Rebecca Saunders_traces_EP12547_Score_ISSUU Version - For perusal only by ScoresOnDemand

SAUNDERS

traces for Chamber Orchestra

Full Score

ISSUU Version

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REBECCA SAUNDERS

for Chamber Orchestra traces

Full Score

ISSUU Version For perusal only

traces (2006/2009) for chamber orchestra

”The word connects the visible trace with the invisible thing, the absent thing, the thing that is desired or feared, like a frail emergency bridge flung over an abyss.“

Exactitude, from Six Memos for the Next Millennium, Italo Calvino.

trace1 /treIs/ v. & n. –v.tr.

(small amount of) Spur, Hauch; (draw) zeichnen; (follow) verfolgen; (track down) aufspüren; (trace back to) zurückverfolgen; (path) Weg/Pfad.

trace1 /treIs/ v. & n. –v.tr.

observe, discover, or find vestiges or signs of by investigation; follow or mark the track or position of; follow back to its origins; mark out, delineate, sketch, or write; pursue one´s way along (a path). –n. a sign or mark or other indication of something having existed; a vestige. (ME f. OF trace [n.] tracier [v.] f. L tractus drawing)

The Concise Oxford Dictionary

„Es ist die Sache für sich, abgesondert von allem andern, aus dem Bedürfnis sie zu sehen, aus dem Bedürfnis zu sehen. Das Unbewegliche im Leeren, das ist endlich das Sichtbare, das reine Objekt …“

”It is the thing in itself, isolated from all other things. Born out of the necessity to see it, and the need to see for seeing´s sake. The motionless in emptiness, that is, at last, the visible thing, the pure object …“

Die Welt und die Hose by Samuel Beckett, Suhrkamp Verlag.

General

Percussion L

Piano Accordion

Instrumentation

Clarinets Oboes Trumpets Trombones

Violin 2 (6)

Percussion R

Double Bass (4)

Viola (6)

Violoncello (4) Harp

Violin 1 (6)

Violin 1, violin 2, viola, violoncello, double bass. (6,6,6,4,4) 2 oboes, 2 clarinets in Bb (2. double bass clarinet in Bb), 2 trumpets in C, 2 tenor trombones. Percussion (4 players) – 2 players each far stage left and far stage right. Grand piano, harp and button accordion.

Tempi given are only guidelines, and may be varied according to the acoustic, particualrly regarding pauses and resonances.

I: This expressive double bass solo is a melody! Beautiful. III: Bring out the pulses of the interference tones. I, II, III: All attacca.

Duration:

ca. 13-14 minutes.

The revised version of was commissioned by the Staatskappelle Dresden for first performance on 26th August 2009 at the Semperoper Dresden. traces was orginally commissioned in 2006 by North German Radio and the Northern Sinfonia for premier on 17th November 2006 at NDR.

The score is transposed

Satz und Layout:

Explanatory notes:

2 Oboes

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flz + Z

noise

Fluttertongue.

Let through additional tones and noise. vib.

Vibrato only if marked. Glissando.

Raise or lower by a ¼-tone. Has an expressive and timbral function.

Crescendo from, and diminuendo to, nothing.

Double harmonic on given fingering. Quiet and balanced.

2 Clarinets in BÓ, 2nd doubling Bassclarinet in B Ó

flz + Z

noise (noise and rough!)

air tone air

Fluttertongue. If high and quiet additional lower tones may enter, but this is fine.

Let through additional tones and noise.

Gradual smooth timbral transition. air Air sound dominates written tone.

½-air

With written tone heard, like an echo. vib. Vibrato only if marked. underblown Play written tone and then gently „release“, gradually adding lower tone/s. Beautiful and quiet.

Raise or lower by a ¼-tone. Has an expressive and timbral function.

Crescendo from, and diminuendo to, nothing.

2 Trumpets in C

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Mutes: wawa , harmon (use wawa and extend stem out ¾ for new timbre) and metal

wawa > senza

Remove mute while playing for fluid timbral transition.

wawa > harmon Pull out stem while playing for fluid timbral transition.

Regular rhythmic open/close trill with fingers in front of wawa mute.

/ Fast hand or finger open/close trill (always very fast) in front of wawa mute.

Double tongue maximum speed.

Valve tremolando maximum speed.

flz + Z Fluttertongue.

Raise or lower by a ¼-tone. An expressive and timbral function.

vib.

Vibrato only if marked.

