An Other Trio

PETER JAMES LEARN AN OTHER TRIO For Violin, Viola, and Throat-singing Trumpet

AN OTHER TRIO for Violin, Viola, and Throat-singing Trumpet

PETER JAMES LEARN

AN OTHER TRIO This work was composed for and premiered by members of University of Miami's Ensemble IBIS, Philippe Brunet, Abby Young, and Marcela Fernandez. It is dedicated to them. PERFORMANCE NOTES: This work requires that the trumpet player throat-sing, with a fundamental range of B-flat to F below the bass clef staff and the ability to produce the 4th through 9th partials. The trumpet player will also be asked to sing while playing. If any sung pitches fall outside the vocal range, they may be transposed at the octave. Circular breathing is encouraged, but catch-breaths are acceptable. Much of this work is in spatial/time-frame notation. These sections can be very free, although the general sequence of events ought to be maintained. Approximate desired timing between events is sometimes indicated. Sections that require improvisation or un-metered processes are accompanied by notes in the score. Long note values last for duration of thick line following note. Triangle-shaped note-head indicates highest possible note on a given string. Glissandi are linear and last evenly for entire duration of line. All performers read from the score. The third page of Movement II (p. 5) is different for each performer and they are included at the end of the score.

PROGRAM NOTE When I first spoke to Philippe about composing a work for him, I have to admit I was a little intimidated; I was contemplating composing for an instrument that I didn't play, had no experience writing for, and one with whose repertoire I had only the most passing acquaintance. And your standard orchestration text doesn't have a “throat-singing” chapter! Thankfully, he was very friendly and helpful, patiently explaining the technical aspects of the techniques to me. Add to that a little bit of knowledge about acoustics (and some trial and error), and you have this piece here. The first movement, a meditation on, well, meditation, attempts to juxtapose the devotional connotations of this sound world with those of the Western equivalent of Medieval chant. The idea of a freely moving line over a long static note immediately suggested the historical practice of melismatic organum to me; The notation we devised for indicating the movement of the partials over the fundamental even sort of looks like Medieval notation. The second movement involves some throat-singing, but recontextualizes it within a framework fashioned from modern aleatoric (chance and performer choice), and minimalist practices. The final movement's title comes from both the “singing” nature of the sound-world possible using this technique, and the rhythmic techniques at play here. Composing this work has been an absolutely fascinating experience for me as a musician and composer, and I want to especially thank Philippe for introducing me to this incredible palette of sounds that I've never worked with before.

I – Introit II – Disintegrations III – Arias and Pendulums

Ca. 13 minutes (may vary due to aleatoric features)

AN OTHER TRIO Meditative and ceremonial Ca. 5 seconds per tick 0:05 s.v.



Violin

s.v.



Viola

Trp. ord.

 

 

Vla.

    

Trp.





 

gl.

   

 



1" Steady pulse 

 

  



0:55

2" 

gl.



(do not synch. to steady pulse in strings) 1:00







 





improvise dynamic envelopes

  1:05

  

  

   





  1:10

 1"   



     

(rhythm very free, may include more or less notes, ad lib.)

 



1" 

Overtones sung, resonate through trp.

            





      

 1"    

 

0:30

 

  

                         1" ord.

0:20 0:25        

0:15





ord.



 

Sung:

0:50

Vln.



0:10



4" 

Trumpet in C

 

   

I - Introit



   1:15





  

 3" 

    

         1:20

0:35



PETER JAMES LEARN (b. 1982) BMI

 

   





0:40

 

  

 



           

 

Trp. ord.

      

 

   

1:25

 1"  (sung)   







0:45 

  





   (X)  s.v.   (X) 

Ca. 5 seconds per tick

1:35 s.v.

1:30





    

Strings approx. aligned, 1:40 some blurring is fine. 1:45

Vln.

Vla.

   

    sung  gl.             

Vla.

Trp.

   

3:12

Vln.

Vla.

Trp.







       

    

2:35

 

 

3:15

  





       



3:18









    

  

gl.

    

3:21



 

2:50

 

   

Ca. 4"

         

  

Ca. 5 seconds per tick

   

   

3:27

  



 

(X)

 



   



 3:40

            2" 1"       



  

Trp. ord.

   

3:45

 

  

3:50

    

4:00





(sung)

gl.

   

   







  

Trp. ord.





