Scratch, for bass string trio

Scratch for string trio (viola, violoncello, double bass)

Lefteris Papadimitriou

Performance notes General: ‐ Non vibrato. ‐ Articulations and attacks that are created natural through the bow movements are desirable. Dynamic markings are relative and should be affected to an extend by the different type of bow movements. ‐ Glissandos start immediately.

Notation: ‐The lower staffs indicate the strings and notes to be bowed and left hand fingerboard actions.

Diamond shaped noteheads below staff indicate light left hand pressure as in creating harmonics.

Normal notehead below staff indicates normal left hand pressure. (These actions do not apply to open strings).

‐Two extra staffs are used in order to specify various right hand bow movements: Upper staff (appears for the first time at measure 19) indicates bow pressure. Lower line indicates hard bow pressure (hard noise sound that distorts pitch content). Upper line indicates normal bow pressure. For the first part of the piece only hard bow pressure is used.

Second staff indicates parallel movement of bow along the strings. Lower line indicates an extreme sul tasto position that reaches a position on the fingerboard without reaching the position of the left hand, second line indicates sul tasto position, ordinary position, third line indicates ordinary position and upper line indicates sul ponticello position. All these actions should be exaggerated. ‐Three states of speed for vertical bow movement are used. Normal bow speed, slow bow speed and still bow (in this case bow should create sound only by parallel movement on the strings). ‐Dashed arrows between two positions indicate gradual movement from one position to the other. Wavy lines indicate a random oscillation between two positions. ‐Bow changes are free and should be as imperceptible as possible ‐Performers are advised to hold the bow from the middle of the wood in order to be able to apply more force on its motion on the strings and not getting tired. ‐ Headless rhythmic stems are for reference purpose and don’t indicate any type of attacks. Bow movement should be continuous. Straight lines after notes in the lower staff indicates held notes, notes positioned between lines are not to be attacked. ‐Hold previous position if no change is indicated.

Program note Repetition and stasis are not mannerisms but ways to provide a static background where the motion of gestures can be clearly perceived in the same way that a motion of a moving object becomes sensible only in relation to another object with steady speed. The main concern of the piece is the formation of gestures in the multidimensional musical space that is defined mostly by the motion of the bow on the strings. Traditional right hand bow ''effects'' of string instruments become the main material of the piece while left hand movements provide a slower moving sound layer.

Scratch

»∞•

e s.p. ord. s.t. extreme s.t.

Viola

Lefteris Papadimitriou 2010

Extreme bow pressure (noise) 5:4

5:4

5:4 3:2

4 8 Î œœ B II III

slow bow speed

normal bow speed

3 8

4 8

still bow

(hold notes)

Extreme bow pressure (noise) 5:4

5:4

s.p. ord. s.t. extreme s.t.

Cello

5:4 3:2

4 Î 8#œ ? œ I II

slow bow speed

normal bow speed

3 still bow 8

4 8

normal

(hold notes)

Extreme bow pressure (noise) 5:4

s.p. ord. s.t. extreme s.t.

Double Bass

5:4

5:4 3:2

4 slow bow speed 8 Î œœ ?

I II

normal bow speed

3 8

still bow

4 8

normal

(hold notes)

(Double bass sounds an octave lower)

5:4

7

~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~ slow 4 8

5:4

3:2

normal

Vla.

4:3

B

3 8

3 8

normal

œœ

2 8

~~~~

still

3 8

(No attack)

5:4

4:3 3:2

Vc.

?

3 8

#œ œ

slow

4 8

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

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

3 normal 8

5:4

2 8

~~~~~~~~~~

still

3 8

(No attack)

5:4

4:3

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

3 normal 8

5:4

3:2

D.B.

?

slow

3 8

4 8

2 8

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~ still

œ œ

(No attack)

3 8

2

13

B

Vla.

3 8

4:3

~~~~~~~~~

5:3

3:2

2 8

normal

5:4

3 8f

œœ

O

Î

slow

2 8f

œ

O

~~~~~~~~~

3 8 œ ? œ

Vc.

2 8

normal

?

D.B.

ƒ

2 8

O

slow Î

2 8f

œ

f

slow Î

3 8f

œ

O

Î œ œ œ

normal

3 8

4 Î 8

4:3

Ï

3 8

normal

f

4 Î 8 œ

O 4:3

Ï

3 8

œ

O

5:4

œ

O

œ

2 8 f

f

5:4

5:4

3:2

O

3:2

O

f

4 Î 8 œ

O

4:3

Normal bow pressure

2

Extreme bow pressure

3:2

19

Vla.

