STEPHEN SPENCER
VESPER FOR STRING QUARTET AND ELECTRONICS 2019
PERFORMANCE NOTES DISPOSITION OF INSTRUMENTS This piece is to be performed in an antiphonal configuration (see diagram below). The quartet is to be divided into two duos, with violin I and violoncello located on the left (house left; stage right), and violin II and viola located on the right (house right; stage left). The L and R in the score refers to house left and right. The two duos should be spaced as far apart as possible without hindering the ability to communicate.
violoncello
viola
violin I
violin II
L
R (AUDIENCE)
ELECTRONIC REQUIREMENTS & SET-UP This performance of this piece requires the following: One (1) Mac computer/laptop running Mac OSX 10.8.5 or later. One (1) MIDI foot-pedal. One (1) MIDI device/keyboard to convert foot-pedal presses to MIDI (plugged in to CPU via USB) One (1) Audio I/O device to send output from computer to speakers. Two (2) speakers, L and R, each placed as close as possible to the duo located on that side of the stage. Note: Amplification of the ensemble is not necessary nor recommended. Max patch and instructions available upon request from the composer: sspencer1@gradcenter.cuny.edu
NOTATION GUIDE Microtones indicate an approximate deviation (10-25 cents) from equal temperament in the direction shown. II
au talon
poco.
Rectangular noteheads represent muffled tones produced by dampening the strings with the left hand. The result should be an airy sound that should not contain any clearly audible pitches. When paired with glissando, extra care should be taken not to produce any clear harmonics. Indicates a tremolo between a stopped note and an artificial harmonic (in the written example, the performer is to rapidly and lightly touch the harmonic node located around a minor third above the stopped note) Boxes indicate various degrees of bow pressure. Partly filled boxes (with and without poco) indicate a moderate amount of overpressure; completely filled boxes represent a completely saturated and distorted sound. The empty/while box represents a regular amount of bow pressure. Gradual changes between states are shown with an arrow. Triangular noteheads represent the highest possible notes on the indicated strings.
ST: sul tasto SP: sul ponticello mST: molto sul tasto mSP: molto sul ponticello ord: ordinary bow placement (cancels ST, SP, mST, mSP) norm: normal bow technique (cancels punta d’arco, au talon)
VESPER q = 68
Violin I
& 44
L Cello
? 44
-̇
mST
R
4 & 4 J˙ !
mST
B 44 K ˙!
6
Vln. I
"
2
OO
mST
Viola
44 œ b ‚ b œ #
ST sempre flaut.
OO
OO q = 68
Violin II
œ OO
44 œj ‰ œ œ ‚ p #
ST sempre flaut.
"
42
Ó
! 1
42
Ó
mST
Ó
2 4
Ó
42
bO
œ œ ‚ # P ‰
œ OO
b œ- .
j œ ‰ Lœ P
— æ !
poco.
kœ n‚
I
"
4 4
"
44
Vc.
OO
"
"
Œ
ord. sempre flaut.
"
"
"
"
OO
Œ
au talon – k œ – –– @ @ # IV
ric.
Vln. II
R
& œO j ‰ ‰ !j @ bœ œ œ B Oœ p
norm.
Vla.
Ȯ-
œ J ‰ O œ p F
O O ‰ k œJ œ Oœ Oœ L L Oœ Ȯ # P
œ @
j j !j Oœ @ –– ‰ L œO œO –– P ! p III
b˙ !
au talon
œ @
––@ ! III
ric.
œO
œ ‚
bœ. æ
œ @J
ST
#
OO
-̇
j œ- ‰ ‚ p œ b œ# ˙
"
OO ric.
˙ ! #
ST
"
"
OO
k œO
sempre flaut.
4
Elec.
b b -Ȯ #
au talon
"
"
J ‰ Œ
œ
L
?
œ œ
poco.
P 3
OO
j œ ‰ Œ
œ
A
"
&
J˙
kœ ‚
̇
A
j ˙!
Elec.
