Minas Borboudakis_sparks, waves and horizons_EP14568_Score_ISUU Version - For perusal only

BORBOUDAKIS

sparks, waves and horizons for Orchestra

For perusal only

For perusal only

MINAS BORBOUDAKIS

sparks, waves and horizons

(2020/21) for Orchestra

dedicated in gratitude to Dr. Winrich Hopp & Dr. Pia Steigerwald for their precious loyalty

ISUU Version

For perusal only

Commissioned by musica viva des Bayerischen Rundfunks

First performance:

3 December 2021 at the Herkulessaal der Residenz, München Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, conducted by Franck Ollu

ISUU Version

For perusal only

ORCHESTRATION

Piccolo

2 Flutes (2nd doubling Bass Flute)

3 Oboes (3rd doubling Cor anglais)

3 Clarinets (3rd doubling Bass Clarinet, 2nd doubling E- Clarinet)

3 Bassoons (3rd doubling Contrabassoon)

4 Horns in F

3 Trumpets in B- (1st doubling Piccolo Trumpet in B-)

2 Trombones

Bass Trombone

Tuba

Timpani

large cymbal, metallic spiral, wooden board, China bowls

Percussion I

5 metallic objects secco, 3 log drums, China cymbal, tubular bells, alm glockenspiel (with Perc. II), metallic spiral, small tam tam, large cymbal, small splash cymbal, snare drum

Percussion II

glockenspiel, crotales, snare drum, metallic spiral, alm glockenspiel (with Perc. I), tam tam (aluminium foil), China cymbal

Percussion III

vibraphone, snare drum, ocean drum, small splash cymbal, large cymbal, 3 triangles (1 high, 2 middle), China cymbal

Percussion IV

waterphone, bass drum, snare drum, 2 sustained wooden plates, gongs metallic spiral, large cymbal, small nicophone, plattenglocken

Harp

Piano

Violins I

Violins II

Violas

Violoncellos

Double Basses

Duration: c. 26 minutes

MICROTONES

ISUU Version

Performance Notes

For perusal only

WAVE VIBRATO: MAKE AN OSCILLATING VIBRATO (WAH-WAH) ON THE GIVEN PITCHES

ACCORDING TO THE RHYTHM ABOVE. THE AMPLITUDE SHOULD BE ONE QUARTER NOTE LOWER OR HIGHER THAN THE MAIN PITCH

PLAY THE SAME PITCH WITH TWO DIFFERENT FINGERINGS (BISSBIGLIANDO) ON THE GIVEN RHYTHM

RHYTHMIC STRUCTURE OF VIBRATO

IRREGULAR TREMOLO: PLAY FAST SMALL FIGURES AND STAY ON ONE OF THE PITCHES FOR A LITTLE WHILE, LIKE SHIMMERING RHYTHMIC STRUCTURE OF SORDINO PLAYING

COVER THE ENTIRE EMBOUCHURE HOLE WITH YOUR LIPS AND PRODUCE THE GIVEN VOWELS

MULTIPHONIC SOUND

a) NORMAL TONE

b) 50% TONE- 50% NOISE/ AIR

c) 100% NOISE/ AIR

STRINGS: THE PLACE WHERE THE SOUND IS TO BE PRODUCED IS INDICATED. IF NOT THEN IT SHOULD BE PRODUCED WITH BOW PRESSURE

GLISSANDO OVER FOUR QUARTERS. ONLY THE BEGINNING PITCH IS IMPORTANT

APPROXIMATE PITCH

EXTREMELY HIGH RANDOM HARMONICS

HIGHEST INDIVIDUAL/ RANDOM PITCHES

MELODIC LINES: PLAY WITH 25% BOW AND FINGER PRESSURE. LONG NOTES: PLACE THE BOW NEXT TO THE FINGER OF YOUR LEFT HAND AND PLAY THE TONE PRACTICLY WITHOUT BOW PRESSURE (JUST LET THE WEIGHT OF THE BOW ON THE STRING). THE LEFT HAND SHOULD TOUCH (NOT PUSH) THE GIVEN NOTE WITH HALF- PRESSURE. THE RESULT IS AN AIRY SOUND WITH 50% BOWING NOISE 50% TONE

MUTE ALL FOUR STRINGS AND PLACE THE BOW ON THE BRIDGE OR AT THE SIDE OF THE BRIDGE (NOT SUL PONT.!!), AS INDICATED. KEEP BOWING IN ORDER TO PRODUCE A CONTINUOUS "WHITE NOISE".