3:55

 



 







2:25

      

    



overtones sung, resonate through trp.

  



 

3:35

3:30

   

overtones sung, resonate through trp.



2:20

     

 



   

2:15

2:10

        

       3:24



Steady pulse 

Ca. 4"



       3"

2:45             

2:40



2:05

2:00

     gl.

2:30

Vln.

1:55

Trp.

       

1:50

  

An Other Trio



  

 







   

3:09

4:05



4:10

  

II - Disintegrations

                                                               Violin                                                                                                               Viola       Trp. ord.          Trumpet              in C               sung:    11                    Vln.                                    Vla.               (catch breaths if unable to circular breathe)    Trp.                                                                            legato, articulate ad lib. Frenzied 

   

Vln.

Vla.

Trp.

   

   

 



                       both strings begin locked in rhythm, then independently and asynchronously decel., sort of a "sloppy phase" effect, becoming contrapuntal.                                          

(X)



(X)

                                         

  

 



  

Overtones sung, resonate through trp.

Ca. 5" 

 

2" 

   

5" - 15"

Ca. 25"



 



  

 



  



 

 

  



 



 





                                                                                                                                                27               20

Vln.

Vla.

Trp.

Vln.

Vla.

   

  

Vla.

(X)

marc.

 sub.

   

s.v.

Trp.

 

 

      

 

  

       

                                                                                                                              

                                                    sub. (X) marc.  1.                               

Vln.

     

 

                                                                                                                   legato, articulate ad lib.  (catch breaths if unable to circular breathe)

Trp.

  

    

 

An Other Trio

 

 



  

 



  

    (e.g.) 2.

  

    

Ca. 30"  3.

(e.g.) Ca. 30" 

(e.g.) sporadic repeated notes, becoming sparser and sparser throughout

                molto secco

   (e.g.)



    (e.g.) 4.



  (e.g.)

           

(sing small notes if range is awkward)

1. Repeat figure, maintaining 16th-note pulse. 2. Begin replacing single notes in the pattern with rests. Try not to have it be the same one from pattern to pattern. Do not add time, keep place in the pattern as if it were constantly running. 3. Begin replacing multiple notes in pattern with rests. Try not to have it be the same ones from pattern to pattern. Maintain underlying 16th-note pulse. 4. Play maximum of one note per pattern. Towards end of passage, sometimes replace all notes in pattern with rests. General effect of disintegrating pointillism is desired.











 







EACH PART READS FROM A DIFFERENT PAGE 5 (INCLUDED AT END OF SCORE), WHICH INCLUDES CUES FROM OTHER PARTS. THIS IS TO FACILITATE PAGE TURNS AND TO AVOID HAVING TO READ FROM MORE THAN THREE SCORE PAGES FOR THIS MOVEMENT.

6 Ethereal, cantando Ca. 5 seconds per tick



Violin

   

   0:05

s.v. drone, occasionally accent

Viola

Vln.

Vla.

Trp.

   



 

   

 

1:35

Trp.

  

       arioso

   

1:40

 



0:20

 1:00 



 

4" 

 

0:25

0:30



 

  

  



    

1:05 1"

 

       



 



 



1:10

       



  

  I + II     



 



  

1:15



4" 

2:00

   

   



2:05

 1" 





2:10





   

 

 

 





     

 

  

0:45

1:25

            

2" 

    

   



 2:25               

2:20

2:15

 

    

1:20

       

       

   

 

1:55

  









  





Overtones sung, resonate through trp.

1:50





 

1:45

  II + III



loco

Vla.



 (trem. bursts, ad lib.)               (trem. bursts, ad lib.)

1:30

Vln.

0:55

0:15

bow change, ad lib.

Trp. ord.



0:50

0:10

0:40

loco

(head cue this)



Trumpet in C





0:35 

III - Arias and Pendulums

 



 

relax to fundamental:



 

  2:30

Vln.

Vla.

      

Steady pulse 

 

X

  



 

         



free, do not align to rhythm in strings

Trp.

 3:05

Vln.

Vla.

 



     

  

     

   

  

  

Trp.

   

  

  

   1"

 

   



3:15

3:10

        

    

 





 

   

   

   

    

   



   



3:20

An Other Trio   2:45             



2:40

2:35

  

  

  

        



     

    

2:50



 



  

    

 

3:25



   

 

        

(in time) ord.

al niente

Trp.