3 8f

5:3

3:2

normal

Î œ

O

4:3

3 8

Ï

5:4

3:2

3:2

normal

œ

5:3 4:3

U

4:3

3:2

slow 4 Î 8 #œ B œ

normal

~~~~~~~ ~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~ ~slow

O

I II

normal

O

œ 3:2

#œ œ

~~ ~~ ~~ ~~~ ~

slow

3 8

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

slow

normal

~~~~~~~~~~ œ

O

œ

5:4

3:2

4 8

still

normal

O

4:3

5:4

3:2

3:2

Normal bow pressure Extreme bow pressure

Vc.

4 slow 8 Î ? œœ

still Ï

f

F

normal

II III

ƒ œœ

f

3 8

normal

4 8

Î

slow

4:3

5:4

5:4

3:2

still

3:2

Normal bow pressure Extreme bow pressure

D.B.

3:2

4 slow 8 Î ? # œœ II III

f

still

normal

Ï

still

3 8

normal

P

# œœ

4 8 ƒ

still

normal

3

25

Vla.

B

f

ᜠœ œ

normal

3 8

still

4 8

still Ï

3:2

5:4

~~~ ~~~~~ ~

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

~normal

slow 4 8 b œœ O œ

normal

Vc.

3 8

?

O

D.B.

B

3 8

still

á n œœ

normal

5:3

31

Vla.

?

31

3 8

Vc.

?

normal

ᜠœ

normal f

5:3

D.B.

3 8

F

4 8

3:2

still F

ᜠœ

normal

2 8

normal

still F

2 8

œ œ

still ƒ

4:3

3 8

slow

b œœ

œ

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

2 8

normal

O ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ œ

normal

3 8

f

O

still

3 normal 8

ƒ

3 8

b b œœ

œ 3:2

still

normal

P

án œœ

2 8

᜜

2 8

f

Î

still

3 8

normal

3 8

slow

U

5:3

3:2

3 8

still

4:3

still

3:2

5:4

Î œ œ

Î 4 8

4 8

5:3

5:4

5:3

3 8

normal

5:4

3:2

4:3

5:4

3:2

3:2

2 8

still normal

still

# œœ

Ï œœ

3 normal 8

2 8

5:4

~~~~~~ normal ~~~ ~~~~~ slow 2 3 8 8 ? œ #œ œ O

still P

3 8

normal

# # œœ 5:3

3:2

normal

O

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

slow~~~~~~~~ ~

3 2 8 8 œœ O ~~~~~~~~ œ œ O

normal

f

3 8

œ

Î

4 8

4

3 37

Vla.

B

5:4

4 8

Ï

normal

ᜠáœ

3:2

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

F

ƒ

still

slow

O

III IV

p

slow

normal Ï œ œ

œ

Vc.

?

4 8

P

slow

ƒ

normal

# # œœ

slow

F

normal

œ

Ï œœ

D.B.

?

4 8

normal

ƒ œœ

still

F

Vla.

B

4 8

~~~~~~~ slow

f

O

normal

ƒ

F

ƒ

normal

still

still

O

F

slow

Ï

~~~~~~~ O

œ

normal 4 P 8

still

O

normal

P œ

# # œœ

still

3 8 ƒ

normal

4 8

slow

œ

normal

P

ƒ

still

3 8

normal

5:3

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ normal still 4 8 F

slow

O

4 8

b œœ

œ

O

œ

~~~~~~ œ

O

f

slow

~~~~~~~ œ

3:2

3:2

œœ

3 Ï 8 œ œ O

3 8

# # œœ O

normal

still

normal

œ

œ

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

~

~~~ ~~~~~~~~

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

normal slow ƒ F

normal

5:4

42

~~

3:2

III IV

42

~~~~~~~~~

3:2

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

5:4

f

slow

3:2

O

III IV

O

5:4

3:2

#œ #œ

œ

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ still~~ normal

3 P 8 f œœ O œ slow

5:3 5:4

Vc.

?

4 8

slow

œœ

f

normal

3:2

O

still~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ slow

F

# # œœ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ œ

Ï

normal

3 8

F

slow

œœ

4 8

still~~~~~~~~~~~ ƒ

D.B.

?

4 8

O

slow P œ

3 8

œœ O

œ

O

5:4

P

slow

normal

Ï

œ

ƒ O

œœ

F

still

œ

~~~~~~~~~~~ normal

3 slow 8Ï

4 8

# # œœ

O

F

slow

still

O

œœ

5:3

3:2

normal

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

œ

ƒ

normal

~~~~~~~~~~

~~

normal

3 still 8 f

# # œœ O

~~~~~ still

Ï

~~~~~~œ

5

47

5:3

Vla.

