ScoresOnDemand
Thorvaldsdottir, Anna - aura -
Score for sale (North America): https://www.halleonard.com/product/viewproduct.action?itemid=251163 Score for sale (UK, Europe and other territories): https://www.musicroom.com/product-detail/product1131995/variant1131995/ Information about the work and materials for hire: http://www.musicsalesclassical.com/composer/work/57462
Chester Music Limited Part of the Music Sales Group
- aura - ĂĄra Three sides of the same being Written for the NorthArc Percussion Group. Duration: c. 6 minutes
Instrumentation Three stations are arranged in a close circle and the performers move between these stations as indicated in the score: Station I Bass drum 2 almglocken (C and D ) Station II Tam-tam 4 bells: There are a few instrumental options for the bells but the instruments of choice should provide contrast to the reverberating resonance of the sustained sounds and the vibraphone, and ideally have a ‘warm’ sound quality. Following are some options: a) 4 bells, b) 4 (crystal-)glasses with water filled to various degrees for ideal sounds/pitches, c) 4 almglocken, d) 4 glass bottles of different shapes/sounds, or e) metal objects. The four objects of choice should be of the same sort, that is, not one from each listed above, and should have a moderate ‘ringing’, or a short bell-like resonance. If the bells are pitched, the sonorities could be somewhere around the following pitches, even with quartertone variances: Station III Bass drum 2 almglocken (F and G ) Shared instrument 1 vibraphone, reachable from all three stations. All performers perform on the vibraphone. There is a vibraphone staff for every station in the score, and they all refer to the same instrument. Performers are indicated with A, B & C and they slowly rotate between stations during the piece. Each performer plays in each station once – so performer A starts at station I and ends at station III.
Performance notes Preferably the audience forms a circle around the performers so that the piece is performed in the center. The space is dark and the performers have small lights attached to them – either to their heads (but this should not be headlights!) or to their chests. The instruments should have small lights attached to them as well – bass drums have a few lights (or a string of lights) around the top of the edges; one light strategically attached to the tam-tam; small lights for the bells (for example, if the bells are crystal glasses then ideally place a waterproof light inside each glass). The performers’ shadows project onto the wall(s). The small lights from the instruments project their shadows. If the audience surrounds the performers (as would be optimal), the performers’ shadows project over the audience in three places. The performers become moving lights.
Notation Never stop resonance of instruments, or dampen unless otherwise indicated. sust. refers to sustained. Dynamics in sustained values = relatively slow/short strokes J = relatively fast/longer strokes crescendo = gradually faster strokes decrescendo = gradually slower strokes When indicated to play with both hands on the same instrument: Dynamics/techniques for left hand are written below the staff – dynamics/techniques for right hand are written above the staff. Otherwise dynamics/techniques are written below the staff. Tools
Drum stick
@ Soft yarn mallet
Wire brush
Large soft bass drum mallet : Bow
+ Hands
Superball
When an indication of mallets such as drum stick, wire brush or hands are written to sustained note values: Move the mallets/hands over the instrument in sustained circular strokes for an airy effect. On tam-tam or bass drum: Quick tremolo back-and-forth strokes over the instrument, varying in location on the instrument rather than statically in one spot, unless otherwise indicated. When sustained tremolo is indicated with larger mallets (such as large soft mallet): Play ordinary tremolo with two mallets. Bass drums and tam-tam are each written on a double line staff. The upper line represents the right hand, the lower line represents the left hand. Examples:
Sustained back and forth tremolo strokes on tam-tam or bass drum, as written, using wire-brush. Tremolo, with one drum stick, inside the bell when indicated for almglocken. Otherwise in sustained back and forth strokes on bass drum, tam-tam or on top of almglocken. Play on side of bass drum.
- aura - ára Anna Thorvaldsdottir
q = 36
° 4A Almglocken & 4 Station I
4 Vibraphone & 4 { 4 Bass Drum ¢ / 4
∑
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Station II
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Copyright © 2017 Chester Music Limited
3
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Copyright © anna thorvaldsdottir 2011
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back and forth on top of alm.gl., for sustained metal sound
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GRADUALLY CHANGE STATIONS AGAIN Perf. A to station III; Perf. B to station I; 9 Perf. C to station II
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