NOUS DEUX
théâtre musical pour tam-tam et violoncelle
YIFAN GUO
shooted at MusĂŠe d'Art Moderne de Paris in 2018, by Yifan Guo
Yifan Guo: Nous Deux (music theater for tam-tam and cello, 2019) In the summer of 2018, I went to the Zao Wou-Ki solo exhibition at Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris after my studies at the Conservatoire Américain de Fontainebleau. Of all the impressive paintings in the exhibition, I was deeply attracted by a middle-sized work, which was titled “Nous Deux.” This painting was finished in 1957, the same year of the artist’s divorce from Xie Jinglan (Lalan), his first wife. My first impression of the painting was a strong feeling of closeness; not a closeness between myself and the painting, but a closeness within the painting itself. The apparently unconstrained brush-strokes for the massive Chinese calligraphy-like patterns, as well as the symbolic scratches give a feeling of the relationship with a high-level trust and understanding. But after I saw the seeping reddish “mist” out of the black patterns, everything seemed clear to me, and my emotion towards this image turned immediately into distress, helplessness, and dissatisfaction. Like the despair that seeps out from an imaginative sweetness, but is, in fact, an oppressive shell, the falling black patch confirms this foreboding atmosphere once again. As Dominique de Villepin described, “The primordial couple is united by nothing else but the blaze of the in-between and the weight of a darkness that falls down from the top of the canvas.” This piece reflects the painting "Nous Deux" from the aspects of texture, brush-stroke, density, and many other kinds of visual information. Additionally, it's a fantasy of my understanding/reinterpretation to Zao Wou-Ki's inner world while he was working on the painting. The premiere was given by the PinkNoise Ensemble at the Experimental Theater at Guangzhou Opera House on December 8th, 2019; the Israel premiere was given by Ensemble I’tinéraire on December 31st, 2019.
Yifan Guo 12/30/2019 Tel Aviv, Israel
i
Performance Notes General:
Instrument preparation: Tam-tam:
higher:
Stick a little piece of coarse sandpaper (about 10cm*10cm, between P100~P150) at the back of the tam-tam.
lower:
1_ 4
1_ 6
micro intervals
short fermata
normal fermata
long fermata
Staffs and clefs: tam-tam:
œ œ œ
edge center edge
10"
fingerboard:
œ œ œ
body:
The timings are approximate and don't require exact accuracy.
bo:
end of the fingerboard
œ
2nd partial of harmonic near the nut
bell of the bo
irregular rhythm
player II (cellist):
œ œ
change very gradually from one sound to another
shoulder hip(s)
1 2 3 ...
É É É
Performance Materials: * * * * **
A: 50% B: 20% C: 30%
beans or plastic bullets (in a bottle)
shoe brush (rough hair)
electronic coffee whipper
sandpaper (P100~P150)
fingernail
bamboo cane
bo (chinese opera cymbal)
large tam-tam mallet
toilet brush
*Performance materials are available from the composer, please contact yifanguo.comp@gmail.com
10% 40% 50%
body movements (see page iv)
During the repeat section, change the proportion of repeated materials as indicated.
Musicians should wear a mask throughout the performance.
duration: 6’30”
ii
Cello:
Tam-tam: ** **** *
Æfiœ
O O O ææ æ æ
Sprinkle beans on the edge of the tam-tam. (w. beans) Press the coffee whipper on the tam-tam to stop its rotation. (w. coffee whipper) Rub and sweep on the surface with fast motion. (w. toilet/shoe brush or bamboo cane) Strum the cello strings. (w. toilet brush)
œ
arpeggio with the cello strings (w. toilet brush)
∏∏∏
œ
œ ç
œ2
œ é
œ2 ™ +™ o +™ o +™ o
dead stroke (w. bo) Strike the object then leave it immediately. (w. bo) scrape (w. bo) Approaching to the hit object then wave to obtain a wah-wah effect. (w. bo)
3
~~~ O ~~~~~
Touch the indicated object lightly to obtain a buzzing sound. (w. bo) dampen gradually dampen
M.S.P. molto sul ponticello S.P. sul ponticello P.O. position ordinary S.T. sul tasto BBB
over pressure with very slow bow
N. normal pressure
>
fingering noise
iii
Repetition signs: Various repeat signs are found throughout the piece, in some cases with nested or overlapping repeat brackets. Changes in dynamics apply to the entire repetition section. The dynamics don’t reset each time on the repeat. Roman numerals in boxes show the repeat section. The number of repeats given indicate the total number of repetitions. The repetition examples are as follows:
Pingpong repeat:
° ° I
II
..