3:2

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

Ï

normal

still

B

œ œ œ

O

~~~~~~~~~

2 slow 8 f

normal ƒ

3 still F 8 #œ #œ O ~~~~~ œ

Ï

slow

O

2 8

~~ ~~~~~~~

~~ still

œ

5:3

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

Vc.

?

normal F

slow

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

2 slow 8 ƒ

# # œœ

œ

normal

f

3 still P 8 œœ

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 2 8Ï

normal

œ

O ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

5:3

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

D.B.

œœ

?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ slow 2 ƒ 8 # # œœ

O

normal

Vla.

3 8

5:4

Vc.

?

œœ

D.B.

?

œœ

normal f

O

œ

2 8

œ

3 8

5:3

b œœ

# # œœ

Ï

œœ

5:3

3 8

4 8

3 8

4 8

3 8

4 8

œœ

2 8

œ œ

2 8

œœ

3 8

œœ

2 8

5:4

5:3

# # œœ

B

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

~~~~~~~~~ slow 3 F ƒ 8 œ œ

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

œ

5:4

51

œœ

3:2

f

normal

3:2

normal

normal

6

4 55 Vla.

B

4 8

e

U π

Œ

»§§

3 8

‰

Vc.

D.B.

?

?

61

Vla.

4 8

U

4 8

U

slow

B

?

slow

normal

¿

normal

slow

slow

5:4

normal

normal

4 8

3 8

5:3

3 8

4 8

3 8

4 8

4 8

slow

normal

3 8

P

¿

3:2

P

3 8

Vc.

behind the bridge

5:4

behind the bridge

5:3

4 8

π

5:4

3:2

F

2 8

œ

3:2

Œ

Œ

5:4

F

p

P

3 8

3 8

2 8

3 8

5:4

D.B.

?

3 8

4 8

3 8π â œ.

O

still

P œ

2 8

normal

π O

still

P œ

3 8

7

‰

67 Vla.

B

2 8

3 8

F

3 8

2 8

¿¿

3:2

f

P

3:2

5:3

Vc.

?

3 8

F

slow

p

P

normal 2 8

¿ ¿

p

f

P

3:2

slow

f

3 8

j

5:3

D.B.

?

3 8

normal

p

2 8

Vla.

still

F

œ

O

5 73

4 pstill 8 #œ œ B

ƒ

slow

still p

p

O

Vc.

ƒ

slow

still p

slow ƒ

D.B.

œ œ

slow ƒ

2 8

Œ

F

5:4

still p

slow ƒ

3 still 8p

5:4

still p

slow ƒ

4 8

3 8

4 8

ƒ

slow

p 48

Œ

ƒ œœ

slow

5:3

3 pstill 8

ƒ

slow

p 48

Œ

ƒœ œ

slow

III IV

ƒ

slow

still p

5:4

3:2

slow ƒ

still p

slow ƒ

5:3

3 still p 8

4 8

3 8

5:3

U

‰

2 8

F

3:2

3:2

4 pstill 8#œ ? œ

3:2

3:2

4 still 8 p œ ? œ

3 8

normal

3:2

normal p f

Ï

3 8

ƒ

slow

p 4 8

Œ

slow

ƒ œœ

8

79

5:3

5:4

3:2

4:3

Normal bow pressure 3:2

Vla.

B

normal P

ƒ

slow

3 8

P

normal

O

œ

O

4 slow 8 ƒ

P

normal

œ

ƒ

slow

œ

O

3 8

P

normal

slow

O

P

normal

ƒ

‰

‰

slow

O

œ

2 8

œ

5:3

5:4

3:2

ƒ

‰

Ï #œ œ

normal

3 8

4:3

Normal bow pressure 3:2

Vc.

?

normal P

ƒ

slow

œ

O

3 8

P

normal

4 slow 8 ƒ œ

O

P

normal

O

ƒ

slow

œ

3 8

P

normal

slow

O

œ

P

normal

ƒ

‰

‰

slow

O

2 8

œ

5:3

5:4

3:2

ƒ

‰

Ï œ œ

normal

3 8

4:3

Normal bow pressure 3:2

D.B.

?

normal P

ƒ

slow

3 8

P

normal

4 ƒslow 8

O

œ

O

P

normal

œ

Vla.

B

3 pstill 8

Ï

normal

2 8

Vc.

?

Ï

normal

2 8

still p

Ï

normal

D.B.

?

Ï

normal

2 8

œ

P

normal

still p

Ï

normal

3 still p 8

Ï

normal

P

normal

œ

Ï

normal

3 still 8p

Ï

normal

3 still p 8

Ï

normal

ƒ

‰

‰

slow

2 8

œ

‰

Ï #œ œ

normal

3:2

2 8

p

3 8

p

3 8

p

3 8

still

Ï

normal

‰

3:2

2 8

4:3

O

4:3

5:4

still p

ƒ

slow

4:3

O

5:4

3:2

3 still p 8

3 8

5:4

3:2

3 still p 8

ƒ

slow

O

3:2

85

still

Ï

normal

‰

3:2

2 8

still

Ï

normal

‰

3 8

U