2 Tenor Trombones with valve

Mutes: wawa, metal and plunger

/ Fast hand or finger open/close trill (always very fast) in front of wawa mute.

Fall very fast down the overtones to the given lower tone.

Crescendo from and diminuendo to nothing.

flz + Z Fluttertongue.

Raise or lower by a ¼-tone. An expressive and timbral function.

vib.

Vibrato only if marked.

Percussion

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Beaters

Thin light snare stick.

Ordinary snare stick: a) at tip (ord.); b)at mid-point of stick.

Extra thick snare sticks.

Bass drum beater.

Large and soft beater.

Superball(s). Dra gged over skin gentle and smooth, producing deep ringing resonance.

Hard plastic.

Small round-headed wooden beater.

Bass bow.

Rubber beater (eg. handles of Kolberg triangle beaters).

Thin, threaded aluminium dowel 20-25cm.

Thick (12mm diameter) and long (40-55cm) threaded wooden dowel.

Hard felt beater

Wooden Chopstick

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Percussion Left (Player 1 and 2)

BD Very large, low bass drum with natural skin on both sides.

rim Play on wooden rim.

skin Play on skin.

Cymbal Place medium cymbal upside-down in middle of drum.

wooden dowel

1 cm

Centre.

Dowel pressed lightly on skin, moved continuously and slowly, avoiding „dead“ centre. Snare stick strokes dowel slowly and continuously up and down. Hear high moving partials and drum resonance –like a smooth trill-like surface.

Trill lightly on skin, at edge next to rim, over wooden ring/frame – high partials.

SD Piccolo Side Drum with and without snare.

rim Play on metal rim.

Metal dowel On edge of rim, pull upwards fast and very loud.

Mid/large flat metal plate laid on foam for resonance - Bronze or other metal with rich complex spectrum.

Low LR Lions Roar, large/low with very long string - Replace normal string with double bass string or low harp string for long smooth tones.

Part I: Large TamTam Wuhan 100-110cm Ø. For contact points, see Percussion Right.

Part I: Bar 28 - Short stroke at contact point 3. onto Bar 29 with thin wood for mid-high squeak and long resonance.

Part I: Bar 37 - Drag SB-beater slowly over contact point 1. of tamtam for mid-low resonant tone.

Crotales 2 pitches hung, sounding two octaves higher than written:

BP 2 bell plates, hung: C2, C#2

Susp. Cymb. Large, suspended. Bowed.

Gongs 2 large flat-faced, hung. Struck in the centre only.

WB Med-high woodblock.

Ratchets 2 rachets, high/small and low/large, fixed on stands.

Wood Simple dead wooden strokes in III - use wooden rim of BD, or table top.

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Percussion Right (Player 3 and 4)

Very large. All effects as Percussion Left.

Large Wuhan TamTam ca 110 -130 cm Ø

Contact points:

1. absolute centre

2. centre ring beside centre point

3. large smooth zone

4. outer ridged ring

5. side edge

Bar 27/28 - Drag SB-beater slowly over contact points 3. and 4. of tamtam for very deep resonant tone.

Damp at point 5. with hand.

Release at 5. with hand.

MP As Percussion Left.

Crotales

3 pitches hung - sounding two octaves higher than written:

Timp Bass timpani. De-tuned down minor third.

Immediate gliss. (pedal) from highest to lowest tone (Bar 24). + Cymbal: see BD notes for Percussion Left.

Gongs

As Percussion Left.

1 ratchet, high, fixed on stand.

High bongo.

As Percussion Left.

Lions roar medium-low pitch.

Sizzle cymbal. Large, suspended. Played with and without sizzle.

2 bell plates, hung: D2, D#2

Piano

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Grand piano with sosenuto (third) pedal.

Open piano-lid fully, but do not remove. Remove music-stand and place further back on the frame, or use the top section of a heavy music stand. Use stickers to mark the strings inside the piano. Requires a hard plastic plectrum for playing sounds inside the piano.

Silently depress keys.

3. 3rd pedal.

Sustaining pedal.

Release pedal gradually.

Hit metal frame on lowest section inside piano – two sounds: low and very low.

Chromatic cluster.

White key cluster.

Black key cluster.

arm Whole of forearm(s).

In Inside the piano on the strings. If frame of piano is in the way, choose another nearby cluster.

Damp string/s near the bridge with one hand.

( ) Damp strings behind dampers at node to get exact overtones notated. Written bass tones still heard.

