SAUNDERS
Void II for Percussion Duo
Performing Score
ISSUU Version
For perusal only
Version
REBECCA SAUNDERS
Void II
for Percussion Duo
(2014/20)
ISSUU Version
For perusal only
Dedicated to Christian Dierstein and Dirk Rotbrust void /vɔɪd.
C13 F. vuide + voider, L. vacare + vocītus. A desert, devoid, absent. A loss of, missing, gaping wide,
The final short prose of Samuel Becketts 13 Texts For Nothing, 1947-52, is a text of great power and lucidity where intensely fragile fleeting 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 infinity 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.”
Samuel Beckett, Texts For Nothing, Calder Publications
RS, Sept. 2020
First performed at Musikfest Berliner Festspiele 4th September 2020 by Christian Dierstein and Dirk Rotbrust together with the first performance of Dust II
ISSUU Version
Explanatory Notes
Instruments – Percussion 1
5 Aluminium Bells tuning between F4and G:
For perusal only
2 Car Coils, large special complex without plastic coating + 1 small resonant interesting metal plate - Hung Coils Palette
Bell plate 1 – low A, with foil
Bell plate 2 – very large aluminium, fundamental low C#, with foil
Bell Plate 3 – low F#
4 Car Coils – laid flat and fixed on 2 Side Drums on small pieces of moosgummi or compressed polysterene
Tamtam 95cm Paste – bass bow, thin metal needle, thin chain
2 timpani – 32 and 29 Inch
3 planks of flat wood – on timpani skins
9 Japanese Rins/Klangschalen – on both timpani skins:
8 Single Crotales lowest octave, flat - on both timpani skins upside-down for dead sound:
Side Drum with snare on – for BP resonances
Dundun Drum, large African natural skin drum, ossia: large tomtom with natural skin.
Large Burma Bell (turning): low F#
Plus additional resonant small metal instruments: see Cadenza below
Instruments – Percussion 2
Bass Drum, extremely large natural skin double-sided, with 5 wooden balls on string and thin metal chain
Bass Drum 2 with Foot Pedal, with natural skin
Bell plate – low G#, with foil
2 Timpani – 32 and 29 Inch
3 planks of flat wood – on timpani skins
2 Bass Nicophones, medium and large
4 Car Coils – laid flat and fixed on 2 Side Drums on small pieces of moosgummi or compressed polysterene
2 Japanese Rins/Klangschalen: F# + F# -50 cents (approx., can be less) &
8 Single Crotales lowest octave, flat - on both timpani skins a) first for long resonances on timpani b) then turned upside-down for dead sound
5 Single Crotales lowest octave, hung – hung for long resonances: Side Drum with snare on – for BP resonances
2 or 3 finger cymbals, 1 large aluminium tuning fork - plus additional resonant small metal instruments, see Cadenza below
Legend – Percussion 1
Large aluminium bells. Hung. Pure sinus tones with extremely long resonance. Timbre and effect similar to turning metal tibet chimes. Microtonal pitches between f4 and g.
Aluminium Bells*
*Available for hire from the composer, ossia: specially tuned Sixxen aluminium plates for hire from LUNASON <info@ lunason.com>.
Beaters
Yarn medium vibraphone beaters.
Palette of 2 Hung Coils + 1 Hung Metal Plate:
2 car springs of different 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 ca. 4mm thick, with small holes.
Hung coils and Metal Plate hung beneath Alu Bells – long resonance and complex beautiful spectrum.
Beaters
Yarn medium vibraphone beaters.
Hard plastic glockenspiel beaters.
BP1: Large, bronze, heavy and thick. Hung: ? œ
BP2: Very large thick aluminium. Hung: ? (Instr ument by Christian Dierstein)
BP3: Hung: ? , lowest octave.
Piece of tin foil folded over top side edge of each bell plate for long resonant trilling buzz. Foil kept on BPs throughout until removed at Cadenza
Beaters
Bell plate beaters, leather.
Hard square wooden hammers (Kolberg 843H).
4 car coils on 2 side drums
ISSUU Version
Contact points BP1–3:
a: top-¼ for high spectrum splash; b: low centre for bass tone.
8 or 9 Japanese Rins
BP2 only: c and d: two very high overtones shimmering with long resonance at top edge of BP.
