Asynchronies for two pianos and two percussionists
Sarah Wald
Written for Berlin PianoPercussion
September 2021
Instrumentation: Piano 1 Piano 2 Percussion 1: Single Crotale (written G4 or G5) , Vibraphone Percussion 2: Snare, Marimba
Performance Notes: 1. Durations written in boxes above each cell are approximate. 2. Rests and repetitions of each gesture in unmeasured cell should be performed ad libitum. When two or more parts have complementary gestures (e.g., the two pianos in the first four cells, or Piano 1 and vibraphone in cell D), try to dovetail or overlap as much as possible. Overlapping does not need to occur every time—it's not a strict rule—but is desirable most of the time. 3. The spatial layout of each part relative to the others represents the approximate order of entrances for that cell's first playthrough. After each person has played their gesture(s) once, they can come back in and out ad lib. 4. Apart from any necessary mallet or other changes, movement between cells should be as seamless as possible. 5. To move from one cell to another, a player who has a new gesture in the next cell should lead the change.
Program Notes: For most of Asynchronies, the performers play simple, repeating, complementary gestures that overlap with each other. The performers’ timing of these gestures is left largely up to them. The last section of the piece is fully written out and features an asynchronous ostinato: The repeating bass line and right-hand chords are rhythmically offset, thus producing constantly shifting harmonic progressions.
Sarah Wald
Asynchronies: Setup Diagram
Vibraphone
Marimba
Crotale
Snare
Piano 1
Piano 2
Asynchronies
Unmeasured
{
& w ° ppp
Piano 2
Perc. 1, Crotale (G4 or G5)
Perc. 1, Vibraphone
Perc. 2, Snare
{
w w
(rest ad lib.)
U w w
ppp
{
/
mp
°
Ú
?
ppp
ø
l.v., lift pedal before restarting
U w f
niente
U w Ú
(rest ad lib.)
Ú
f
ppp
{
/
& ?
{
mp
ø
ppp
w w
U
(rest ad lib.)
w ppp
ø
ppp
l.v., lift pedal before restarting (this represents the gesture; there can be any number of notes) switch to vibraphone (rest ad lib.)
œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ
ppp ppp p (as soft as possible: lightly shimmering above the other instruments)
Ú
U w
U w
sweep with brushes
f
niente
ppp
Ú Ú
Copyright © 2021 by Sarah Wald All Rights Reserved
switch to marimba
f
45"
U w w w
& w
{
U
&
? mp
°
Sarah Wald
C
&
l.v., lift pedal before restarting
&
{&
ppp
ppp
/
Ú
sweep with brushes
{
°
&
w
/ {&
ø
20"
U w w
& w
l.v., lift pedal before restarting
&
B
&
ppp
mp
(rest ad lib.)
&
&
Perc. 2, Marimba
60"
U
&
Piano 1
{
A
1
w w
? °
œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ
ppp
/
?
l.v., lift pedal before restarting
(this represents the gesture; there can be any number of notes) (rest ad lib.)
{&
{
ø
ppp
mp
Ú
/
&
ppp
w w
U w
p
w
Ú
p
U
w
f
w
ppp
(rest ad lib.)
p
2
{
q=63 for sixteenth triplets only (this represents the gesture; actual number of triplets can vary) crisp
D
œœ œœ œœ
&
Pno. 1
&
{
œ
3
ppp
&
Pno. 2
Crot.
œ
3
œ
3
U
? w w
ppp
œœ œ
3
œ
3
œ
&
{
ppp
f
{
œœ
&
3
w w
ppp
mp
°
45"
œœ œœ
E
Ú
/
l.v., lift pedal before restarting
ø
œ
3
œœ œ
3
œœ œœ œœ œ
3
ppp
S. D.
{&
{
œ
3
ppp
°
/
3
3
p
? w
w U
w
3
mp
3
Ú
U
& w
Mar.
œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ œ
f
3
ø
w w
w U
w
p
3
œ
1'15"
3
?
ppp
&
Ú
?
