in the dark air, interfering with the projection

kurt isaacson

for yarn/wire

percussion (2 players)piano (4 hands)

performance notes

NOTE: accidentals carry through each measure, though cautionary accidentals are occasionally utilized for ease of reading

NOTE: if possible, this piece should be performed with stage lights down (dark); in this case, performers should utilize small music stand lights in order to read the score

percussion (2 players)

2 triangles (lowest possible)1 ratchet1 maraca1 snare drum

player 1

general

1 güiro1 hi-hat (rigged to “sizzle” loudly when pedal fully depressed)1 maraca

2 crotales (Db4 & Eb4)

player 2

NOTE: player 1 must move to piano and touch notated harmonic nodes when indicated to do so; refer to “piano” section of performance notes for an explanantion of this technique; performer’s setup location should facilitate this event

NOTE: duration of güiro notes indicate the desired length of each “pull” across the instrument

NOTE: in the second movement, player 2 must perform a roll on the lowest, most-resonant crossbeam of the piano; this is notated on the same line as the hi-hat, but with a different notehead; performer’s setup location should facilitate this event

/ &œ ¿ œ œ/ œ œ s ¿ ¿

snaredrum

maraca

pno crossbeam(mov’t 2 ONLY)

maracatriangles

(L) (H)

ratchet

crotales

hi-hat(rigged)

güiro

–)AªA⁄A6A

- arco; bowed

- triangle beater

- with hands

- soft mallet

- drum sticks

- rub/scrape superball across drum head; friction roll

superball

- at exact center of snare drum head (sempre until next indication)

- near edge of snare drum head (sempre until next indication)

- muted/open (triangles); closed/open (hi-hat)

- güiro “pull”

- circular stroke on drum head (superball on snare)

- hit triangles together

- dampen

(c)

(e)

T

é

+ o

-

"

NOTE: performer should allow ALL actions to vibrate freely & decay naturally unless otherwise specified to dampen or silence a particular instrument

i

approximate duration: 8 minutes

performance notes (cont.)

piano (4 hands)

NOTE: secondo begins piece by standing within the “curve” of the piano facing primo; from this position, secondo ONLY touches indicated harmonics for those strings which primo plays “on the keys” OR plucks (pizz.) indicated strings; secondo takes “seated” position when indicated in the score (following bar 45)

NOTE: due to secondo’s position facing the piano’s keyboard, notated clefs have been “reversed” from the ordinary treble/bass to reflect the relative operable “range” of each hand while secondo remains standing

NOTE: secondo is indicated to silently place or drop 3 metal rulers onto the strings of the piano (metal side down) within given ranges; these ranges’ (1-3) locations are specified on the diagram to the right; primo and secondo must silently remove these rulers from the strings when indicated to do so near the end of movement (1.)

NOTE: primo operates pedals while secondo is standing; upon returning to seated position, secondo assumes control of pedals, as reflected in the score

- damper pedal

- sostenuto pedal

- play on keys of piano (with various modifications of timbre, as indicated — harmonics, mutings, etc...)

- pluck strings of indicated pitches with fingers; always near end of speaking length of string closest to performer

- perform indicated action on strings of piano, rather than on the keys (glissandi, etc.)

- muted pitch; touch end of string(s) of indicated pitch(es) with finger tips

- harmonics; place finger of one hand on the nodal point of indicated string while activating string with other hand (in indicated manner) to produce notated harmonic; the number above the conventional harmonic symbol (o) indicates the harmonic to be produced: 2nd partial (octave), 3rd partial (octave + fifth), 4th partial (two octaves) & 5th partial (two octaves + major third), and so on . . .

when harmonic indications are “stacked” (in a quasi-“fraction”), each should be read in a top-down fashion (i.e. the top symbol applying to the highest note in a chord, the bottom symbol applying to the lowest note in the chord, etc...)

[secondo/perc. 1 touch harmonics on strings while primo plays on keys]

on keys

pizz.

on strings

+

°I

°II

œ

7oo2

8oo3

9oo4 o5o11

6o

bridge

range 1

range 2range 3

secondo’sstarting position

ii

(1.) colloquy/(arterial longing, discharge)

in the dark air, interfering with the projection for yarn/wire

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(2.) soliloquy/when the sun grows yellow on your tongue. . . . the world is slow to dissolve & leave us.

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