.
I
IV
..
V
..
..
¢. ¢.
¢.
..
.
.
° II
.
° III
í¢™™ í¢™™ í¢™™
ü
V
..
example:
°
° °
III
..
¢. ¢. .
°
†
IV
..
..
ü
III
ü
..
† .† .
° ™ í¢™ IV
II
ü
..
I
ü
..
†
..
ü ™™î † IV
3x
..
†
III
ü
ü
II
ü
I
™™î ™™î ™ ™™î † †( †
=
( ™
Più mosso
Più mosso
G
Più mosso
Più mosso
O Più mosso
iv
Performance positions and actings: Various body movements are required throughout this performance. Musicians should observe the following acting instructions for their body movements when indicated. All the body movements and emotions should be exaggerated and violent. All the movements are variable and adjustable. Two music stands and two chairs (or benches) are needed. Other stage setting needs are as the first diagram below.
1
am
É
Player I (tam-tam) and player II (cello) are located as follows. Player I throws beans to the tam-tam irregularly and languidly. Player II plays with minimal body movement and emotion.
Tam -t
I
3 4
É
2
É
I
stage
stage
audience
audience
4
I
3
II
music stand walking/moving direction
Player I walks toward the tam-tam. Player II gradually plays with more body movement and emotion.
II
Player I walks toward player II, then plays the cello in front of player II in the next bar while player II is playing it. Player I takes the cello from player II then lays it on the floor slowly (the head in the right side), and gets down on one knee in front of the cello (facing the audience). Player II walks toward the tam-tam slowly after passing the cello to player I.
musician placement
II
5
Player I walks toward player II annoyingly. Player II turns scared after he/she is hit by player I.
6
Player II runs toward the cello, then kneels in front of it (facing the audience) and plays the laid cello. Both player I and II play with exaggerated body movement and emotion.
É
5
II
6
stage
stage
audience
audience
I
Hommage à Zao Wou-Ki
NOUS DEUX théâtre musical pour tam-tam et violoncelle Yifan Guo 1
É (RH)
Player I (tam-tam) (LH) (throw the beans to the tam-tam) * * * * * * * * ** * * * * * * mf
* * * *
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II
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© Yifan Guo 2019
2
* * *
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5 16 M.S.P.
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1
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= (place the coffee whipper on the tam-tam) (
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2 4
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f
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7 8 pizz.
3
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w
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pizz. arco (BBB )
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I
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mf
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5
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sf sff
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p p
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p
f
= (on) w+w
(off)
,
≈
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6 4
8 4
N. P.O. II arco
I II
3 III 1
4
2 3 2
1
1
2
3
4
2
3
2
1
2 1 4 2
3
3
2
1
3
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2 3 2
2
1
B II
5 4
fff
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nnœœ w.
