Chester Music
ISSUU version for perusal only
Commissioned by Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Het Concertgebouw N.V., Orchestre de Paris, Carnegie Hall and Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra.
First performed on 13th November 2024 at The Royal Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, Netherlands by the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, conducted by Klaus Mäkelä.
Duration: c. 15 minutes
INSTRUMENTATION
3 Flutes (III/Piccolo)
2 Oboes
Cor Anglais
3 Clarinets in Bb (III/Bass Clarinet)
2 Bassoons
Contrabassoon
4 Horns in F
3 Trumpets in C
2 Trombones
Bass Trombone
Tuba
Percussion (3 players): Triangle, Bass Drum, Suspended Cymbal, Tam-tam (Large), Bell Plates (B, D, C#, E, F#), Vibraphone, Crotales
Harp
Strings
Transposed Score
Parts are available on hire from the publisher. www.wisemusicclassical.com
ISSUU version for perusal only
COMPOSER’S NOTE
Body Cosmic is a meditation on the human body as it creates life and gives birth.
The first movement, Awe | she forms herself unspools a melody against the pulse of an ostinato, reflecting the surreality of creating new life, so common and yet so astonishing. Dissonance | her light and its shadow explores the conundrum of bringing new life into the simultaneously beautiful and crumbling world, moving between big splashes of smearing brass and tumultuous percussion and moments of warmth and blazing beauty.
This piece was written in response to my own experience with pregnancy and childbirth, a period of time that coincided with my dual residency at the Concertgebouw concert hall and with the Concertgebouw Orchestra. Spending time in Amsterdam, working in the Concertgebouw’s storied halls, activated over a hundred and forty years of music-making, is a looming presence in this work. Thank you to the incredible musicians of the Concertgebouw Orchestra, whose generous artistic contributions rang loudly in my mind’s ear as I wrote this piece.
Ellen Reid
PERFORMANCE INSTRUCTIONS
ISSUU version for perusal only
Headless stems indicate a general contour and pitch area. Follow the direction of the lines, staying in the relative range indicated.
Glissandi should last the entire duration of the first note the glissando line is connected to.
Stemless noteheads indicate indeterminate pitch. Move in the general direction of the line.
Solid stemless noteheads are of a shorter duration than hollow stemless noteheads.
X time signatures, often paired with a duration, indicate an unmetered measure.
Boxed material should be repeated for the duration of the arrow. Follow indicated instructions for the duration of the arrow. If multiple musicians have the same notation, it should not be together.
Triangle noteheads indicate to play the highest pitch possible.
Note values in parentheses above the staff are the length of time that Un-notated material take up either before or after notated material
Harmonic glissandi for the strings are indicated with stemless tremolos and a glissando line. Continue oscillating between the fundamental pitch and the harmonic while moving the pitch in the direction of the line. Players should not be synchronized.
Body Cosmic
ISSUU version for perusal only
Cor Anglais
Clarinet in Bb Bassoon
Contrabassoon
Horn in F
Trumpet in C Trombone
Tuba
Triangle Bass Drum
Suspended Cymbal (Tam-tam, shared)
Tam-tam (Bell Plates)
Vibraphone
Tam-tamsuperball mallet, slower each time /
black and white keys
ISSUU version for perusal only
repeat, maintaining 5ths,
repeat, maintaining 5ths, slightly higher each time
repeat, maintaining 5ths, slightly higher each time
repeat, maintaining 5ths, slightly higher each time
repeat, maintaining 5ths, slightly higher each time
repeat, maintaining 5ths, slightly higher each time
repeat, maintaining 5ths, slightly higher each time
repeat, maintaining 5ths, slightly higher each time
repeat, maintaining 5ths, slightly higher each time
repeat, maintaining 5ths, slightly higher each time
repeat, maintaining 5ths, slightly higher each time
ISSUU version for perusal only
ISSUU version for perusal only
ISSUU version for perusal only
(trill and gliss.)
(trill and gliss.)
ISSUU version for perusal only
ISSUU version for perusal only
ISSUU version for perusal only
faster and faster, fade over 6 seconds