S. SPENCER (2019)
Lœ P
bO
punta d'arco
œ OO
̇
poco.
ord. -̇ ord. II – b O au talon – O O –– b œ k œ œ –– J !J @ @ p P #
Ó Ó
2
Vln. I
L Vc.
& œ ‚ ˙ — — ? ‰ @J @ k œ ˙ !
IV
j ‰ œ@ œ #
Lœ p O
˙
p
OO
Elec.
Vln. II
11
punta d'arco
bO
— III poco. æ kœ œ j œ œ ! P
j œ! œ-
œ æ #
I
norm.
‰ æœ
bœ @
punta d'arco
OO
norm.
œ œ J
poco.
œ P
OO
‚ œ œ #
œ
̇
˙
œ b‚
œ b‚ ˙
O
— — ‰ @J @ k œ ˙ !
OO
Lœ P O
OO
&
"
"
"
"
"
B
"
"
"
"
"
R Vla.
̇
16 poco.
Vln. I
L Vc.
&
5
Elec.
Vln. II
R
œ
? >œ P
poco.
j œ ‰
Œ
"
"
"
œ J
Œ
"
"
"
‰
œ OO
OO
& ‰ b Oj O bœ œ p
j ‰ b œ! O kœ #
B ‰ !œJ @œ p
œ ! !œ
au talon
Vla.
ric.
au talon
Oœ
norm.
k Ͼ
OO ric.
K K œO
norm.
ric. Oœ b œ œ
œO ˙ !
au talon
œO b b œO
OO
j œO ––@
au talon
Kœ @
b Oœ-
norm.
#
–– @
L L Oœ Oœ J P norm.
k k Ȯ
Oœ
poco.
ric.
kœ p
Oœ- œ @ P #
b b Oœ œ @
Oœ
ric.
Oœ-
20 Vln. I
2 4
"
&
4 4
"
L Vc.
?
42
"
44 Œ
"
OO
OO
O K K Oœ & œJ
–– k œ . 2 J 4 @
Vln. II
R Vla.
Oœ b b Oœ œ B ! ric.
25
Vln. I
L Vc.
& ˙ #
–– @
–– æ#
œ–– œ ! 42
O
œ. ord. I
OO
&
poco.
— . — k >œ ? œ œ œ æ æ
Elec.
Vln. II
Oœ Oœ J
II
j Lœ œ. F
poco.
>˙
F
B
L >œ
poco.
j
44
œ ˙ O #
̇
#
OO
"
4 4
b˙
k œ ‚ K œ- œ # p
b œ- œ œ p
6
Elec.
B
ST
œ OO
œ b‚ œ @ # P
j Lœ œ
œ. b œp
>˙
j œ ˙
P
O
b œ œ æ æ
‰ œJ œ
œ bœ J #
B
"
"
bœ
mSP
œ.
mSP
"
Ͼ
œ @œ K œJ J
"
"
"
̇
f
̇
ord. œ b œ b ‚ œ b ‚ k >œ
f 7
OO
"
œ
"
j j ord. k œ œ œ L œj
œ
Œ
œ
Œ
œ OO
"
R Vla.
œ
OO
˙
j œ bœ @
˙ b O n œæ #
œ œ b‚ @ P #
œ @
Ó
F
mSP
poco.
OO
OO
"
bœ @
ST
3
"
œO P ‰ @œ P
j – ––J @ b O O œO œ œ æ– Oœ b b Oœ J
ric.
––æ
4
30 Vln. I
&
"
?
"
– au talon – –– @J ‰ Ó æ # II
L Vc.
Œ
–– æ #
–– æ p
Ó
–– @J ‰ Œ
III
au talon
–– @J ‰
I
‰ –!j –@ – – IV
42 ––@ #
44 j ‰ œ- ˙ p
––@
–– 42 @J ‰
–– æ p
II
––@
C
O
œ-
ST 44 ‰ œ œ b ˙ J p
O
ST
Œ
8
OO
Elec.
Vln. II
R Vla.
