SAUNDERS
void for Percussion Duo and Orchestra
Score
ISSUU Version
For perusal only
REBECCA SAUNDERS
void ISSUU Version For perusal only
for Percussion Duo and Orchestra
Score
POD PETERS on demand
ISSUU Version
For perusal only
void was commissioned by Westdeutscher Rundfunk for frst performance at the Witten Tage für Neue Musik in May 2014 and by Wien Modern.
Dedicated to Christian Dierstein and Dirk Rotbrust and with my grateful thanks for the exploratory sound sessions we had together.
ISSUU Version
void (2013-14) for percussion duo and orchestra
For perusal only
void /vɔɪd. C13 F. vuide + voider, L. vacare + vocītus. A desert, devoid, absent. A loss of, missing, gaping wide.
Te fnal short prose of Samuel Becketts 13 Texts For Nothing, 1947-52, is a text of great power and lucidity where intensely fragile feeting moments, describing a mouthless murmuring ceasless voice, are juxtaposed with violent outburts of anger. I refered back to this prose again and again while completing this piece:
“...a voice murmuring a trace. A trace it wants to leave a trace, yes, like air leaves among the leaves.....
...And whose shame, at every mute micromillisyllable, and unshakeable infnity of remorse delving ever deeper in its bite, at having to hear, having to say, fainter than the faintest murmur, so many lies, so many times the same lie lyingly denied, whose the screaming silence of no´s knife in yes´s wound, it wonders....
...one day to be here, where there are no days, which is no place, born of the impossible voice the unmakable, and a gleam of light, still all would be silent and empty and dark, as now, as soon now, when all will be ended, all said, it says, it murmurs.”
Texts For Nothing, Calder Publications
Beneath the surface of silence lies a cacophony of sound and noise, an endless potential to reveal and make audible. Te act of composing unveals, makes visible: pulling gently on the fragile thread of sound, drawing out fragments of colour from the depths, seizing the moment and allowing sound to erupt from the stasis of imagined silence.
RS, 2014
Instrumentation
Percussion Soli 1 and 2
2 futes (doubling piccolos), 2 oboes, 2 clarinets in Bb (2. doubling bcl) and 1 contrabassclarinet, 1 bassoon and 1 contrabass bassoon
2 horns, 2 trumpets in C, 2 tenor trombones with valve, 1 tuba (e.g. 12ft in Eb or F) percussion, grand piano, harp, electric guitar and button accordion violin1 4 (or 8), violin2 4 (or 8), violas 3 (or 6), violoncelli 3 (or 6), doublebasses 3 (or 6) with V-string.*
Percussion Podium Trumpets Trombones
Horns Clarinets Bassoons Piano Flutes Oboes
E-Guit. Violin 2 Violoncelli Acc. Doublebasses Harp
Solo 2
Violin 1 Violas
Solo 1
Conductor
* If strings are 88666 not 44333, consider replacing wawa with senza and plunger in trumpets and trombones in bars 138-141, 166-170, 177-180, 194-199, 210-214 and 230-236.
Tempi given are only guidelines, and may vary according to acoustic and soli interpretation. Particularly the pauses and resonances need to be expansive and static. Tis is a series of reiterations repeated murmuring images and extreme contrasting juxtapositions.
Duration ca. 22-23 minutes.
Score is in C.