Ú
/
Ú
{
&
œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ 3
ppp
°
/
U
œ
f
{&
ppp
3
senza pedale
(this represents the gesture; actual number of triplets can vary)
Vib.
œ
œœ
3
3
p
? w
w U
w
3
Ú
U
& w
3
mp
f
3
ø
ppp
U w w
w U
w
p
3
crisp
œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
& press pedal and pluck string, l.v.
U+ ? w
{
&
Crot.
Vib.
&
mf
œœ œœ œ œ
œ
3
œ
3
œ
pp
3
œœ
œ
3
œœ
œ
3
œ
Mar.
3
œ f
?U
Ú
U w w w w
f
Ú
/
{
œ
pp
3
œ
3
œ
3
?
pp
&
w
mp
arpeggiate up and down ad lib.
{&
?
3
(rest ad lib.)
U+ ? bw
{
Ú
&
&
pp
œ
3
œ
3
œ f
œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ
p
mf
p
?
Ú
U
bw
mp
arpeggiate up and down ad lib.
U w w w bw
{& /
Ú
&
3
(this represents the gesture; there can be any number of notes)
&
{
œ
(8va)
mf
pp
(this represents the gesture; actual number of triplets can vary)
œœ
&
p
45"
crisp
pp
œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ f
“” œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
/
(this represents the gesture; there can be any number of notes)
p
{
G
&
&
3
pp
f
/
&
œ
œœ
pp S. D.
3
(this represents the gesture; actual number of triplets can vary) crisp
&
Pno. 2
œ
∏∏∏∏∏∏
Pno. 1
1'30"
∏∏∏∏∏∏
{
F
œ f
3
œœ
œ
3
œœ
œ
3
œ œ œœ œœ
œ
3
œ3 œ3 p
f
pp
(rest ad lib.)
3
œ
3
œ
3
?
pp
4
30" (this represents the gesture; there can be any number of notes)
& U+ ? w
{
Crot.
Vib.
S. D.
mf
Mar.
f
?
Ú
f
&
3
°
/
{
/
œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ
{&
œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ
p
3
œ
3
œ
3
œ f
3
œ
3
œ
3
p
U+ w
3
Ú
(rest ad lib.)
3
3
3
3
pp
ø
{& /
{
b ˙˙
˙
˙˙
bU w w w w
slow roll
f
U
w Ú
bœ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ 3
mp
°
3
3
3
3
3
f
switch to crotale
ø
Ú œbœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
& &
U
60"
f
?
w
/
˙ p
&
U
œ
{
U
&
{
U w w w w
slow roll
&
p
?
&
Pno. 2
mf
∏∏∏∏∏
Pno. 1
œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ
p
I
∏∏∏∏∏
{
H
œ f
3
œ
3
œ
3
œ
3
œ
3
œ
3
p
Pno. 1
{
Crot.
45"
&
œœ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
?U w
3
{
&
Pno. 2
J
&
p
S. D.
/
{
&
œ
3
œ
3
œ
? f
U w w
pp
°
mf
pp
ø
U+ w
&
f
œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ
Ú
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 & 4 ≈ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œœ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
?4 4
{
w w
U w w
? f
p
p
(f)
w w
w w
Ó
Œ
3
?
f
p
w f subito
4 /4Œ
œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ œ œ‰
ppp pp (as soft as possible)
ppp
œœœœœœœœœœ≈ ‰ Ó
ppp
∑
pp
4 {& 4
∑
∑
∑
4 /4
∑
∑
∑
4 &4
∑
∑
∑
{
œ œ ≈œ œ œ pp 3
w w
p
ppp
∑
w
bw
4w &4 w
ppp pp ppp (as soft as possible: lightly shimmering above the other instruments)
Ú
p
{
K
4 &4
press pedal and pluck string, l.v.
&
Mar.
3
senza pedale
/ {&
3
œ œ œ
f
? w w
Vib.