– O !j ‰ –– – œ ! b œ œ & æ @ –– Oœ B @J
35
Vln. I
& ˙
O
?@
IV mSP
‚ ‚
œ æ
œ-
‚ #
OO
Elec.
Vln. II
Oœ Oœ b b Oœ J
̇
L Vc.
OO
— æ &
b Oœ
au talon
au talon
ric.
B
œ @ P
˙ @ #
K Oœ ˙ ! # poco.
b œ@
OO
b O Oœ ‰ œ!j œ!j ‰ œJ # œ! P
— æ I
œ !
œ @
III mSP
‚.
#
Ó
— — ‰ æJ æ
"
Ó
24 OœJ Oœ
Oœ b b Oœ Oœ ..
IV mSP
‰ b ‚ ‚ œ@ œ@ œ œ œ@ J - #
‚ ‚ ‚ ‚ bœ œ œ œ æ æ OO
— æ
Ó — æ !
— @J ‰
Ó
n Oœ J F
poco.
j bO O œO 42 œO œO b œ œ
#
OO
Œ
Oœ J
norm.
— — ord. j @ œ œ b‚ œ ‚ J æ !
R Vla.
OO
œ OO
C
44 Oœ
œ
p
44 Oœ F
poco.
œ
p
j ord. œ@ k œ ‚ œ ‚ œ II ord.
˙
O
— æ
— æ p
Ó
I
OO
Œ
Œ
— ‰ æJ
— — ‰ @J æ
— æ — æ
— æJ ‰ Ó p
Œ
— ‰ æJ !
Ó
j Lœ kœ ‚
39 Vln. I
L Vc.
& œ
? >œ 9
R Vla.
j ––@ ‰
IV
au talon
––æ #
j j ‰ œO œO œO œO ric.
& ‰ œO P B Œ
& Ó
Oœ b Oœ Oœ @
œ æ P
Œ ––æ p
III
? –æ –– ‰ Ó – @J p III
Vc.
Œ
œ p
Œ
IV au talon
––æ #
–– ‰ Ó @J
Ó
Ó III
––æ p
Œ
OO
43
L
œ F 3
œ
Vln. I
OO
Elec.
Vln. II
5
II
œ !
au talon
œO œO œO b b Oœ
Œ –– æ P
OO
Œ –– æ P II
–– @J ‰ Œ
––æ
au talon
œ @
–– @J ‰ Œ
– –– @J ‰ æ– F I
–– æ P
O .. œ
b˙ !
œ æ
D
–– @J ‰ Œ
–– –I @J ‰ – æ F
Vla.
Oœ Oœ O ‚ œ ‚ ‚. ‚ ! ! ‰ J J œ ‚ œ J
B œ Œ
b b Oœ k k Oœ œ œ j ‚ . ! ! @ @ ‚ ‚ ‚ b‚ ‚ ‚ œ bœ. œ œ ‰ !
R
!
IV mSP
––@
––@
ord.
Oœ J
O
Lœ J f
ric.
#
mSP
Œ œ OO
D
Ȯ
>Ȯ
f
mSP
‚
P
‚ b‚ œ
j ––@ ‰
––æ P
‰ j ‚ œ œ œ œ ˙ ‚ ‚ ƒ P > II
–– ‰ Œ @J
–– –– æ @ #
O LO O ‰ œ L œJ œ F
–– –– k Oœ æ @
Oœ
Faster IV
–– @J ‰
O æ
‰ b‚
––@
Oœ Oœ œO J J
norm.
OO III mSP
––æ #
IV
OO
norm.
& n!˙
II
Vln. II
OO
Œ
IV –– j @J ‰ ‰ ––! ––@ #
10
Elec.
–– @J ‰
OO
ric.
–– @J ‰ Œ
––æ p
III
>˙
ƒ
œ
Oœ
F
#
j 2 ‚ 4
j ‚ ‚ #
‚. ‚ ‚ ‚ p III
2 4
OO
Faster
Œ
— — — — J æ ‰ æ ‰ æJ æ !
— — ‰ @J æ !
