Man-Ching Yu Donald
Orinoco 奧里諾科河 for soprano saxophone and cello
(2020)
Program Notes The piece is inspired by the post-modern minimalistic artwork titled Orinoco. The whole piece is delineated into three parts where the outer parts display similar textures and elements: Repetitive minimalistic gestures exhibited by juxtaposing two continuous layers generate substantial interesting tone colors. Different repetitive parameters used comprises various rhythmic and pitch transformations. Near the beginning and the end of the sections, both instruments tend to align together with the same pitches symbolizing the adherence of the two curvy lines presented in the artwork. The central section shows substantial contrasts where the texture becomes dramatic and unexpected, imaginarily featuring the dramatic interaction of the curvy lines. Similar to the artwork, the musical style manifests my personal and distinct use of tonal minimalism while atonal post-impressionistic materials are incorporated in the middle part. The artwork can be viewed in the link: https://www.wikiart.org/en/david-annesley/orinoco-1965
Duration: ca 7’
Performance Notes:
Dotted barlines in the whole piece solely serve as approximate orientation, and are not intended for emphasizing regular meter and pulsation. At the saxophone part, breathing point can be inserted in according to the decision of the players. In the first section from bars 1-55, one could attempt to maintain rhythmic flow between two parts in a continuum manner ensuring that a sense of flow could be achieved. Thus, the sense of interruption by rests could be avoided. The coherence and togetherness of the two parts could be fostered by maintaining the pulse of the relevant time values throughout the first section. In the third section, from bars 105 to the end, the two parts absolutely need not to be rhythmically synchronized with each other. Each part needs to repeat the particular figure as indicated by the extended beam lines. The rhythmic value of each figure can be freer than the first section and two parts must be in different rhythmic orientation. (ie. sixteenth quintuplet value for the saxophone; semiquaver value for the cello). Each figure can repeat around 4-10 times, the smaller the figure, the more it should be repeated and vice versa (for example, the figure in m. 105 can repeat around 10 times, while the figure in m. 119 can repeat around 4 times, etc.) The saxophone can decide how many times each figure can repeat and thus, she needs to give some signal to the cello for initiating the next figure, or the cellist needs to be aware of the figural changes. At the end of each figure, the saxophone needs to stop whichever note before the entrance of the next bar, and therefore, the cello might not be able to complete all the notes in each figure in each bar (See below examples). From bars 105 till 152, most importantly, rests need to be inserted breathing (semiquaver rest for saxophone) but the next following note needs to be continued wherever it stops for ensuring continuity. In other words, sense of interruption by rests should be avoided.(Also see below examples) For example, the opening of the third section from mm. 106-108 (shorter figural group) can be interpreted as below:
For longer figural group, for example, in m. 117-118, this can be interpreted as below:
Starting from m. 147-148, m. 153 till the end, the two parts could be more rhythmically synchronized with each other. The cello can enter whenever she wishes in m. 138, upon the cello reaches m. 142, the saxophone needs to change the figure in m. 142. The note head indicated by cross symbol should be played by slap tongue technique as below.
The note head with circular indications should be played by air tones as below:
Multiphonics are applied in m. 163 as indicated by fingering symbols as below.
All dynamics marking and articulations in detail such as fp, sfzp, accent and tenuto markings could be executed precisely with some exaggeration. All sharps and flats of the same pitches within the same dotted bar are in effect unless being cancelled by natural accidental sign. The accidentals of the same pitch-classes in different octaves (e.g. C4 with C5#, thus C4 remains natural) within a bar should not affect the other unless indicated. All quarter tones need not to be executed as accurate as possible, but somehow could have some deviation with the usual semitone. All glissando between harmonics could be executed smoothly and microtonally within the total duration between notes.
For Solar Plexus Duo
Orinoco
q =: 115 Con moto e poco leggiero
Soprano Sax
Man-Ching Donald Yu
π
(concert pitch)
Cello
π
4
Sno Sax
4
Vc. 7
Sno Sax sempre
p
sempre
p
7
Vc.
10
Sno Sax simile 10
Vc.
simile
13
Sno Sax poco a poco cresc. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 13
Vc. poco a poco cresc. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 16
Sno Sax - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 16
sempre
P
Vc. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - sempre 19
Sno Sax
19
Vc.
22
Sno Sax
22
Vc.
2
P