Thorvaldsdottir IMPRESSIONS

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Thorvaldsdottir, Anna Impressions

Score for sale (North America): https://www.halleonard.com/product/viewproduct.action?itemid=265678 Score for sale (UK, Europe and other territories): https://www.musicroom.com/product-detail/product1136895/variant1136895/ Information about the work and materials for hire: http://www.musicsalesclassical.com/composer/work/57466

Chester Music Limited Part of the Music Sales Group

Written for Guðrún Óskarsdóttir. The first performance was given on 30 January 2016 at Harpa Centre, Reykjavik, Iceland.

Duration: c. 8 minutes

Performance Notes The performer needs to be able to perform from the side of the instrument as well as from the keyboard.

The three movements should be performed attacca.

In Movement III, after the superballs have been placed on the strings from measure 50, keep the six superballs rolling over all the registers of the strings and at intervals over the bridges (that are under the strings). The aim is to keep all six superballs moving over the strings for the duration of the movement. The written rhythm on bended noteheads indicates to roll one superball per notehead, alternating between the hands as is most convenient. Ideally, select a different superball for each note. This produces a glissandi, lyrical effect as the superballs roll over the strings. Try to avoid for superballs to roll to the sides and hitting the wood of the frame. Dynamics for the superballs on the strings: indicates slow movement; J indicates fast movement.

Abbreviations b.b. str. w.f.t. s.b. harm.

beyond bridge (refers to performing on strings inside the instrument) strings with fingertip(s) superball harmonic

Tools and preparation 6 small superballs and 1 superball mallet – where suberball mallet is written with an indication to sustain, the mallet should be dragged over the indicated string(s) throughout the entire duration of the written note-value. This produces a ‘ghostly’ type of sustained sound.

2 e-bows – for sustained pitches gently place e-bow on strings beyond the bridge towards the rear end of the strings. Note that, when performing with e-bows, it would be advised to search for and label the pitches needed: It will vary from one instrument to the next where it is best to find certain pitches on the strings with an e-bow. If the above pitches cannot be found in the written octave please explore with other octaves. If any of these pitches cannot be found to perform with e-bow, then search for quartertone variations of the pitches or, as a drastic measure, find a pitch that is a half step away from the written pitches.

1 guitar slide, tuning fork, or other small metal object for sliding on strings inside the harpsichord for a slide/glissando effect.

It is suggested to prepare Manual I as 8’ and Manual II as Lute Stop, or the other way around if that works better, depending on the instrument.

The following pitches need to be held pressed on the 8’ keyboard throughout the work:

Notation Staff system Multiple staff lines: indicates the range of the instrument. Material written on the designated multiple line staff should be performed over an arbitrary range of the instrument as the multiple lines roughly represent the area of the strings. Top lines indicate highest register, middle lines indicate mid range, lower lines indicate lowest register. The number of staff lines is not equal to the number of strings inside the instrument, so when the exact pitches are not indicated on the ordinary staff line, the exact register is somewhat arbitrary.

Ordinary staff: conventional notation on the keyboard.

Technqiues When multiple sustained notes are written in a cluster and individual pitches are to be rearticulated, the note name/pitch is written below the articulated pitches.

Perform on strings inside the instrument, as indicated. Notes are accompanied with an indication of ‘fingertip’ (f.t.) or other designated tool, as well as an indication to ‘pizz.’ (pluck) or ‘sustain on strings’. Where applicable, indicated with ‘beyond bridge’ (b.b.), then the effect should be performed at the rear end of the strings. Glissando over strings as indicated, and when written in a rhythmic pattern subtly articulate the attack of the rhythm.

Glissando with a guitar slide or piece of metal on the string as indicated.

Pizz. and slide: gently touch string with metal slide, pluck on the string and slide up or down the string as indicated.

The lower notehead, written on an ordinary staff, indicates the string of the note that should be performed on the inside of the harpsichord. When effects and notes should be performed on specific pitches inside the harpsichord the pitch is written on the ordinary staff below in a bracket. The wavy line indicates to perform by drawing/sustaining fingertip over the string in one stroke, for a subtle airy effect.

Superball noteheads: place a superball on the strings and allow it to roll freely over the strings (one per notehead).

Bended noteheads: roll the superballs over the strings with both hands – subtly emphasize the rhythmic patterns by brushing individual superballs in rhythmic strokes over the register. In measures 50 and 69 the thick line indicates to keep superballs rolling over the strings.

When bended and superball noteheads are written in rhythmic patterns: for each notehead, lift one superball subtly off the strings and drop lightly as indicated beyond the bridge of the strings. This should result in subtle rhythmic attacks as the superball drops and bounces on the string.

I - 8' II - Lute or vice-a-versa

Inside

Impressions I

q = 42 draw f.t. harm. harmonic on str.

draw f.t. on str.

draw f.t. on str.

4 4

4

4 4

pizz. on str. w.f.t. & slide with guitar slide

gliss.

gliss. keep key pressed

held pressed

4 4 Keyboard

Anna Thorvaldsdottir

mp draw f.t. on str.

pizz. w.f.t

gliss. w.f.t. beyond bridge gliss.

pizz. w.f.t

gliss.

Inside mp

Kybd.

Copyright Š 2017 Chester Music Limited.

mf

II 30

q = 40

5

place ebow on str. and leave to sustain the pitches indicated on regular staff below mp pizz. w.f.t. pizz. w.f.t. b.b. 3 pizz. & slide w/metal slide

Inside

e-bows

2 4 pizz.

w.f.t.

keep keys pressed

mf

2 4

4 4

2 4

4 4 Attacca

37

Inside

Kybd.

pizz. sim.

mf f (e-bow still resonating)

(held pressed)

Kybd.

4 4

(pizz.)

8 mf (pizz.)

gliss. w.f.t over str. b.b. gli ss.

65

Inside

mp 5

mp

mf

p

Kybd.

68

mf (pizz.)

Inside mp

f

p

3

Kybd.

Quickly and gently pick up 1–4 superballs at once and let them fall on the strings from a short height 71 (so that they do not bounce out of the instrument) – leave them to roll over the strings and fade out.

Inside

ff