— — æ æJ ‰ Œ
Œ
42
— æ
42
6
2 4 & 4 œ bœ œ œ œ 4 œ mSP
48 Vln. I
L Vc.
? 42 œ . œ b œ æ
Elec.
Vln. II
R Vla.
–– &æ P
L
I
œ
I –– @J ‰ –– æ #
–– æ p
II
? Œ –– æ P
OO
œ œ œ mSP œ . œb œ J p
4 ‰ Oœ œO b œ 4 J @ P 44 Œ b Oœ P
–– @J
–– – @J ‰ æ– F
œ@
‰ œ p
œ Oœ œ-
mSP
Vln. II
R Vla.
& œ p
B œ @ p
œ œ b œ k œ‰ J
j ‰ bœ œ œ æ æ p mSP
P
˙
œ
‚ . ‚ ‚ b ‚ ‚ œ œJ œ
j œ œ
‚ ‚ ord. œ œ œ ‚ J ‚ ‚.
œ J
̇
ƒ
˙
Œ
— — ‰ æJ æ !
— — ‰ @J æ !
— æ
kœ
œ œ J
˙ ƒ
Lœ ˙ J ƒ
OO
— — ‰ æJ æ — æJ ‰ Ó
̇
Œ
œ p
ƒ
œ
b˙ ƒ
Œ
p
OO
— — ‰ æJ æ !
— — ‰ @J æ !
f
OO
E
f
ord.
œ OO
œ œ Lœ bœ œ ‰ J ƒ
#œ J
œ
œ
E
‰ æœ œ æœ J p
OO
œ œ J
ord. b œ œ-
œ P
–– mSP @J b œ . œ OO
j œ
j œ bœ
mSP
Œ
12
13
Elec.
–– @J
–– – @J ‰ æ–
ord.
–– – @J ‰ ‰ æ– F I
Vc.
j ‰ ––! ––@ # III
au talon
–– – @J ‰ ‰ æ–
I –– –– @J ‰ æ #
OO
— 2 B 4 @J ‰ Œ
53
Vln. I
11
— — 2 ‰ æJ æ &4
Œ
44 œ æ
OO
–– æ p
II
au talon
— æ
O ‰ œ œOJ b œ . œ œ F mSP
O b œ b Oœ bmSP J ˙ ‰ @ F
–
@
2 œJ 4
‰ Œ
––
I
2 – 4 æ P
œ
f
4 4 4 4
OO
œ œ œ Lœ ‚ œ ‚ ‰ ‚J ‚ ‚ 42 P I
Œ
II mSP
Œ
‚ ‚ b‚ ‰ J ‚ ‚ J P II mSP
‚ 2 œ J 4
œ kœ
44 4 4
& 44 œ
58 Vln. I
L
— æ
! œ! b œ œæ ƒ mSP
Ͼ
‰ œ!j œ! œ! b œ æ
Ͼ
˙ bO
œ æ
œ æ
œ @
? 44 ‰ œ !œ b œ œ œ œ # œ !œ b!œ ˙ @ !J !J ƒ mSP
Vc.
14
R
4 &4
œ
f
B 44 –– æ f
II
Vla.
OOO
OO
Elec.
Vln. II
œ OOO
bO
–– @
bœ. ! ƒ
mSP
œ
œœ !
>œ æ
œ œ œ œ ! ! !
OOO
OO
œ œ ˙
œ@
‰ b œj œ b Oœ œ œO @ @ @
I
—.
œ ˙ O æ æ
–– @
Œ
O
œ@
˙ >
˙ ˙
œ@ ˙@
U
˙ Ï
U ̇
Ï
Ó Ó
OOO
OOO
I – –– – æ æ œ@ ˙@
œ@
˙
OOO
OOO
—. œO œ . œ œ b œ œ ˙ @J ! ! æ –– æ
œ
OOO
OOO
Oœ .. æ ƒ
j œ! œ@ # œj ˙
7
OOO
b˙ >
˙
> ˙
n˙
̇
U
Ï
̇
U
Ï
Ó Ó