how can a contemporary composer use film to enhance music?
TRANSCRIPT
Howcanacontemporarycomposerusefilmtoenhancemusic?
PhilDavison
Scores,Audio-VisualMaterialsandExegesisSubmittedinfulfilmentoftherequirementsofthedegreeof
DoctorofMusicalArtsUniversityofOtago,
Dunedin,NewZealand
Volume2:ScoresandAudio-VisualMaterials
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INTRODUCTIONThisdocumentispresentedtoclarifyandcontextualizetheresearchthatconstitutesthisDMAportfolio.Theresearchispresentedintwovolumes.Volume1describesthetheoreticalbackgroundandconceptsthatunderpintheresearch,aswellasdescribingthecreativeprojects.Volume2(thisdocument)containsscoresthatwereusedinthecreationofsomeoftheworksreferredtointhisdocumentandaudio-visualmaterials.
ThisdocumentcontainsscoresforTwentyNocturnesandtwopiecesfromtheconclusiontoDealin’withtheDevil,(scoredforgospelsinger,stringquintetandgospelchoir):WheretheseaMeetstheSkyandLittleBitofHeaven.
TherearenoscoresforBoilerPointortheothermusicinDealin’withtheDevilsincethesepieceswerecreatedwithoutnotation.
TheaudioandvideofilesthatrelatetothesescoresaresuppliedasdiscsandareduplicatedonaUSBflashdriveandasonlinelinks.
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TableofContents
Introduction ii
TableofContents iii
Audio-visualMaterials iii
USBFlashDrive iv
1. TwentyNocturnes 1
1.1. PerformanceNotes 22. TwentyNocturnes(draftversion) 283. GospelConcertScores 57
3.1. WheretheSeaMeetstheSky 58
3.2. LittleBitofHeaven 61
Audio-VisualMaterials
AudioCDs
PhilDavison:TwentyNocturnes(firstiteration)
Dr.Marigaux:SnakeOil
Dr.Marigaux:SonofDust
Dr.Marigaux:Grit
DVDs
BoilerPoint/TwentyNocturnes(seconditeration)
Dealin’withtheDevil
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Audio-VisualMaterialsonUSBFlashDriveAccompanyingthisdocumentisaUSBFlashDrivethatcontainsalloftheaudioandvideofilesreferredto.TheaudioandvideofilesfromtheCDsandDVDsmentionedaboveareduplicatedonthisdrive.
Thefolderstructureispresentedbelow
audio_only(folder)
o grit(foldercontainingaudiofiles)
o sonof_dust(foldercontainingaudiofiles)
o snake_oil(foldercontainingaudiofiles)
o twenty_nocturnes-1st_iteration(foldercontainingaudiofiles)
examples(folder)
o chapter_5-2.2(folder)
1st_midnight.mp3
2nd_midnight.mp3
1st_night_in_hospital.mp3
2nd_hospital_at_night.mp3
o chapter_5-4-3d(folder)
hieronymous.mp4
o chapter_5-5-3a(folder)
hazel_marigaux_draft.mp4
o chapter_5-5-4(folder)
dust.mp4
planting_skip_james.mp4
o chapter_5-4-6b(folder)
why.mp4
films(folder)
o boiler_point.mov
o dealin_with_the_devil.m4v
o twenty_nocturnes.mov
pdf(folder)
o pd_exegesis_vol1.pdf
o pd_exegesis_vol2.pdf(thisdocument)
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1. TwentyNocturnesThispieceispresentedintwoiterations.
Thefirstiterationcomesfromatwo-dayrecordingsessioninMaramahallwhereIcomposedandrecordedthepieces.IsatatthepianoexperimentinguntilIfoundaninterestingideaandthenrecordedmyperformance.ThisprocessisdiscussedindetailinVolume1(5.2.1).Thisiterationpresentedasanaudio-onlyCD,andhasnoscores.
SubsequentlyInotatedtheseperformancestomaketheseconditeration.Thenotationprocessinvolvedconsiderablerevisionandre-composition.TheresultingscoreswerethenrecordedbypianistTomMcGrath.ThisprocessisdescribedindetailinVolume1(5.2.2)TheresultingrecordingswerethenusedinthefilmTwentyNocturnes.
Thescoresinthisdocumentwerethescoresusedtomaketherecordingsheardinthefilm(seconditeration),nottheaudio-onlyCD(firstiteration).
Thepiecescanbeperformedlive,withorwithoutvideo.Notesareprovidedbelowonhowthevideoshouldbeprojected.Howeverforthepurposesofthisportfolio,thefilmTwentyNocturnesontheUSBdriveandonDVDshouldberegardedasthedocumentofthework.
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1.1. PerformanceNotes
PhilDavison
TwentyNocturnesForAmplifiedPiano
Thesepiecesrequireaveryexpressiveplayer.Alltheexpressionanddynamicindicationsshouldbetakenasexamplesonly.Theperformerneedstopenetratetotheemotionalheartofthepieces,andthentheycanplaythepiecesastheyfeelthem.Ifyouneedthedynamicindicationswrittendownyouareprobablynottheidealperformerforthesepieces.Ifyoupenetratetotheheartofthepiece,mistakesareimpossible.
Thepieces,especiallythosewithoutbarlines,needtoberegardedasZenkoans,oraspuzzles.Thereisnosinglecorrectsolution.Dynamicandexpressionmarks,andevennotedurationsareintendedascluestohelptheperformersolvethepuzzle,notasrulesthatmustbefollowed.Thedynamicmark“sim.”meansthattherearenomorecluesprovidedandtheperformermustfindtheirownsolutions.