Explanatory Notes
Soloists
ISSUU Version
For perusal only
Instruments - Solo percussion 1
5 aluminium fowerpots tuning between F4and G:
2 large special complex car coils without plastic coating + 1 small resonant interesting metal plate - Hung Coils Palette
Bell plate 1 - A, with foil
Bell plate 2 - very large aluminium, fundamental low C#, with foil
4 coils - laid fat on small pieces of moosgummi for maximum resonance
Tamtam 95cm Paste - bass bow, thin metal needle, thin chain
2 timpani - 32 and 29 Inch
9 japanese rins/Klangschalen - on both timpani skins:
8 single crotales lowest octave - on both timpani skins: mostly upside-down for dead sound
Side drum with snare on
2 small pieces of fat wood – on timpani skins
Instruments - Solo percussion 2
Bass drum, extremely large with 5 wooden balls on string and thin metal chain
Bell plate - G#, with foil
2 Timpani - 32 and 29 Inch
2 bass Nicophones, medium and large
4 coils laid fat on small pieces of moosgummi for maximum resonance
Single japanese rin/Klangschale F#:
8 single crotales lowest octave - on both timpani skins: 1.long resonance 2. upside-down for dead sound
Side drum with snare on
2 small pieces of fat wood – on timpani skins
2 or 3 fnger cymbals
Large aluminium tuning fork
Percussion 1 Stage-right
Flower Pots
Aluminium. Hung. Pure sinus tones with extremely long resonance. Timbre and efect similar to turning metal tibet chimes. Microtonal pitches between f4+g. Hung or fxed at top edge on stand for maximum complex spectrum and long resonance. (Instruments by Dirk Rotbrust)
Yarn medium vibraphone beaters.
Palette of 2 Hung Coils + 1 Hung Metal Plate:
2 car springs of diferent sizes and timbre, without plastic coating – special, large, old with complex resonance.
Medium-range complex-spectrum very resonant. Extending the spring coils timbres, e.g. thin metal plate with small holes.
Hung coils and Metal Plate hung beneath fowerpots - long resonance and complex beautiful spectrum.
Yarn medium vibraphone beaters.
Hard plastic glockenspiel beaters.
BP1: Large, bronze, heavy and thick. Hung:
BP2: Very large aluminium. Hung: (Instrument by Christian Dierstein)
Piece of tin foil folded over top side edge of each bell plate for long resonant trilling buzz.
Bell plate beaters, leather.
Hard square wooden hammers (Kolberg 843H).
ISSUU Version
Contact points BP1 + 2:
a: top-¼ for high spectrum splash; b: low centre for bass tone. BP2 only: Gives high resonant spectrum at c and d.
For perusal only
4-edged iron metal beater, e.g. Kolberg crotale holder! - important: square and hollow.
4 old car springs of diferent sizes, and interesting resonant and complex timbres. Coils laid fat on very small pieces of Moosgummi for maximum resonance and diferentiation of timbre.
Small-headed metal hammers.
Tubular bells leather beater.
Tubular bells rubber beaters (Leather and rubber beaters on two sides of one hammer).
Tick metal triangle beaters (Kolberg).
2 small fat planks of wood on Timpani. (See note on bar 197 below).
95-100cm diameter Paste tamtam. A Wuhan tamtam is too heavy for these sounds.
Contact points:
1: Absolute centre, 2: In central ring, 3: Over large smooth zone, 4: Outer-ridged zone, 5: Side edge.
Drag superball beater (sS=small, S=large) slowly and carefully over surface of tamtam for mid-low resonant tones – beautiful and explorative. With and without metal needle (See bar 55). Hear it sing!
Fast loud action around surrated edge of tamtam (at least half of diameter!) with a metal beater. High partials and long loud resonance.
Bow at 5. Very long resonant overtones.
Hang a very light thin chain or wire over the edge of the tamtam where indicated. When tamtam is struck chain vibrates lightly on surface of tamtam in a regular pulse. Timbre combines with metalic and non-metallic shimmering overtones. Pulse is very clear.
Round-headed wooden beater.
Superball small (sS) and large (S) beater.
2 timpani, 32 and 29 Inch, de-tuned at tuning pegs by up to a fourth.
Black Japanese Rins (Klangschalen). Tese tend to be louder and more resonant than Chinese. Bowed with bass bow. 2/3 further small rins upside-down causing interference.
Use pedal to create very fast tight oscillations - electronic-sounding resonance. At “Buzz” seek distortion and hold it!
Notated down 2 octaves from bar 194. Crotales distributed between 2 timpani. Mostly upsidedown for dead sound. Single crotales turned right-way round have long resonance (See note on bars 200-220 below).
Hard rubber beater.
Hit in centre sounding a ffth higher.
Small side drum. Snare on. Move to and from vibrating bell plate in a slow regular pulse. An enormous electronic buss on and of. Explorative. Take time gradually to pianissimo (See bar 279).