ff pp
= (brush the cello strings)
3
4
É (off)
√
A¤(RH) Œ Œ Œ
I II III IV
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I w. + w
pp - mp (dynamic range)
5 4° I
II
II
° II
13 4 :“”;
I
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pppp
5
30"
œ œ œ œ ™î ™ ∏∏∏
∏∏∏ ∏∏∏
≈ Q Œ é
í ™™ œ œ œ œ œ
™™î
∏∏∏
A: mf
∏∏∏
I
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∏∏∏
II III
í ™™ œ
∏∏∏
A) ¤
∏∏∏ ∏∏∏
(
I II III IV
A: 33.33% B: 33.33% C: 33.33%
(strike the cello strings with bo, then wave to II obtain a wah-wah effect) III
40% 10% 50%
pp - mp B:
II III
C:
+ o+ o+ o+ o+ o+ o > , ~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~ ™™î í ™™ >œ2 ™ ™ ™ ™ ™ ™ ™ ™™î í ™™ œ2 O
(rub on the cello strings with bo gently)
í ™™ O
™™î
mf mf 3
3
20" (rub the sandpaper at the back with slower motion)
(rub at the front with slower motion)
√ A: II
í ™™ œ
™™î
B:
í ™™ œ
™™î
(pick up the beans on the floor, and throw to the tam-tam)
C:
í ™™ *
™™î
*
A: 45% B: 40% C: 15%
25% 25% 50%
*
* *
ppp - pp
ppp - p
p
=
25"
(
)
U I
II III
>œ2 , +™ o +™ o +™ o ~~~~ ~~ 5 œ O œ œ ™ œ ™™î E:í ™™ D: í ™ ç çœçœçœç œ ç ç O œœ ç ç ç
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3
mf 5
p
mf
A: 25% B: 5% I C: 20% D: 30% E: 25%
10% 0% 10% 40% 50%
A: 30% II B: 35% C: 10% D: 25%
0% 0% 50% 50%
(cue the end of the previous section) (brush the edge)
* ********* *
U
œ œ D:
II
œ
í ™™
œ
œ ™™î
5
mp
6
25" (
(strike the bo A: 10% with tail) C: 15%
A¤) í ™™ Oæ
œ ™™î
D: 40% E: 20% F: 15%
p - mp f
U
I (
0% 0% 33.33% 33.33% 33.33%
F:
)
í ™™ œé œé œé œé œé œé
™™î
p - mf
A: 40% B: 30% C: 10% D: 20%
(cue the end of the previous section)
U
27% 0% 50% 33%
* **** sfff
II
6
=
5
É >œ ≈ ‰ Œ Œ Ó
(strike the shoulder)
É œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ 3
U
3
3
3
(strike the hip of player II) 5
>œ
>œ
>œ
>œ
>œ
>œ
3
p
ff
Œ Œ
sff
‰ ~~~~~ ~~ ~~~~~~~ œ ≈ ~~~~~~ O J ‰
Bow (
)
Ϫ 2
Ϫ 2 Ϫ 2
Ϫ 2 Ϫ 2 Ϫ 2
sff (pour out beans from the bottle)
U
5 4
2 4
* * * * ** * * * * * * * * * *
* *
* * *
* * * * *
3 4
*
1 4 8+ 4 *** **
*
* * *
5 sfff 4
3 8 Ó
≈ ‰ ‰ Œ Œ Ó
Ó
II
J (cue the end of the previous section)
= (
ææ
)
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ææ
> œ
>œ >> œ œ >œ >œ ææ O
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I (
sff )
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ff
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sff
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mf
ff
3
mf mf (volume should be balanced)
f
II III
3 8
II III
II
III III II I 3 I II III IV >. III 3 IV III II ™ O O™ O O œ œ œ œ O ™ O œ- œ O O ≈ ≈ œ œ œ œ œ O œ œ œ O O >œ ≈ Œ ‰ ≈ ‰ œ‰ O œ œ œ œ œ œ™ œ œ > > - -æ > >æ 3 5 sf p mp sf 5 5 7 sff
I II
3
5
ΠII
f sf
p
p
sf
sff
3
Œ
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mp sf
3
6
p
f mf
ff
7 (
)
r æ O
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æ æ
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ff
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mf
)
p
p
3
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ff ......
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3 8
ff
3
ff
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I
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3
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3
ff
5 4
3 8 I II
O1 O4 O2 O3 O2 O1 O3 O2 O1 O2 O4 O3 O1 O4 O2 O3 O2 O1 O3 O2
II III
2 1 3 2 12 4 3 III IV
II
3
œ ‰ ™ æ ææ
II
O ‰ œ- œ œ- œ œ œ œ œ œ œ æ > >- > 3
q.
p
f
p
5
sff
1 42 3 2 1 32 1 2 4 3
II
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ffff sfff
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q.
p
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= (
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ææ O
‰
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fff
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fff
p
sff
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ææ
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5 5
3
3
ff sf
sf mf
mf
f sf
3 8
5 4 II III
2x I II
mp
fff
5 4
° O1 O2 O4 O3 O1 O4 O2 O3°II 2O O1 O3 O2 O1 O2 O4 O3 IIü O1 O4 O2 O3 Iü I
IV III
O Œ
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II
œ ‰
æær œ
ææ œ
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