Matthew Aucoin
Text by Jorie Graham
MUSIC FOR NEW BODIES
Full Score
From the G. Schirmer Rental Library
Date of Printing________________
Associated Music Publishers, Inc. New York, NY
for Jorie Graham
Matthew Aucoin
MUSIC FOR NEW BODIES
Music for New Bodies was commissioned by DACAMERA, Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music, American Modern Opera Company (AMOC*), the Los Angeles Opera, and the Aspen Music Festival and School.
This piece sets to music poems by Jorie Graham, used with the poet’s permission.
Music for New Bodies was conceived by Matthew Aucoin and Peter Sellars, who also served as an invaluable creative partner throughout the work’s composition.
Sound design by Kyle Joseph and Matthew Aucoin
Music for New Bodies was first performed at the Brockman Hall for Opera at Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music in Houston, TX on April 20, 2024.
The vocal soloists were Kathryn Lewek, Meryl Dominguez, Rachael Wilson, Brenton Ryan, and Cory McGee; the instrumental ensemble featured students from the Shepherd School of Music and DACAMERA Young Artists; and the conductor was Matthew Aucoin.
Associated Music Publishers, Inc. New York, NY
High Soprano
Soprano
Mezzo-Soprano
Tenor
Bass (or Baritone)
Instrumentation
2 Flutes (2nd doubling Piccolo and Alto Flute)
1 Oboe
1 Clarinet (doubling Bass Clarinet)
1 Bassoon (doubling Contrabassoon)
Percussion (4 players)
1: Glockenspiel, Xylophone, Snare Drum, Tombak, Claves (high), Gong (or Tamtam), Hi-hat, Drumset, Ocean Drum, Timpani (optional, can be omitted), Rainstick, 3 Suspended Cymbals (low, medium, high), Drum Pad (used to cue electronic samples)
2: Marimba, Pebbles, 3 Suspended Cymbals (low, medium, high), Sandpaper Blocks, Sizzle Cymbal, Tuned Metal Pipes, 5 Tom-Toms, 3 Wooden Blocks, Ratchet, Bass Drum, Seed Pod Rattle, Animal-skin Rattle, Snare Drum
3: Vibraphone, Xylophone, Whip (medium), Tambourine, 3 Log Drums (or Tom-Toms), Sandpaper Blocks, Hi-hat, Snare Drum, Tubular Bells, Sleigh Bells
4: Marimba, Rainstick, Whip (high), Snare Drum, Ocean Drum, Tuned Gongs, Bass Drum, 3 Suspended Cymbals (low, medium, high), Crotales, Plastic Wrap (clear candy wrapper), Cabasa, Large Shaker, Andean Nut Rattle, Small Seed or Nut Rattle, Sandpaper Blocks
1 Harp
2 Keyboardists: one playing Piano and Celeste, one playing Electronic Keyboards
2 Violins
1 Viola
2 Celli
1 Double Bass
Electronics* (requires Sound Designer)
Score in C
duration: ca. 70 minutes
*Electronics note
The pre-recorded sounds are triggered via drum pad by Percussion 1 at moments specified in the score. The player should use a Roland SPD-SX, or another pad with equivalent capabilities.
The sound files may be obtained from Wise Music’s rental library. The electronic sounds feature in movements 1, 3a, 4, and 5, and the folder of sound files is organized by movement. Each movement requires its own bank of samples.
The electronics cues are triggered by Percussion 1, but the volume of these sounds relative to the ensemble is controlled by the sound designer. Some sounds also require the sound designer to manually fade them out at specified moments.
MUSICFORNEWBODIES
*Notetosingers:inthisspokensectionuntilbar295even therhythmicunisonsneednotbe100%preciselytogether Theeffectshouldbesomewhatraggedfullofricochetsandechos spokenrelativelylow-pitched
spoken,relativelylow-pitched
fstrctlyinrhythm,forcefullybutwthouthysteria
It is not coming - back
fstrctlyinrhythm,forcefullybutwthouthysteria
It is not coming - back fstrctlyinrhythmforcefullybutwthouthysteria
It is not coming - back fstrctlyinrhythmforcefullybutwthouthysteria
It is not coming
back fstrctlyinrhythmforcefullybutwthouthysteria
back
It is not coming
*Notetostringstherestofthemovementshouldbeplayed withamixtureofstraighttoneandoccasionalsubtlevibrato, atthediscretionoftheplayersandconductor
/ DrumPad III1FirstPulse SD(brushes) slowcircularswirls / (SusCym)(L) (softmallets) / SandpaperBlocks slowcircularswirls / BD (softmallets)
stringmutedwitheraser (Piano)
airsounds(tonlos):playonthebridge;bow hairsshouldlieonbothsidesofbridgenopitch
airsounds(tonlos):playonthebridge;bow hairsshouldlieonbothsidesofbridgenopitch
airsounds(tonlos):playonthebridge;bow hairsshouldlieonbothsidesofbridgenopitch
airnoise(rauschen) dampstringswithLH lightpressurealmostnopitch
airnoise(rauschen) dampstringswithLH lightpressure,almostnopitch
Pocotrattenuto,fulloffriction
Thetexture/articulationsshouldnotchangeinthiscrescendo Itshouldfeelliketurningupavolumeknob
Thetexture/articulationsshouldnotchangeinthiscrescendo Itshouldfeelliketurningupavolumeknob
Thetexture/articulationsshouldnotchangeinthiscrescendo Itshouldfeelliketurningupavolumeknob
Thetexture/articulationsshouldnotchangeinthiscrescendo Itshouldfeelliketurningupavolumeknob
cutoffbackbeatonlast8th noteofthebarsimultaneously cuingtheelectronics: DrumPad IV3,BigFuzz
toContrabassoon