ISSUU Version
Bar 197 regarding Wood and Fcoils:
For perusal only
Grace-note attacks of the two wooden planks on each Timpani for each soloist introduced. Improvise at the Wood grace-notes, if and where suitable, sometimes adding more than one Wood attack and sometimes adding FCoils attacks, too.
Bars 200-220:
Some crotales on Timpani are turned over again so that they resonate. Ossia: Hang these tones (D, Db, E) additionally nearby (doubles) to save time.
Cadenza bar 284:
“F-sharp” ca. 27-30 sec.
A: Very gradually soli fnish SD+BPs (l.v.) efect dim. to pp, bringing in gradually the frst F-sharps.
B: F-sharps only, explore and listen to each other (l.v.).
Te “F-sharps” for Percussion 1 are:
–Rin high F#2: On Timpani, hit and bowed.
–Crotale F#3: On Timpani, up+side down for resonance.
–5 FPS F4- G: Hung.
Percussion 2 Stage-left
Bass Drum
ISSUU Version
1 cm edge balls 1.-5. +/- balls 1.-5.
chain
Very large natural skin, double-sided. Big, deep, very low and resonant.
For perusal only
Just of-centre for full resonance.
Play on wooden rim: a. tip b. midpoint
1cm from rim, very high overtones and no deep bass drum resonance.
Gradually move from edge to centre of skin.
Drag small-headed superball over skin for high spectrum - speaking!
Drag large superball beaters (use two and alternate for smooth sound) producing beautiful deep resonance when p/pp and a montrous „noise“ when f/ff (with sizzel chain).
Hung above the bass drum. Lower and raise the 1 to 5 balls from the drum skin. 5 wooden balls on a string. Enormous rattling sound combines with deep resonance of the drum head.
Free - explore, experiment with 1 to 5 balls on skin.
Beaters: One hand = small headed superball (sS) dragged over skin; other hand = double headed rubber beaters or large fufy bass drum beater.
Place very light sizzle-chain on skin of drum – hear high trilling surface of sound with low resonance of drum. At p/pp played trilling with light rubber beaters (R) or light snare sticks.
Plastic/hard-rubber headed double sticks: 2 small balls on conductors sticks.
Alternative: Two single rubber headed sticks in one hand.
Snare sticks. Use thicker snare sticks to avoid damage to skin of bass drum at f/ff. Ossia ff: large round-headed wooden beaters; Ossia pp: very thin snare-sticks.
Large thick fufy beaters.
Large, bronze, heavy and thick. Hung:
Piece of tin foil folded over top side edge of each bell plates for long resonant trilling buzz.
Bell plate beaters, leather.
Hard square wooden hammers (Kolberg 843H).
Contact points: a. top-¼ for high spectrum splash; b. low centre for bass tone.
2 timpani, 32 and 29 Inch, de-tuned at tuning pegs by up to a fourth.
1. medium bass and 2. large bass. On very thin strips of Moosgummi on two edges across each timpani. (Instruments by Domenico Melchiorre / www.melchiorre.ch)
Te two clear pitches on the side of each Nicophone. Low complex spectrum contact points on side.
Top edge sounding high shimmering overtones.
Glissando along top slats.
Hard rubber beaters.
Large thick triangle beaters.
1 Japanese Rin Crot
8 single crotales
ISSUU Version
Medium-hard gong beaters, rubber.
Tin light triangle beater.
For perusal only
side drum
4 old car springs of diferent sizes, and interesting resonant and complex timbres, Coils laid fat on very small pieces of Moosgummi for maximum resonance and diferentiation of timbre.
2 small fat planks of wood on Timpani (See note on bar 197 below).
Small-headed metal hammers.
Tubular bells leather beater
Tubular bells plastic beaters (same beaters on two sides of one hammer)
Tick metal (triangle beaters Kolberg)
Rubber handles of the Kolberg triangle beaters
Single Japanese Rin (Klangschale) on Timpani, bowed:
&
Crotales distributed between 2 timpani.
Placed on the skin to create maximum interference and resonance.