INDIVIDUAL (EACH PLAYER) RHYTHMICAL IMPROVISATION ON THE GIVEN HARMONICS OR STRINGS (BEHIND THE BRIDGE). THE BOW PRESSURE IS ALWAYS 25 (BOW FLAUTANDO)

NOISE CLEF: HIGH, MIDDLE, LOW

FINGERBOARD CLEF: SHOWS THE BOW POSITION ON THE FINGERBOARD (SUL PONT./ SUL TASTO)

BRASS: REVERSED MOUTHPIECE: PLACE THE MOUTHPIECE UPSIDE DOWN INTO THE TUBE OF THE INSTRUMENT AND BLOW IN ORDER TO PRODUCE A SHARP WHITE NOISE.

Æ GRADUAL OPENING/ STOPPING OF MUTES

STRINGS: s.t. SUL TASTO n.p. NORMAL POSITION

s.p. SUL PONTICELLO- ALWAYS RICH IN HARMONICS

dist. DISTORTION- MAINLY A NOISY SOUND WITH A LITTLE PITCH

Æ MOVE GRADUALLY FROM ONE BOW POSITION7 SOUND TO THE NEXT

MUTE ALL STRINGS!

b.p. BOW PRESSURE 100 = NOISE 75= PITCH/ NOISE 50= ORDINARIO 25= FLAUTANDO (BOW FLAUTANDO)

STR. METALLIC SORDINO

PERCUSSION: POSITION OF BEATER ON THE INSTRUMENT

BREATHING: IN PASSAGES WITH LONG NOTES, BREATH AD. LIB. ALWAYS ENTER IMPERCEPTIBLY.

THE SCORE IS WRITTEN IN C. PICCOLO FLUTE, GLOCKENSPIEL & DOUBLE BASS SOUND 8va HIGHER/ LOWER.

For perusal only

For perusal only

ISUU Version

For perusal only

Minas Borboudakis

Minas Borboudakis (b. 1974) studied composition and piano in Munich and Hamburg. He attended masterclasses with Luciano Berio, George Crumb, Wolfgang Rihm, Rudolf Kehrer and Aleksey Nasedkin and regularly appears as a pianist all over Europe, performing his own music and other repertoire of the 20th and 21st centuries. His style is characterized by microtonality, percussive timbres and glissando sounds, and explores the inspiration he derives from ideas of time and space as well as from a close study of classical philosophy, literature and mythology. His work also reflects a contemplation of scientific and cosmological questions. With its strong rhythmic momentum, his music incorporates archaic tonal systems and ancient Greek rhythmic patterns, as well as experimental electronic sounds. These, in turn, have an immediate impact on the treatment of the acoustic material, resulting in an interweaving of the two. Minas Borboudakis lives in Munich.

Minas Borboudakis (*1974) studierte in München und Hamburg Komposition und Klavier. Er besuchte Meisterklassen von Luciano Berio, George Crumb, Wolfgang Rihm, Rudolf Kehrer und Aleksej Nasedkin und konzertiert europaweit regelmäßig als Pianist sowohl mit eigenen als auch mit Werken des 20. und 21. Jahrhunderts. Zentrale Momente seiner von Mikrotonalität, perkussiven Timbres und glissandierenden Klängen durchzogenen Kompositionen sind die Beschäftigung mit Zeit und Raum und die Auseinandersetzung mit antiker Philosophie, Literatur und Mythologie sowie mit naturwissenschaftlich-kosmologischen Fragen. Die Einbeziehung antiker Tonsystem und altgriechischer rhythmischer Muster prägen seine einem starken rhythmischen Impuls unterworfene Musik ebenso wie das Experimentieren mit elektronischen Klängen, ihr unmittelbarer Einfluss auf die Gestaltung des akustischen Materials und die Verschmelzung der beiden klanglichen Ebenen. Minas Borboudakis lebt in München.

Photo © Marianna Karali