Clepsydrafor Percussion, Cello, Trumpet and Flute

William Pearson

Performance Notes

Percussion:

Wire brushes used throughout.

Glockenspiel Staff

Bass drum Staff

Glockenspiel is laid on top of bass drum vertically so that “white notes” are on the right and “black notes” are on the left. The notation is essentially transcribed, re-written by the percussionist on the indicated key with the wire brushes.

The thickness or darkness of the inscription indicates how much pressure should be applied.

LONG stems represent the INNER edge of the glockenspiel key. SHORT stems represent the OUTER edge.

Horizontal dashed lines outside of the staff indicate motion without physical contact with the instrument. (Ex: 2’48” - 2’49” - both hands begin at the INNER edge of the indicated keys, moving towards the OUTER edge, first scribbling quickly on on indicated keys, then continuing to move without making contact with the instrument.)

The bass drum is placed flat, like a table. The glockenspiel on top separates the drumhead into two halves, one for each hand.

The notation is essentially transcribed, re-written by the percussionist on the indicated key with the wire brushes.

The thickness or darkness of the inscription indicates how much pressure should be applied.

LONG stems represent the INNER edge of each half of the drum head (the glockenspiel edge). SHORT stems represent the OUTER edge of each half of the drum head (the outer edge of the table).

The same notational rules apply to the bass drum and the glockenspiel.

Cello:

Cello Staff

The top half of the cello staff indicates how the left hand should move along the neck.

The thickness or darkness of the inscription indicates how much pressure should be applied.

The X on this staff indicates a MUTING GRIP, resulting in little or no discernible pitch when bowing. Changes in pressure will affect the quality and the amount of discernible pitch - total pitchlessness is not expected.

The O indicates a HARMONIC GRIP, where the fingers lightly touch the string as it would when playing a natural harmonic.

The bottom half of the cello staff indicates how the bow should move along the strings.

The five lines of the bottom staff are, from top to bottom: A String, D String, G String, C String, Bridge.

The thickness or darkness of the inscription indicates how much pressure should be applied. Darkest lines should be scratchy, very light lines should be flautando.

Notation written ALONG a string-line, as in the example above, indicates VERTICAL bowing along the indicated string. Notation written DIAGONAL to a string-line indicates HORIZONTAL or traditional bowing along the indicated string.

As in the percussion notation, LONG and SHORT stems delineate “edges”.

LONG stems indicate the UPPER or TASTO edge, while SHORT stems indicate the LOWER or PONTICELLO edge. The UPPER edge (tasto) will change depending on the location of the left hand. The bow should never touch the left hand. However, the bow should never venture any higher than a comfortable molto sul tasto, even if the left hand is at the very top of the neck. The initial placement of the bow on the string should be in a comfortable position for the vertical bowing - about four inches from the frog.

Trumpet :

If traditional horizontal bowing is indicated (with diagonal notation) the LONG stem indicates the frog, the SHORT stem indicates the tip.

Horizontal dashed lines outside of the staff indicate motion without physical contact with the instrument.

The top half of the trumpet staff indicates how breath is used.

The larger middle section of the top half, marked BREATH, simply indicates unpitched breath through the instrument. The thickness of the notation indicates the intensity of the breath.

BLACK (filled-in) notation indicates EXHALINGWHITE (empty) notation indicates INHALING

Inhaling needn’t be actually through the trumpet, but the mouth should still be touching the mouthpiece, so that the friction of the air around the mouthpiece or through nearly closed lips can be heard.

The top section, marked BUZZ, indicates pitched buzzing into the instrument. Thickness of notation indicates the intensity of the buzzing, and, to an imprecise extent, pitch.

The bottom section, marked VOICE, indicates pitched singing into the instrument. Thickness of notation indicates the intensity of the sings, and, to an imprecise extent, pitch.

The bottom half of the trumpet staff indicates how the valves are depressed.

Ideally, all inhalation and exhalation by the performer is indicated in the piece, and there are several sections where the performer must hold her breath. If such indications are uncomfortable to the performer, please disregard them with care to preserve the sonic intent.

Flute :

The top half of the flute staff indicates how breath is used.

The larger middle section of the top half, marked BREATH, simply indicates unpitched breath over the instrument. The thickness of the notation indicates the intensity of the breath. Pitch is to be avoided in all but the most intense breath.

BLACK (filled-in) notation indicates EXHALINGWHITE (empty) notation indicates INHALING

The top section, marked TONE, indicates an embouchure and air-flow to created pitched tone through the instrument. Thickness of notation indicates the intensity of the air-flow, and, to an imprecise extent, pitch.

The bottom section, marked VOICE, indicates pitched singing into the instrument. Thickness of notation indicates the intensity of the sings, and, to an imprecise extent, pitch.

The bottom half of the flute staff indicates how the keys are depressed with each hand. Completely filled in notation indicates that all of the keys are closed, completely empty notation indicates that all of the keys are open.

The middle line between the BREATH staff and the KEY staff indicates rotation of the flute. The thicker the line, the more curled-in the flute is.

Ideally, all inhalation and exhalation by the performer is indicated in the piece, and there are several sections where the performer must hold her breath. If such indications are uncomfortable to the performer, please disregard them with care to preserve the sonic intent.

Staging :

tpt

perc

flute

Cello

projector

Screen (on the ground, 6’)

Semi-transparent Screen (6’ up)

Audience

light light

The two lights should be relatively dim, and should shine “through” the bodies of the performers, amplifying their physicality in shadow onto a floor-level screen behind them. The performer’s faces should not be illuminated. The score should be projected onto a suspended semi-transparent screen so that the performers are able to read their music in the dark, without a conductor. The score should scroll automatically on the screen. On the reverse side of the suspended screen screen, the changing shapes of the score should be visible to the audience. The suspended score-screen and the shadowed floor-level screen should be as similar as possible in brightness and definition.

But there was no statement At the beginning. There was only a breathless waste,

A dumb cry shaping everything in projected After-effects orphaned by playing the part intended for them,

Though one must not forget that the nature of this Emptiness, these previsions,

Was that it could only happen here, on this page held Too close to be legible, sprouting erasures, except that they

Ended everything in the transparent sphere of what was Intended only a moment ago, spiraling further out, its

Gesture finally dissolving in the weather. It was the long way back out of sadness

Of that first meeting: a half-triumph, an imaginary feeling Which still protected its events and pauses, the way A telescope protects its view of distant mountains

And all they include, the coming and going, Moving correctly up to other levels, preparing to spend the night

There where the tiny figures halt as darkness comes on, Beside some loud torrent in an empty yet personal landscape.

from Clepsydra by John Ashbery

William Pearson

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