Nico Muhly
SHRINK Concerto for Violin and Strings
Full score
St Rose Music Publishing Co. / Chester Music Ltd.
Co-commissioned by Australian Chamber Orchestra, Melbourne Recital Centre, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Norwegian Chamber Orchestra, Mahler Chamber Orchestra with the kind support of the MCO Foundation and Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Premiered on 4 December 2019 by Pekka Kuusisto (violin) and the Australian Chamber Orchestra at Melbourne Recital Centre.
INSTRUMENTATION Solo Violin Strings (5.4.3.3.1)* *Contrabass requires low C extension.
Duration: c. 20 minutes Orchestral parts are available on hire from the publisher.
COMPOSER’S NOTE Shrink (Concerto for Violin and Strings) is in three movements. Each movement obsesses over certain intervals: the first, ninths; the second, sevenths; and the final, a tiny set of anxious intervals between unisons and fourths. The overall structure suggests an intensifying focus on these small building-blocks, a process which is reflected in the speed of each movement. The first proceeds quickly, becomes aggressive, and dissolves into small fragments. The second movement is slow and taut, with a looped sequence of chords whose character becomes increasingly thick and heavy. The last movement is fast, nervous, and scattered, with occasional giant unisons coming in and out of focus. Shrink is dedicated to Pekka Kuusisto. – NICO MUHLY
+ , ( ) *
, . /+ 0
"
& ' %
*
$ 1 " 22
! "
' 1 3 1
' 1 3 1
# "
22 4 & && "
22
' 1 3 1
22 4 & && "
* # ! 1 " 22
22 4 & && "
22
' 1 3 1
*
1 "
$ "
22
* $ 1 "
22
' 3 5
1 "
$ "
% "
22
' %
22 4 & && "
22
22 4 & && "
%
22
22
22
22
22 '
"
6
&
"
22
"
2 ' %
22
2 ' %
" 22
"
2 ' %
"
22
"
22
22
%
22 "
' "
22
22
' "
22
' "
22
22
22
7 & % 1 '
%
$
' % (
22
& ' % 8 5
& ' % 8 5
22
22
& ' % 8 5
22
& ' % 8 5
%
& ' % 8 5
22
22
22
22
& ' % 8 5
22
5 ; "
22
2 ' % 9 & :
2 ' % 9 & :
22
%
#
22
22
22
22
22
22 "
%
22 "
22
22
' %
22
' %
22
22
# !
$
22
22
22
22
22
22
22
22
22
22
22
'
22 22
22
%
!
'
22
22
22
2 ' %
2 ' %
' %
22
2 ' %
22
22
22
'
22
% (
%
22
22
22
%
' %
<
& ' % 8 5
22
22 "
& ' % 8 5
22
& ' % 8 5
22
22
%
22 !
22
&
22
22
& ' % 8 5
22
&
22
$ ' 22
& ' % 8 5
%
22
22
=
1 1 ' &
!7
!
% &
1 1 ' &
!7
%
1 1 ' &
!7
( &
( &
"
%
>
'
%
!
&
!
' 7 & % 1 '
' 7 & % 1 '
'
%
"
""
""
22
22
'
"
"
22
22
22
22
22
%
22
22
'
"
#
""
""
&
& 1 &
%
'
%
$ % %
3
"
&
&
%
&
&
&
&
&
&
&
&
&
&
'
&
&
%
&
&
&
&
' " & & &
' " & & &
& & &
& & &
' "
& & &
' " & & &
' " & & &
%
&
&
&
& &
& '
& & & '
&
&
& '
&
&
& '
&
&
&
&
& '
& '
&
&
& '
%
&
&
&
'
? " ' & & ' &
'
? " ' & & &
'
& & ' &
' ' & & &
' & & ' &
' & ' & &
? " & ' ' & &
%
'
&
'
&
&
'
$
# $ " % %
# $ " % %
# $ " % %
# $ " % %
# $ " % %
# $ " % %
'
%
'
&
&
& & & "
&
&
& "
&
& "
&
& & " & & "
&
& & &
& "
%
& & "
&
&
&
#
&
& ' & & & ' & &
'
'
&
&
& & ' & & '
& ' & ' & &
& & '
& ' &
& & ' & ' &
' & & & & '
& & '
%
'
'
&
&
$
&
&
'
&
&
'
&
'
&
"
' ' & &
' & '
&
' "
& ' & '
' & ' &
& ' & '
& ' & & ' & '
'
%
'
&
'
&
!
"
% 8 5
% 8 5
"
% 8 5
% 8 5
%
% 8 5
1 & &
3
%
, 1 ? % 8 5 @
1 ? ' 6 ( &
<
&
A
%
'
$ ' & "
? & 1 1 % 1 $
$
%
=
22
&
& "
%
!