3
5
In Time, q=63
? 4 b wææ 4
sotto voce
æ wæ
Œ
>œ œ ™
˙
sotto voce, but not too much
6
Pno. 1
{
“”
&
∑
?
∑
{
& œ
Pno. 2
?
∑
3
3
p
3
3
3
3
mp
3
3
3
3
˙
œ
(f)
3
∑
3
3
3
3
3
3
j œ ˙
Ϫ
bœ
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
∑
œ œ œ œ œ œ œb œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
3
œ
L œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ ‰ R
3
Œ
3
3
3
∑
Ó
˙ ∑
˙˙ ˙
∑
3
˙˙ ˙
mf
Ϫ
j œ
Ϫ
3
bœ
œ
œ
3
˙
(f)
˙
œ œ
˙
Ó
œœœœ œœœœœœ œœœœœ œÓ
∑
∑
Vib.
{&
∑
∑
∑
∑
∑
S. D.
/
∑
∑
∑
∑
∑
{
& Ó
Mar.
? Ó
bœ
pedal according to the bass line
/
Crot.
˙˙
pp
ppp
j œ
˙˙
Œ
>œ œ ™
œ
p
‰
œ
œ
b>œ œ ˙
œ
ppp
˙™
˙™ ‰
>œ œ œ
œ œ J
p
œ Œ™
˙™
∑
ppp
>œ œ ™
˙™
(sotto voce)
>œ œ ™
œ
œ
Πniente
œ b>œ œ œ
p
Ó
>œ œ ™
∑ œ
> ‰ œœ œ™ (sotto voce)
>œ œ œ
{
7
w w
& w
Pno. 1
?
{
?
b˙
˙
p
∑
˙˙ ˙
3
˙
œ œ
/
∑
Vib.
{&
∑
∑
S. D.
/
∑
∑
Mar.
{
> ? œ bœœ ˙
∑
˙˙ ˙
Ó
˙
bœ
˙
˙
˙
˙˙
˙
˙˙
ppp
∑
˙˙ ˙
˙˙ ˙
œ œ™ œ
Œ ˙ ˙
∑
Œ ˙
b œœ œ 3
3
molto rit. to end
w w
w
b˙
p
œœ œ
œœœ œœœ
˙˙ ˙
∑
˙˙ ˙
œ b œ œ œ œ ™™ œ œbœ œ œ œ œ
˙˙ ˙
˙
˙˙ ˙
b œœ œœ ˙˙ œ œ ˙
3
˙ œ œ bœ ˙ œ œ bœ
dim. to end
∑
∑
∑
∑
∑
∑
∑
pp
∑
˙˙ w
˙˙ ˙
∑
˙˙ ˙
w w
˙˙ ˙
b œœ œ
œœ œ
3
˙
Ó
ppp
∑
w
sweep with brushes
pp
w
œbœ œ
∑
Uw w U ∑
w
U
w
∑
∑
U∑
∑
∑
U ∑
mp
U w
w
niente
∑
∑
∑
∑
∑
U ∑
∑
∑
∑
∑
∑
U ∑
switch to snare
niente
U w w w
w w w
molto rit. to end
∑
w
∑
as soft as possible
˙
∑
∑
˙˙ ˙ ˙ pp
∑
∑
œ œ™ œ
˙
˙˙
‰ j j œ œ œ œ bœ
∑
niente
˙
˙˙
œ œ™ œ œ œ™ œ
∑
mf
Ó
˙ ˙
Ó
pp
˙˙
∑
dim. to end
˙
˙˙
mf
∑
˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙
>œ œ ™ œ > œœ œ œ3œj œ œ b>œ œ ˙ J ppp
˙˙
b˙
Ó
∑
œœ ˙˙ œ ˙
b œœ œ
œ œ™ œ
<b> ˙
&
∑
∑
j ‰œ œ Ó
Crot.
˙˙ niente
˙ & ˙˙
Pno. 2
˙˙