TSAO
Pathology of Syntax for string quartet
Score
& Parts
Pathology of Syntax for string quartet
Performance Notes
General Notes:
a) Duration of the piece is approximately 15 minutes.
b) Score is transposed to standard tuning. The four instruments require the following scordatura:
c) Accessories: all four instruments will need wooden practice mutes, preferably the large 4-prong ebony mutes that resemble in shape the standard rubber practice mutes for cellos and the standard metal practice mutes for violins and violas. The cello can use a normal wooden mute. The two violins and viola will also need one plastic plectrum each of medium thickness, approximately 1 mm. thick.
d) Quarter-tone notation:
= one quarter-tone sharp
= one quarter-tone flat
e) The strings use two clefs: a lower clef that indicates the fingering position of the left hand on the instrument and an upper clef that indicates the general position of the bow. The upper clef is only activated occasionally. When the upper clef is left blank, the position of the bow on the instrument is left to the discretion of the performer to use what is necessary to achieve the musical result indicated in the lower stave.
f) Occasionally, the upper stave notates pitches in the treble clef (mm. 193-204). These pitches are transposed to the standard tuning of the open string and generally refer to a specific harmonic node on the string (for example, one octave above the open string, two octaves above the open string, an octave and a fifth above the open string, etc.). The position of the bow on the string is then determined by the location of the notated pitch in standard tuning. Bowing, for example, at the position of an octave and a fifth above the open string while fingering the harmonic a fifth above the open string, will produce a slight ‘buzzing’ sound since the harmonic is prevented from speaking. On the cello, the ‘buzzing’ is more pronounced akin to a gentle overpressure sound. On the violin and viola, the ‘buzzing’ is more akin to a 'white noise' produced by the inability of the harmonic to speak. Often the string players are asked to move the bow continuously from one harmonic node to another while
fingering a fixed harmonic with the left hand. The general effect should be a harmonic whose sound transitions continuously from pitch to noise.
g) It is important to note that when there are rests in the lower stave, then this generally requires the left hand to dampen the strings over the lower half of the neck (i.e., in either first or second position). Occasionally the symbol, O, is used to indicate that the left hand must immediately dampen the strings to prevent them from vibrating any further.
h) = slight overpressure bowing
The overpressure bowing technique requires moving the bow both vertically along the trajectory of the notated line and horizontally so that the bow hairs can set the muted string into vibration. The sonic result of this action should not be that of a 'crunch' sound. Rather, the pitches that the bow hairs produce when gently scraping along the strings should be the audible result. This action is to be played extremely delicately with quasi pitch glissandi being the most audible result. When specific pitches are notated in the upper stave with overpressure, then these pitches should be the audible result as the bow scrapes along the string.
= Overpressure as above but with extremely slow bowing.
The aural result is a very soft creaking sound. In mm. 205-206, the instruments are asked to alternate between the extremely slow bowing with overpressure to a flautato bowling with extremely light pressure and balancing the dynamics between them.
i) = the sound is forcibly cut off’ by keeping the bow affixed to the string(s) to prevent them from vibrating any further (simulating a reverse bow stroke)
j) = let the vibration of the string die on its own accord.
k) Dynamics in quotations, such as 'f', refer to the amount of force or effort required to produce a sound and not necessarily the sounding result.
l) col legno tratto = Bow the string(s) with the wood of the bow so that pitch is only slightly audible.
p) 1/2 col legno tratto = Angle the bow slightly so that the string(s) is bowed with part wood and part bow hair so that any pitch fingered by the left hand is still audible but with a bit of 'dirt'.
m) Ord. or arco ord. indicates a return to standard playing technique with the bow in standard position.
n) = natural harmonic on the indicated open string(s) with the notated fingering.
= shaded harmonic on the open string.
This requires only slightly more left-hand finger pressure than is normally required for the execution of a natural harmonic. Only a hint of the fingered pitch should be perceptible. Its sonic appearance should be that of a 'ghost' tone.
o) Pizz strum with plectrum
A pizz. downstroke with the pectrum across all four strings beginning with string IV.
A pizz. upstroke with the plectrum across all four strings beginning with string I.
These pizz. strums are usually coupled with left hand fingerings. When a left hand fingering is notated, the right hand must strum across all four strings, whether or not fingerings are notated on all four strings. If fingerings are not notated on all four strings, the other strings are simply dampened with the remaining left hand fingers. When a left hand fingering does not accompany the pizz. strum, then the muting sign will be notated and the strum occurs across all four strings with the left hand muting the strings in first or second position.
p) = left-hand finger percussion. Audible attack of left hand fingers performing specific pitches against the fingerboard.
= audible release of left hand fingers from the fingerboard.
Pathology of Syntax Ming
for string quartet
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