For perusal only
Beater c + d
4-edged iron metal beater, e.g. Kolberg crotale holder! Important, square and hollow.
4 old car springs of different sizes, and interesting resonant and complex timbres, no plastic coating. Coils laid flat and fixed on 2 Side Drums on very small pieces of firm black compressed rubber or compressed polysterene for maximum resonance and differentiation of timbre.
Beaters
Small-headed metal hammers.
Tubular bells leather beater.
Tubular bells rubber beaters (Tubular bells leather and rubber beaters on two sides of one hammer).
Thick metal triangle beaters (Kolberg).
Rubber handles of the Kolberg triangle beaters.
2 small flat 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:
3: Over large smooth zone, 4: Outer-ridged zone, 5: Side edge.
Drag superball beater, S=large, slowly and carefully over surface of tamtam for mid-low resonant tones – beautiful and explorative. Hear it sing! With and without metal needle (see bar 50).
Fast loud action around surrated edge of tamtam (at least half of diameter!) with a metal beater. High partials and long loud resonance.
Bow with bass bow at 5. Very long resonant overtones.
Hang a very light thin chain or wire over the edge of the tamtam when 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.
Beaters
Round-headed wooden beater.
Superball small (sS) and large (S).
Delicate bamboo matcha tea brush – for sextuplet rhythm in final bars.
2 timpani, 32’’ and 29’’. De-tuned at tuning pegs by up to a fourth.
Black Japanese Rins/Klangschalen tend to be louder and more resonant than Chinese. Bowed with bass bow. 2 or 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!
Beaters
Hard rubber or plastic
Notated down 2 octaves. Crotales laid flat and distributed between 2 timpani. Upside-down for dead sound.
Hit in centre sounding a fifth higher.
Beaters
Hard rubber or plastic.
3 flat planks of wood on Timpani. (see note at bar 172).
Notated down 2 octaves. Single crotales hung for long resonance.
ISSUU Version
Large turning bell, ideally & œ At ff use a hard beater for additional high “g” sounding fifth higher. Other large Burmese Bells at lower pitches can be used – most important is the size and quality of the bell.
For perusal only
Small side drum. Snare on. Move to and from vibrating bell plate in a slow regular pulse. An enormous electronic buzz, on and off. Explorative! Take your time, gradually fades to pp.
Dundun large deep African natural skin drum for fast passages, ossia: large tomtom with natural skin. To fit with BD2 in Percussion 2. See ** below.
Beaters
Hard rubber or plastic.
Superball med. or large (S).
Very large natural skin, double-sided. Big, deep, very low and resonant. Flat.
Just off-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 – like 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 sizzle chain).
5 wooden balls on a string hung above the bass drum. Lower the 1 to 5 balls onto the drum skin for an 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 fluffy 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.
Beaters
Plastic/hard-rubber headed double sticks: 2 balls on conductor’s sticks. Ossia: 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 fluffy beaters.
Natural skin bass drum and foot pedal. On its side, placed behind the player. For fast passages combined with Wood, see ** below.
Large, bronze, heavy and thick. Hung: ?
Piece of tin foil folded over top side edge of each bell plates for long resonant tr illing buzz throughout the piece.
Bell plate beaters.
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’’, de-tuned at tuning pegs by up to a fourth.
FCoil
4 car coils on 2 side drums
ISSUU Version
1. medium bass and 2. large bass. On very thin strips of Moosgummi on two edges diagonally across each timpani.
*** Available for hire from LUNASON (D.Melchiorre) <info@lunason.com>
The two clear pitches on the side of each Nicophone. Low complex spectrum contact points on side.
For perusal only
Top edge sounding high shimmering overtones. Glissando along top slats.
Beaters
Hard rubber or hard plastic beaters.
Large thick triangle beaters.
Medium-hard gong beaters, tubber.
Thin light triangle beater.
4 old car springs of different sizes, and interesting resonant and complex timbres, no plastic coating. Coils laid flat and fixed on 2 Side Drums on very small pieces of firm black compressed rubber or compressed polysterene for maximum resonance and differentiation of timbre.
Beaters
Small-headed metal hammers.
Tubular bells leather beater.
Tubular bells rubber beaters (Leather and rubber beaters on two sides of one hammer).
Thick metal triangle beaters (Kolberg).