Damp the strings behind the dampers further along the string, seeking complex two- or threepart sound. Written bass tones still heard.

plectrum In

glissando over the strings with plectrum, fingertip or nail

áá = brutal

™™ = gentle

Accordion

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Button accordion with three manuals: MI, MII and MIII

Written at sounding pitch. Where there are pitch combinations from registers/stops, the lowest octave is notated. A chromatic cluster outer tones included.

A chromatic cluster, outer tones included.

A wide chromatic cluster in given range, exact tones not important.

vib. Always without vibrato unless otherwise stated.

Gradually depress for gentle start, as if from nothing. Decresendo as if to nothing.

Accents always at maximum dynamic sf

Half-depress button (M1) to lower tone by ca 1/4-tone. Bring out beats between the tones.

Harp

Requires 2 hard plectrums. Tuning indictations given. Lowest two tones always Db and Cb.

A chromatic cluster outer tones included. Chords are non arpeggio unless otherwise stated.

Secco.

Plectrum.

Arpeggio very fast with two plectrums in contrary motion.

près de la table Dry. Play at bottom of string.

Strings

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Violin 1 – 6 players, Violin 2 – 6 players, Viola – 6 players, Violoncello – 4 players, Double bass – 4 players

For the double basses: Scordatura prepared – fifth string de-tuned to Gb (or G if the string becomes too lax).

Solo double bass additional scordatura in I – second string de-tuned to C#.

s.p.

½-s.p.

pizz.

Sul tasto extreme flautando bow stroke at half way node on string; hollow, floating, beautiful.

Sul pont:

™™/™™™ bring out overtones.

™™/™™™ and flautando, overtones dominate sound.

á/áá sound towards distortion.

Sul pont colouring, but actual tone heard clearly.

Glissando to top of given string.

Pizzicato with immediate glissando.

I Highest tone on string, this may vary during composition and from one instrument to another.

s.p.

behind I

vib.

s.p. ord.

s.p.

Left-hand with half-pressure like a harmonic, but at the given non-harmonic or harmonic node. With sul pont gives distortion.

Play on given string/s behind the bridge. Smooth careful bow. Pitch varies from one instrument to another.

Con sordino/senza sordino.

Artificial harmonic.

Natural harmonic.

Raised or lowered by 1/4-tone. An expressive and timbral function. Crescendo from, and diminuendo to, nothing.

Assume non vibrato unless otherwise stated.

Continuous and even transition from one timbre to the next.

Bartok pizzicato, secco.

Very fast arpeggio top to bottom string.

v.batt. Battuto violently crini over the fingerboard. Very percussive. Hear wood of bow hitting the fingerboard.

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Crotales

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Rebecca Saunders

Rebecca Saunders (b. 1967) studied with Wolfgang Rihm at the Musikhochschule in Karlsruhe, Germany, and for a doctorate in composition with Nigel Osborne at Edinburgh University. She lives in Berlin. Saunders’ numerous composition prizes include three Royal Philharmonic Society Music Awards, two BASCA British Composer Awards and the 2019 Ernst von Siemens Music Prize. Her works have been performed at festivals including the Huddersfeld Festival, the Berlin Biennale and the Darmstadt International Summer Course. In 2009 she became a member of the Berlin Academy of Arts. Saunders’ works include chroma, for chamber groups distributed throughout the performance space; void, a concerto for percussion duo and orchestra; and Yes, a spatial performance for soprano, 19 soloists and conductor.

Rebecca Saunders (*1967) studierte Komposition bei Wolfgang Rihm an der Musikhochschule Karlsruhe und promovierte an der Edinburgh University bei Nigel Osborne. Sie lebt in Berlin. Saunders wurde für ihr Schaffen vielfach ausgezeichnet, u. a. mit drei Royal Philharmonic Society Music Awards, zwei BASCA British Composer Awards sowie mit dem Ernst von Siemens Musikpreis 2019. Ihre Werke erklangen bei zahlreichen Festivals, wie dem Huddersfeld Festival, der Berliner Biennale und den Darmstädter Ferienkursen für Neue Musik. 2009 wurde sie zum Mitglied der Berliner Akademie der Künste ernannt. Zu ihren Werken zählen chroma für räumlich verteilte Kammergruppen, ein Konzert für Schlagzeugduo und Orchester mit dem Titel void sowie die Raumperformance Yes für Sopran, 19 Solisten und Dirigent.