Part 1: Listen!: Very explorative - Use timpani pedal for varying degrees of quasi-vibrato, exploring and increasing interference tones and resonances. Notated in score at sounding pitch.
Use pedal to create very fast tight oscillations - electronic-sounding resonance at “Buzz” and then hold it!
Hard rubber beaters
Part 2: With Solo1. Mostly turned upside-down for dead sound. Occassional single crotales turned right-way round have long resonance. Notated down two octaves from bar 194. (See note on bars 200-220 below).
Hit in centre sounding a ffth higher.
Small side drum. Snare on. Move to and from vibrating bell plate in a slow regular pulse. An enormous electronic buss on and of. Explorative. Take time gradually to pianissimo (See bar 279).
Bar 197 regarding Wood and Fcoils:
Grace-note attacks of the two wooden planks on each Timpani for each soloist introduced. Improvise at the Wood grace-notes, if and where suitable, sometimes adding more than one Wood attack and sometimes adding FCoils attacks, too.
Bars 200-220:
Some crotales on Timpani are turned over again so that they resonate. Ossia: Hang these tones (Gb, F, C, D, Db.) additionally nearby (doubles) to save time. (Tis is particularly difcult for Perc.2).
Cadenza bar 284:
“F-sharp” ca. 27-30 sec.
A: Very gradually soli fnish SD+BPs (l.v.) efect dim. to pp, bringing in gradually the frst F-sharps.
B: F-sharps only, explore and listen to each other (l.v.).
Te “F-sharps” for Percussion 2 are:
–F#2 Rins: On Timpani. 2 or 3 microtonally varied, hit and bowed.
*Finger cymbals or alternatively chinese cymbals: 2 or 3 at highest F# possible – hung.
–
*Very large aluminium tuning fork: Very high pitch, for example A at 1595,5 Hz (Instrument by B. Mason)
Alternatively, e.g. high F. Hit, held in in hand and waved back and forwards – a slow large gesture.
–2 F#3 Crotales: One on Timpani, upside-down for resonance, one hung. Both bowed or hit.
* Tese instruments are played exclusively in the Cadenza, all others are played before in piece. FCoil
ISSUU Version
2 Flutes doubling picc 2 and 1
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Fluttertongue.
Vibrato only if marked.
Glissando.
Raise or lower by a ¼-tone. Has an expressive function.
Crescendo from, and diminuendo to, nothing.
Always very hard accents.
Te four following efects use similar technique and have very hard loud noise-based accents:
Overblow on lower fngering, aiming for highest overtones - noise!
Glissando down overtone spectrum from given tone, with and without futtertongue - noise!
Glissando down from highest overtone possible to written lower tone - noise!
Jet whistle up and down, changing fngering midway - air and noise!
2 Oboes
Fluttertongue.
Vibrato only if marked.
Glissando.
Raise or lower by a ¼-tone. Has an expressive and timbral function.
Crescendo from, and diminuendo to, nothing.
Bisigliando: same-note trill – 2 notes of strong timbral contrast.
3 Clarinets
2 Clarinets in Bb, 2nd doubling Bassclarinet, 1 Contrabassclarinet
Fluttertongue. If high and quiet additional lower tones may enter, but this is fne.
Vibrato only if marked.
Glissando.
Raise or lower by a ¼-tone. Has an expressive and timbral function.
Crescendo from, and diminuendo to, nothing.
Bisigliando: same-note trill – 2 notes of strong timbral contrast.
ISSUU Version
2 Bassoons (2. Contrabassoon)
Raise or lower by a ¼-tone. Has an expressive function.
For perusal only
Bisigliando: same-note trill – 2 notes of strong timbral contrast.
2 Horns
Fluttertongue.
Raise or lower by a ¼-tone. An expressive timbal function.
Stopped / Open.
½-stopped.
2 Trumpets in C
Mutes: wawa , harmon (use wawa and extend stem out ¾ for new timbre), metal and cup (tpt 1 onlay)
Wawa: closed to open with hand.
Fast hand or fnger open/close trill (always very fast) in front of wawa mute.
Fluttertongue.
Raise or lower by a ¼-tone. An expressive and timbral function.