Thatsaid,ingeneral,isolatedhighnotesaretobeplayedveryloudly.Theintentistomaketheotherstringsresonatesympathetically.Isolatedhighnotesplayedƒƒƒorevenƒƒƒƒ,withthesustainpedalhelddown,canhaveasurprisinglycalmeffect.
Manyofthepiecesindicatethatthesustainpedalshouldbehelddowntomaximizetheeffectofsympatheticresonance,andliftingthepedalsuddenlyduringthesepieceswillbeproblematic.Wheretherearenopedalindications(andevenwherethereareupanddownindications)theperformershouldregardthepedalasanexpressivetooltobeusedastheyseefit.
Inpieceswithoutbarlines,accidentalsareappliedtoeachnotealthoughcourtesynaturalsignsareusuallyprovidedtoavoidanyconfusion.
Thescoreswithoutbarlinesarelaidoutgraphically.Notesthatarepositionedclosetogetheronthepageshouldbeperformedcloselytogether.
Asfaraspossibleeachsystemcontainsasinglemusicalidea.
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AmplificationItisintendedthatthepianoisclose-mic’dandamplified.Theamplifiedsoundneedstobecompressedandenvelope-shapedtoremovealltheattack.Thepurposeofthisistoamplifythesympatheticresonanceonly.Theaudienceshouldheartheattackfromthepianoacoustically,withthesympatheticresonancesubtlyreinforced.Theoveralleffectoftheamplificationshouldbesubtle.
LiveperformancewithvideoThereisafilmversionofthesepieces.Eachpieceofmusicispairedwithavideoimagethatrelatestothemusiconanemotionallevel.Thevideoimagesarepreciselyeditedtotheaudiorecording.
Thesepiecescanbeperformedwithvideoprojectedonascreenaboveorbehindtheperformer.Thisrequiresaprojectionisttore-synchthevideobetweeneachpiecesothatthepianistcanfocusonthedeliveringthebestperformancewithoutworryingabouttheamountoftimetaken.
Theprojectionistneedstohaveavideofilepreparedthathasextendedvideoclips:eachvideoclipneedstobeatleastoneminutelongerthantheversioninthefilm.Theprojectionistshouldfollowthescore,andwhenthepianistreachestheendofeachpieceshouldadvancethefilmtothenexttitlecard,thusallowingthevideotoremaininsynchwiththemusicwithoutrequiringthepianisttoworryaboutprecisetiming.
Inthefilmversiontherearemanymusicalgesturesthatrelateexactlytoeventsonthescreen.Inaliveperformancethiswillnotbepossible.Itismoreimportantforthepianisttofocusonperformingthepieceswithasmuchempathyaspossiblethantoworryaboutsynchronizingmusicalgestureswiththevideo.Themainemphasisneedstobeonthepianistcommunicatingtheessenceofthemusictotheaudience:iftheperformerfindstheyareworryingaboutvideosynchronizationtheyshouldfocusonthemusic,andletsynchronicitytakecareofthesynchronization.
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1.2. TwentyNocturnes(draftversion)ThescoresthatfollowarethefirstdraftofthescoresfortheTwentyNocturnes,andarepresentedasformativeworkonly.
Ipreparingthescoresitseemedtomethatthescorescontainedtoomuchinformation,andthattheessenceofthesepieceswasbettercommunicatedtoaperformerwithminimalinformation.ThisdecisionisdiscussedindetailinVolume1(5.2.2).Thescoresbelowshowthefirstdraftofthescores,beforeIremovedasmuchperformanceinformationasIcould.
Notealsothatsomeofthetitleshavebeenchangedinresponsetothevideoimagerythatisintendedtosupportthemusic.ThisisdiscussedinVolume1(5.2.3).
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2. GospelConcertScoresThescoresbelowarethescoresfortwopiecespresentedinthegospelconcertneartheendofDealin’WiththeDevil(beginningat1:26:08and1:31:05).
Thescoresarewrittenforspecificperformers:AnnaBowenandCraigMonk(violin).AlanStarret(viola)PamelaSeccombe(cello)JohnDodd(uprightbass)andtheSoundsNor’EasterlychoirconductedbyClairAdams.TheviolinpartsarelabeledViolinAandViolinC(forAnnaandCraig)sincethepartswereneverconceivedasbeingforViolinsIandII,butratheraspartsfortwoindividuals.
Theleadvocalpartwaswrittenformyself,anddoesnotcontainmuchinformation.IusedthescorestoprovideareliablebackdropthatIcouldimproviseagainst.InperformanceIknewthatIcouldnotaffordtoreadfromapart,sincethiswouldleadtoastiltedperformance,andIknewthatIcouldprovideamoreenergeticperformanceifIwasapproachingthematerialinafreshmannerwitheachperformance.ThisisdiscussedinVolume1(5.3.5).
Itisnotintendedthatthesescoresaretobeusedbyotherperformersorthattheconcertberepeated.Thedocumentoftheperformanceisthefilm:thesescoresaretoolsusedtocapturetheperformanceonthefilmratherthanrepresentinganidealizedformofthemusic.
ThepiecesarediscussedindetailinVolume1(5.3.5dand5.3.5fe).
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2.1. WheretheSeaMeetstheSky
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2.2. LittleBitofHeaven
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