Sarah Wald: Asynchronies

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

˙˙