2 Tenor Trombones with valve
Mutes: wawa, metal and plunger
Wawa and plunger: open or closed (with hand)
Fast hand or fnger open/close trill (always very fast) in front of wawa mute.
Fluttertongue.
Raise or lower by a ¼-tone. An expressive and timbral function.
Glissando.
Bass Tuba (e.g. 12ft in Eb or F) with mute.
ISSUU Version
Instruments:
BD Bass Drum TT
For perusal only
LR Lions Roar Ch Cym
Coil Car coil spr ing MP
WB Woodblock Crotale
Racket Low large R acket BPs
Very large natural skin, double-sided.
Just of-centre for full resonance.
Tamtam
Large Chinese Cymbal
Resonant metal plate
Single hung Crotale
Bell Plates
Gradually move from edge to centre of skin.
Play on wooden rim. Use snare sticks at tip of stick (a.) or middle (b.) of stick.
Move from middle of stick to tip during trill.
Place very light sizzle-chain on skin of drum – hear high trilling surface of sound with low resonance of drum. At p/pp played trilling with light rubber beaters (R) or light snare sticks.
2 low bell plates. Contact point low fundamental, bottom of plates:
100-120cm diameter Paste tamtam preferably, as Wuhan tamtam is less efective for Arco and Birch sounds.
Contact points:
1: Absolute centre, 2: In central ring, 3: Over large smooth zone, 4: Outer-ridged zone, 5: Side edge.
Bow at 5. Choose mid-high complex and very resonant overtones.
Hang a very light thin chain or wire over the edge of the tamtam when indicated. When tamtam is struck the chain vibrates lightly on surface of tamtam in a regular pulse. Timbre combines with metalic and non-metallic shimmering overtones. Te pulse is very clear.
Large metal car coil (Autofeder). Hung in middle or laid on top end on very bobbly/holey foam (pieces of Moosgummi). Very long loud complex resonance.
Small resonant metal plate with complex spectrum, no clear tonal centre.
Medium woodblock.
Large Lions Roar from low large drum head.
Large chinese cymbal, hung.
Bow at edge with bass bow: mid-high complex resonant overtones.
Single crotale, hung and bowed:
Notes to Beaters:
Extra thick snare sticks to avoid damage to skin of bass drum at f/ ff. Ossia 1. ff : large round-headed wooden beaters; Ossia 2. pp : very thin snare sticks.
Large thick fufy beaters.
Ordinary bass drum beaters.
Birch wood.
Bass bow.
Hard plastic beaters.
Rubber handles, e.g. from Kolberg triangle sticks.
Very thin triangle stick.
Large wooden square beaters.
ISSUU Version
Grand Piano
Grand piano with sostenuto (third) pedal.
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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 plectrum or a hard stif plastic credit card to glissando strings ( ).
On the keys:
Chromatic cluster.
Prepare and hold down cluster silently.
On the keys and inside:
Damp very near the bridge. Much pressure. Big round sound.
Inside the piano:
Following an action on keys or keys-and-inside, shows a return to sounds inside the piano. Should frame of piano be in the way, choose a diferent cluster very near by.
Light glissando with fnger pad of 3rd fnger. In front of dampers.
Fast glissando on strings in front of, or behind, the dampers with hard plectrum. Brutal if low and ff
Fingertips (2,3,4) held tightly together brush stringly lightly back and forward in front of dampers. Find position where rhythm is heard clearly.
Te sf accents are always played with fngernails.
Pedal: 3rd pedal.
Sustaining pedal.
Harp
Requires 2 hard plectrums. Tuning indictations given. Lowest two tones always Db and Cb Secco.
Hard plectrum.
Arpeggio very fast with two plectrums in contrary motion.
Glissando: With fnger (ord.) or plectrum ( ).
At loud and low entries, avoid strings hitting each other where shown in score.
All harmonics notated at sounding pitch.
Hit all notes with palm of both hands for extremely loud attack.
ISSUU Version
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Basic requirements of guitar: single or double coil settings (one or two pick-ups respectively) and whammy bar. Tree instructions are given to determine timbre:
a. Single or double coil.
b. Treble maximum, bass maximum or normal settings.
c. Clean (bright) or lead-overdrive.