     

            

        

3:50

3:55



 

 

    

 

3:00

    



   





 1"





  

                



     

(X)

          

4:00



4:35

4:30

4:25 (half-step)

3:45 full bows, change ad lib. occasional short and accented bursts of tremolo

Vla.

  

  

4:05 4:10 4:15 4:20     ------------A--D ------------L--I--B-----------I-----------T--U--M--------------------     etc. ad lib.    full bows, change ad lib. occasional short and accented bursts of tremolo     ------A--D ------------L--I--B-----------I-----------T--U--M------------------      Overtones sung, resonate through trp.   etc. ad lib.                   2" 1" 2" 3"    (sing)  gl. (5")        3"

Ca. 5 seconds per tick Vln.



12"

gl.



al niente gl. (III) 5"

al niente

 



al niente



- October 2013, Miami

An Other Trio

TRUMPET PART

 

Vln.

Vla.

Trp.

  

5" of silent contemplation



5" of silent contemplation

 



±

 ± s.v.



 

s.v.   

5" of silent contemplation



Overlapping long note values (2-7" per event), with antiphonal attacks (viola starts), on any of these pitches or chords, IN ANY ORDER, repeating and varying pattern of events for duration of the passage. Do not pause between events. Try to include all pitches/chords equally.

  

 

  

Trp.

Meccanico 

Vln.





  

 

  

Ca. 5" 







               

               



                               



               



 

                                                         (relative, match violin)



 





Ca. 5"

gradually relax to fundamental

Throat sing over C, ad lib.

                



Ad - - - - - - - - - - - - - - L - - - - i - - - - b - - - - - - - - i - - - - - - - - t - - - - u - - - - m ... Throat sing over D, ad lib.

Ca. 5"

Ca. 4"

(sixth overtone out of tune with B  in strings, emphasize it for crunchiness)

(sixth overtone out of tune with C in strings)

Vln.:  Meccanico                                    Vla.:

(viola decides when to stop)

 ±





Vln.

Ca. 45"

    



 



 

 

          

            

Trp.

Vln.







  

rit.

  

 



  





                                                       

Trp.





rit.

         

          Molto Brutale

Molto Brutale a tempo

                   

 

   

                                     a tempo

  

          

       

An Other Trio

VIOLA PART

 

Vln.

Vla.

Trp.

  

5" of silent contemplation



5" of silent contemplation

 



Trp.

 ±







  

  

 

  

(viola decides when to stop)



  

 

Ca. 5" 



Throat sing over D, ad lib.

 ±







(sixth overtone out of tune with B  in strings, emphasize it for crunchiness)

(sixth overtone out of tune with C in strings)

Ca. 5"

Ca. 4"

Ad - - - - - - - - - - - - - - L - - - - i - - - - b - - - - - - - - i - - - - - - - - t - - - - u - - - - m ...



 



                                                                                                         Meccanico

Vla.

±

s.v.



 

s.v.   

5" of silent contemplation

Ca. 45"

 



                

Vln.:

                

                 

                

Trp.:               



                                                                             

Vla.

Trp.



                     

    





          

 

                                             rit.

marc.

Vla.

Trp.



               

         

      

 



                  



      

 





Molto Brutale a tempo

               



 

                                

 

 

                  

               





     

  

 

   

   

An Other Trio

VIOLIN PART

 

Vln.

Vla.

Trp.

  

5" of silent contemplation



5" of silent contemplation

 



Meccanico  

Vln.

Vla.

 

±

 ± s.v.



 

s.v.   

5" of silent contemplation

Ca. 45"







  

 

  

(viola decides when to stop)

Vla.



Throat sing over D, ad lib.

 ±



               

Vln.

Vla.





Ca. 5"

Ca. 4"









 

gradually relax to fundamental

Throat sing over C, ad lib.



                                                                                               

                          



  



Ad - - - - - - - - - - - - - - L - - - - i - - - - b - - - - - - - - i - - - - - - - - t - - - - u - - - - m ...

               

               



               

 



               

    rit.

marc.

                

  

 

               



                                   







(sixth overtone out of tune with B  in strings, emphasize it for crunchiness)

(sixth overtone out of tune with C in strings)

Vln.

  

Ca. 5"

 

               

   

             

  

    



               

          

 



               

a tempo                

Molto Brutale







                                                

                    



  

    

       