Rubber handles of the Kolberg triangle beaters.
2 Japanese Rins
FCrot
8 single flat crotales
ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ
ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ
2 Japanese Rin (Klangschale) on Timpani, bowed: & and & circa 50 cents lower.
Crotales laid flat and distributed between 2 timpani. Notated in score at sounding pitch.
Part 1: Placed on the skin for maximum interference and resonance. Use timpani pedal for varying degrees of quasivibrato, exploring and increasing interference tones and resonances. Listen!: very explorative.
Use pedal to creat very fast tight oscillations - electronic-sounding resonance.
Part 2: Turned upside-down for dead sound. With Percussion 2.
Hit in centre sounding a fifth higher.
Beaters
Hard rubber or plastic.
3 flat planks of wood on Timpani. (see note at bar 172).
HCrot
5 single hung crotales
SD side drum
Percussion 1 and 2
Notated down 2 octaves. Single crotales hung for long resonance.
Small side drum. Snare on. Move to and from vibrating bell plate in a slow regular pulse. An enormous electronic buss on and off. Explorative. Take your time, gradually fades to pp (see bar 279).
** Wood, BD2 (Perc. 2) and Drum (Perc. 1):
Grace-note attacks of the 3 wooden planks (on the 2 timpani of each player) with BD2 (Perc. 2) and Drum (Perc. 1) are introduced at this point for the fast passages, joining the FCoils. You can improvise further with the Wood and BD2/Drum attacks.
Cadenza
“F#”* ca. 35-40 seconds. Improvise freely on tones around F# (down to F and nearly up to G).
Central octave is F#2. Add also higher and lower octaves.
A: Very gradually players finish SD+BPs (lv) effect with gradual diminuendo to pp, bringing in gradually the first “F-sharps”.
B: “F-sharps”s only, explore and listen to each other (lv)
ISSUU Version
Instruments Cadenza “F-sharps” can include the following plus a few other personal miscellaneous resonant pitched metal instruments: Percussion 1
- F# Crotale on Timpani, upside-down for resonance, hit.
- Rin high at F#2: On Timpani, hit and bowed.
- Hung crotales (HCrot)
- 5 Alu Bells F4-G: Hung.
- Burma Bell: Hung
- F# BP: Hung
Percussion 2
- 2 F# Rins: On Timpani, bowed.
For perusal only
- *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), alternatives e.g. high F. Hit, hold in hand and wave back and forwards - a slow large gesture.
- F# Crotale on Timpani, upside-down for resonance, hit.
- Hung crotales F-G (HCrot)
* These instruments are played exclusively in the Cadenza.
Tempi
Are only guidelines and can vary according to acoustic and interpretation. Particularly the pauses and resonances need to be expansive and static.
This is a series of reiterations, repeated images, and of extreme contrasting juxtapositions.
Numbers 1. to 16.
These show the phrases and sections of the piece.
Duration Ca. 21 minutes.
ISSUU Version
For perusal only
ISSUU Version
VoidII forpercussionduo
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Worktogether,seekdialogue,listen!
Aheldbackunderthesurface.Nearlyexplosive.
explore: +/-balls1-5 +/-chain
ContinueTimp tomeasure244. StopandstartDrum forBPattacks.
/ BP1,2,3+foil pppocoapococrescendo
AddBPs,listenandimprovise.NotatedBP attacksareonlyanexample!
∑ / BP+foil pppocoapococrescendo
BDramaticexplosivemoments. Alternatingperc1+2shortrests. Massivebuildup.
TakeSD immediately!
+foil a lvsempre
Regularslowpulserhythms.SDsbackand forwardtoBPs. Hearmassivedistortionpulsingonandoff. Eachplayerhasitsownpulse. Re-hitBPs4–6timestomakegradualdimtopp F#Cadencesoundsbrought inverygraduallyfromhere.
MuchBPs resonance forCadenza.
A.VeryFree!VerygraduallyfinishSD+BPeffectwithdecrescendotopp!Nofoillv,addF#’s
B.AllF#’sonly:exploreandlisten.SeenotestoCadenza.
ISSUU Version
For perusal only
ISSUU Version
For perusal only
ISSUU Version
For perusal only
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 Huddersfield 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 Huddersfield 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.
Photo © Astrid Ackermann