Set up palette to contrast as strongly as possible. Keep background noise of amplifer to a minimum. Use pre-set pedals to given setting-combinations. Fast repititions with lead-overdrive can become rhythmically unclear. To avoid this build a second single-treble-lead palette with very high overtone spectrum and less distortion for greater rhythmic clarity.
In addition, the performer needs a hard plectrum, two metal bottle-necks, an E-bow, and a volume pedal (Vp.)
Both staves:
X Fret. ③ String. 3. Finger. Vp. Volume Pedal.
Metal bottle neck.
Play between 1st and 2nd pickups when no specifc tones written.
MBN hits all strings barré together unless otherwise stated, eg:
A constant gliss. from one fret to another (MBN). Also to coil 1 or coil 2.
MBN not perpendicular to strings, producing more distorted and whiter sound.
Dampen strings (secco).
dim. to silence, turning of Vp. if necessary.
Coil 1. (pick-up) furthest left near sound-hole, coil 2. furthest right, nearest to bridge.
Regular vibrato within the fret at given rhythm.
Straight fnger strikes strings barré at mid-point between pickups. Always strings ①-⑥
Attack as fast as possible all strings with plectrum.
Actual initial attack not heard (Vp:of).
Top stave:
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Electric bow. Note that e-bow sounds without amplifer. Add a little Vp as necessary to get written dynamic. Top stave shows the string and single tone picked out by the e-bow. Bottom stave shows the frets stopped with MBN.
Plectrum.
Non vibrato unless othervise stated.
Bottom stave:
Accordion
whammy
Place MBN on string silently.
Barré harmonics in the given fret.
LH holds down low whammy bar to minimum pitch of ca. 8ve down. Lower stave pitches approximate. Glissando to higher pitches as shown.
RH MBN, or 3. barré, staccato back and forward between coils 1. + 2., changing timbre constantly.
Button accordion with three manuals MI, MII and MIII.
Range MI: Range MII/III:
MI chin registers for sudden register changes and double register sounds:
Written at sounding pitch. Where there are octave pitch combinations from registers/stops, the lowest octave is notated. Re-distribute chromatic chords between MI and MII as you feel necessary.
A chromatic cluster outer tones included.
A wide chromatic cluster in given range, exact tones not important.
Gradually depress for gentle start, as if from nothing.
Decresendo as if to nothing.
Single tones naturally emerge one by one with crescendo, and disappear one by one with decresendo.
Half-depress button (M1) to lower tone by ca ¼-tone. Bring out beats between the tones on MI and MII.
Bellows shake (trem.).
Accents always at maximum dynamic sff.
Possible types of vibrato include: ord. LH vib, ord RH vib, knee vib, button vib – use as you feel appropriate. Always without vibrato unless otherwise stated. > vib
ISSUU Version
Strings
Violin 1 – 4 or 8 players, Violin 2 – 4 or 8 players, Viola – 3 or 6 players, Violoncello – 3 or 6 players, Double bass – 3 or 6 players
For perusal only
Double basses: Scordatura prepared – ffth string de-tuned to G#
Sul pont: pp/ppp bring out overtones. pp/ ppp and fautando, overtones dominate sound. f/ff sound towards distortion.
Sul pont colouring, but actual tone heard clearly.
Glissando.
Glissando to top of given string.
Highest tone on string, this may vary during composition and from one instrument to another.
Play on given string/s behind the bridge. Smooth molto fautando bow. Pitch varies from one instrument to another.
Raised or lowered by ¼-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. Also on a harmonic.
Harmonics
Artifcial harmonic.
Natural harmonic: string number and fnger position is given.
Natural harmonic trills are always s.p. with fast fuid bow. Distorted, but with very high overtones heard! Te harmonic nodes or contact points on the given string are given. Always very fast trilling upper fnger.
Quiet trill and tremolando played together throughout. Near tip of bow. Fragile and beautiful, molto fautando. Always very fast and regular, very fast trilling upper fnger.
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