◊p F

œ f

0.25

œœ

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# œœ ƒ

0.15 synthesized bass

0.35

0.39.2

œ ß

0.43.6

œ

bœ œ F

œ bœ ƒ

œ

7

Pno.

?

œœ ◊ π

+ œ

œ~~~

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f

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F

0.12

0.55.3

0.50

Pno.

?

œ

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P fœ F

#œ f

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0.20 noise

Pno.

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1.16.7

1.11

1.2

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#œ ◊P

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nœ F

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0.13 scraping

1.22

1.27.4

bass

1.32

8

Pno.

0.23

1.35

1.58

9

5 6: Victory (Jupiter in Leo)

Use a coarse plastic surface (small ruler or a large plastic card) to scrape and hit strings (aprox.15 cm length) (upper notehead shows accented onset) Piano

?

ƒ

f

– (random low cluster according to relative position of notehead) F (touch many strings with surface

Mute

but feel free to use part of the surface at times, by fixing the one side of the surface and bending the other side as if drawing a semi circle)

0.17

Audio

silence

Pno.

f

ƒ

F

f

0.17

silence

0.17

–

Pno.

dissapear into audio

p

0.15

0.34

0.35

0.42

f

10

– Pno.

–

?

p f

F

–

F

f

–

p

ƒ 0.20

0.54.2

0.49

(let ring)

Pno.

?

– P

ƒ

lownoise 0.27

1.9 (let ring)

Pno.

f

–

– ƒ

–

+

–

–

+

F P

?

– f

–

p

0.17

1.36

noise

1.49

1.52

11

Pno.

f

–

– P

?

ƒ

–

– f

– F

–

Ï

– ƒ

f

–+

–

ƒ

& ?

0.16

1.53

1.58

2.5

2.6

6 7: Valour (Mars in Leo) Pno.

& ?

play on keayboard

(mask attack on audio)

w π

0.19

2.09

2.28

Part 2: Electric Currents

12

7

8. Swiftness (Mercury in Sagittarius) accidentals apply only to the note they precede, except in immediate repetitions of notes

Piano

& ?

(w) 0.34

Audio

0.26

0.10.7

Pno.

?

˙ b˙ b˙ P

~~~~~~

&

0.17

0.34

& Pno.

0.43

0.35

≠ ≠ F

(chromatic cluster)

?

0.17

0.51

0.59.7

13

& Pno.

?

0.10

1.8

& Pno.

?

1.9.5

1.13

œœœ bœ ˙ p

0.16

1.18

piano

1.23.4

1.26

14

8

Piano

9: Strength (Moon in Sagittarius)

√ # ––

b –– ? b –– Fœ œ ƒ œœ # œ

& ?

––

&

˙˙ œ b œœ. f

&

Ped.

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. # # #b œœœœ œ F

0.13 reversed piano

Audio

0.1

0.7.3

& Pno.

F #œ œ

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bœ

œ

0.10

œ #˙ f

n˙

P

0.22

0.13

Pno.

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Pf p

#œ

œ œ œ #œ

◊

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œ

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~~~~~~~~~~~

&

0.19.9

0.14.7

ƒ

F #œ

0.22.8

0.25.7

notes with equal duration

#œ

œ

œ

f

f

# œ. ◊

Ped.

0.35

0.35.5

synthesized hits œ œ œ

0.18

0.49

15

Pno.

P

?

œ

# # œœ œ #œ

œ.

#œ œ

P œ

~~~

# œ.

ƒ

~~~~

˙

f

~~~~~~~~

&

œœ

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◊

F bœ

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p

Ÿ~~~~~

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b œœ

Ped.

œ

◊ P

0.18 piano

1.05.5

1.01.5

0.53

˙ & #˙ Pno.

¬p

P ? # ˙˙

# –– F

all trills are a semitone higher if not otherwise indicated

œ

ƒ # ¬ # ¬¬

––# œ œ # # ––◊œ ◊œ

œ

œ

Ÿ~~~~~~~~~~

◊ F˙ ∏ F Ped.

0.34 reverse piano

1.16.2

1.11

Pno.

?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

&

ϫ

f

#œ

1.29.5

F – P #– œœ

Ped.

piano

1.45

1.46

f

˙˙

0.18

1.56

piano

1.36.2

1.41

16

& Pno.

?

0.11 high reversed piano

2.03

2.15

17

9 10: Oppression (Saturn in Sagittarius)

Piano

œ

&

ƒ œœœ

?

