Circumambulation Sean McFarland
Program Note Circumambulation was inspired by Lawrence Krauss’s Lecture “A Universe from Nothing.” In short, it describes the universe’s formation via entropy, a theory of the shape of the universe, and its ultimate untimely heat death. I decided to create the string quartet in a linear heterophony to, in more or less words, tell the story of the universe this way. The exposition is a microscopic look at the beginnings: a slow and churning force of nothing. Yet, slowly and surely, more and more comes about from this nothing. Matter bends and breaks and expands until black holes are formed. The creation of life is immensely boisterous. Life evolves from simple beings into complex thoughts and emotions, and the death of life is equally boisterous. From then, the Universe expands and cools into the form it was in the beginning, ending with the same tones it started with, with zero net force. This work was not only a challenge to write because of its programmatic content, but also because it was an exercise in writing complex music for student performers. A new notation system was developed for the fast passages so the performers didn’t need to spend countless hours practicing new-complexity-level content, but could still communicate the intricate ideas without compromising the work. Similarly, multiple extended techniques are used, but none too difficult for a student.
Circumambulation was premiered at the Sean McFarland Senior Recital in Baltimore, Maryland on November 1, 2013
Circumambulation Sean McFarland
q = c. 60 sul ponticello Violin I
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q = c. 60 sul ponticello Viola
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q = c. 60 sul ponticello Violin II
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q = c. 60 sul ponticello nat. Violoncello
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* - Repeat this group of notes for the duration of the dotted line.
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tempo primo (q = c. 60)
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tempo primo (q = c. 60)
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tempo primo (q = c. 60)
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midway up the fingerboard 12312
39
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* - Repeat this gesture as fast as possible using the specified fingers as close together as possible, shifting in the direction of the dotted line. Black noteheads indicate the specified pitch. x noteheads indicate unspecified pitch.
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a tempo 1059
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U rit.˙ ˙
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a tempo
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a tempo
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° œ bœ &
Scrunch Tone
˙ ˙ ˙
ff behind the bridge
Scrunch Tone
bœ
bœ
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U nœ œ
nœ
&
˙
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3
behind the bridge ff
Scrunch Tone
B bœ
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bœ
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behind the bridge 5
ff Scrunch Tone
U bœ
5
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¢
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˙
bœ
n ˙˙
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behind the bridge
G 86
nœ
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bœ
bœ
bœ
bœ
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bœ
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œ
nœ
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nat.*
° & b˙ bœ f
nat.*
& b˙ bœ f
nat.
b˙ *œ B f
bnat. ˙ b*œ ? ¢ f
* - Play each note significantly longer than the one before it. Do not coordinate between instruments.
14
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87
° &
¢
88 gradually towards the bridge ° œ. &
sul pont.
#œ.
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gradually towards the bridge
. œ &
sul pont.
œ.
œ. ppp
gradually towards the bridge
B œ.
sul pont.
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gradually towards the bridge
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# œ.
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¢ ppp