& "
$
%
# " (
A
>
& "
%
? &
&
&
'
% (
%
22
&
%
& "
& "
22
% & '
2 ' % 9 & :
'
2 ' % 9 & :
'
2 ' % 9 & :
'
2 ' % 9 & :
'
%
$ % 6
% 6
& & ' (
'
'
'
%
'
'
"
'
"
'
? "
' "
'
22
"
"
"
"
? "
%
? "
&
&
(
(
(
(
(
(
*
(
(
(
&
' %
&
&
' %
' %
&
&
' %
&
%
$ % % &
3 '
)
3 '
)
)
)
)
)
$
)
$
22
" 3 ' ' " )
)
%
(
%
*
"
)
)
22
22 "
)
)
)
22
3 '
)
3 '
3 '
22
%
)
3 '
$
)
)
22
( 2
22 "
)
22
%
( 2
$
* * +
!
& "
& "
' & "
' % &
& ' %
' % 1 &
' % &
&
1 %
(
'
' %
&
&
%
'
%
#
"
& "
& "
22
22
& "
22
&
22
&
&
&
&
%
% ( % ) ""
22
22
%
!
' %
! (
!
' %
' %
' %
' %
&
' %
' %
%
!
@ & ( (
' &
%
<
# $ % & % (
""
@ & ( (
@ & ( (
@ & ( (
@ & ( (
'
@ & ( (
"
%
%
(
' %
' %
' ' %
(
& & '
(
'
(
' %
(
(
' %
' %
(
(
%
(
(
=
! (
(
'
(
(
'
(
(
%
(
( ( ( (
' (
(
(
(
(
(
(
'
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
%
(
% & & '
(
& & '
" (
(
(
(
%
(
>
(
(
(
(
( &
( ( ( (
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
%
(
(
$ B @ (
&
$ # & ! $ <"
(
(
(
(
%
(
( ( ( ( (
(
(
(
(
(
( (
(
( (
%
(
(
(
(
(
(
& ( (
( (
(
(
& C
(
(
(
(
"" $ 22
(
(
(
(
%
(
(
(
(
%
' 1 3
(
(
( (
( (
$
# " ( ( ( (
(
(
( (
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
%
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
( (
(
(
( (
(
(
(
$ &
# ! '
(
(
(
( "
(
(
%
(
$
(
$ #
(
(
(
(
,
"
$
(
'
( (
,
'
( (
,
"
"
( (
(
, %
"
(
,
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
( ( (
(
%
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
(
'
(
(
(
( (
(
(
(
(
( (
(
(
(
(
( (
(
(
(
(
$
(
(
"
(
(
"
(
!
!
!
(
'
(
! !
(
"
" &
"
" &
(
(
" %
"
(
(
"
!
!
!
!
)
)
"
% & "
$"
)
"
&
)
)
$"
)# !" ' )
)
)
%
)
)
$$
* -
! (
' D ! % 1 & &
% &
&
" ' # (& (&
( E 7 %
D ! % 1 &
(&
' (&
(&
' (&
(&
' (&
(&
' (&
(&
' (&
(&
' (&
(&
' (&
(&
' (&
(&
' (&
! "
# "
$ "
$ "
% "
"
' (( (&
'
( (&
% F 6
( (&
6 &
$#
% .
$
# !
'
'
$
%
( & 6 ( @ ( & (
4 %
" #
"
22
$ 9 & : % 1 1 1 & ' % ' 1
! # $ '
%
!
$!
2 ' % % 8 5
2 ' % % 8 5
+
$ 22
2 ' % % 8 5
# 2 ' % % 8 5
&
# $ 2
'
9 & : % 1 1 1 & ' % ' 1
!
22
22
22
! 2 ' % % 8 5
+
+
$<
!
22
'
+
22
22
+
22
2
'
!
'
!
'
%
$=
!
8#
$ #
! # %
! # %
! # %
!
$
%
$>
% .
$
# !
' %
' %
' %
' %
$ ' %
%
( (&
(
' ( ( (&
'
( ( (&
'
( ( (& '
%
( ( (& ( (& (
( (&
(
( (&
(
' ( ( ( ( (& (&
( ( ( ( (& (&
( ( ( ( (& (&
%
( ( ( ( (& (& ( (
(& ( (& (
( (&
& (&
"
"
$
( (& ( (&
( (&
& (& & (& & (& & (&
( (&
( (&
& (&
& (&
"
( (& ( (&
$
& (&
( (&
& (&
%
( (&
& (&
( (&
( (&
( ( (& (&
( ( (& (& ( ( (& (&
( ( (& (&
( (&
( (&
( (&
( (&
( (&
( (&
( (&
( (&
( (&
( (&
( (&
%
( (&
#
$
"
# $
# !
+
"
+
+
"
"
%
"
"
# ' ( /"
"
1 1
"
% 8 5
%
$ 1 1
#
%
"
! 5 & 1 #"
# 5 & 1 !"
'
$ 22
"
"
"
"
%
#
$ # '
%
$ '
# ! '
'
'
$
%
#$
%
& ' %
22
!
' # ! 22
22
'
$ 22
$ # 22
'
22
22
'
$ 22
$
%
##
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
! ! ! 22
)
) *
)
)
) *
) *
%
) *
) * ! ) ) (&
)
$
(&
# !
)
)
(&
)
(&
)
(&
)
(&
)
(&
(&
%
)
(&
#!
! ! ! ! '
'
%
! ! ! !
'
'
'
$
%
#<
'
%
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
%
)
)
#=
$
#
!
"
$
%
%
% .
'