œ #œ # # œœ # œœ n œ œ œ #œ #œ œ #œ

œÿœ f

P

# ¬¬

F

œœœœ œ equal duration

P

˙ b ˙˙

F

f

Ped. œœœ

0.24 piano

piano chords

high reverse piano

Audio

0.5.5

?

~~~~

F

f

œ

Ped.

equal duration

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

π # ˙˙ .

bœ

œ bœ bœ

~~~~~~~~~~~

Pno.

œ #œ œ œœ œ œ

˙

&

21.5

0.13

0.9

œ

œ #œ

b œb œ

œ

œ

œ bœ œ

#œ

œ œ œ

f

œ œ

˙œ œ

synthesized

0.19

piano

& Pno.

p

˙˙

#œ œ # # ––

~~~ ~

?

0.32

0.26.7

0.24

F

–– #œ

œœ

#œ

◊

œ

bass piano

0.43

0.48

bass reverse piano

0.40

0.36.5

√ œ œ œ

f p P #œ #œ

#¬

ƒ

bass reverse piano

&

0.16

bœ

˙˙ f

p b œ # # ˙˙

œœœ

18

Pno.

?

#œ #œ #œ

œ œ

~~~~~~

&

√

œ

#œ#œ

fF P f p F

œ

#œ

#œ

#œ

œ

P

#œ #œ

œ œ F # œœ

˙

#œ

f

#œ Ÿ~~~~~~~~~~~ ˙( œ ) ∏ f # # œœœ Ped.

œœœ

0.19

high reverse piano reverse piano

bass piano chord

1.04.5

0.59

Pno.

?

œ.

œ #œ f

~~~~~

˙ P

bœ bœ œ œ œ #œ F π œ

ƒ œ

Ped.

0.19

#œ

~~~~~~~~

&

1.14.3

1.11

#˙

Œ

P

Ó

œœœ

low piano chord

& Pno.

?

1.35.5

1.28.7

1.18

√ #œ œ œ

ƒ œ

#œ

exact repetition of previous figure

√ #œ œ œ œ

b œ. f

ƒ ¬¬

#œ 0.15

synthesized hit

1.37

1.45.5

1.50.5

& Pno.

?

√

œ œ

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

p f

F

&œ

f

equal duration

f

bœ

bœ

F

pF

œ

œ œ œ

√

#œ #œ #œ

œ #œ ƒ πF f p

~~~~~~~~~~~~

19

?

œ

F ˙ # ˙Ÿ~~~~~~ ˙( œ )

œ

F

equal duration

œ π

Ped.

œ P

œ F

# # ¬¬

0.22

1.40

1.52

& ?

Ped.

f bœ ◊

F

f

œ bœbœ .

n œ. ◊ ƒ

0.19

2.14

& Pno.

?

√ œ bœ f

w P

#œ ˙ f P#Fœ œ b œœ ◊

˙˙ f

ƒ #œ œ œ œ œ œ equal duration

Ped.

0.13

2.33

#œ #œ #˙ f F

~~~~~~

F p Ÿ~~~~~~~ œ # ˙ (n œ ) #œ œ nœ

~~~~~

Pno.

F

ƒ

œ.

œ. œ.

F f

#œ p

œ

#œ

œ

F #œ

œ .

œ

œ

0.13

œ

2.46

Pno.

? # œ.

ƒ

p œ

œ œ

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

# œœœ f œ

&

F

#œ

œ #œ œ #˙

œ

ƒ

œ ◊

œ Ÿ~~~~~~~ p ˙ F π

œœœ f

w

œ ◊ 0.14

2.59

& Pno.

?

bœ ƒ

œœ.

F

b b ––

b œœ

f b ˙˙

œœ# # –– œœ – #–

# # œœ

––

Ped.

Ï

–– # ˙˙

0.11 trombone like bass

3.13

F

3.21.7

œ.

# œœ œ ƒ P

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

bœ

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

?

√œ œ √ œ bœ œ b˙ #œ œ œ bœ

~~~~~~~

& Pno.

√œ

√ œ bœ œ f œ

~~~~~

20

#œ

21

Pno.

–– F

?

œ

~~~~~~~~~~~

&

√œ œ f p

F ˙

0.18

3.24

& Pno.

?

P w

˙ bb ˙˙ π Ped.

˙ F

∏

#w ◊

œ low sine wave

3.42

3.50.1

0.23

3.56

4.05

22

Part3

10 1 U

0.10 Use plectrum Piano

?

Hold resonance until it fades out (# ¥ ) ◊ π

f

(Silently pressed note, without pedal. Clear pitched resonance)

0.06