grotesque scene #1 -...

transcript

Transposed Score

Aaron Brooks

Two Grotesque Scenes for Clarinet in Bb, Violin, and ‘Cello

Two Grotesque Scenes

Aaron Brooks

aab66@pitt.edu

Duration: ca. 18’

Program Note:

Two Grotesque Scenes, for Clarinet, Violin, and ‘Cello, features two extended movements, which

may be performed in either order or individually. Both movements are concerned with establishing a

dramatic, often incongruous dialogue between varying types of repetition and non-repetition, sound and

silence, and pulsed and non-pulsed material. Such disparate textures are tied together by a unified atonal

harmonic sense, featuring a mediation between strict 12-tone serial material and unordered pitch

collections, derived from this material.

Grotesque Scene #1 finds the three players repeatedly trying to coalesce into clear melody and

accompaniment “dance” textures across a number of different sections. Each attempt is thwarted, with the

ensemble always falling into chaotic, improvisatory material, obsessive repetition, or complete silence. A

sometimes tragic, sometimes comical dialogue is sought between minimalistic, complexist, and more

moderate aesthetics’ approaches to texture and repetition.

Grotesque Scene #2 features three main sections, where in each case the ensemble embraces

some type of counterintuitive dramatic arc. The opening section features a succession of brief, complex

gestures that repeat several times, with only slight distortions occurring each time. These repeating

gestures are separated by “palate cleansing” sustained notes/glissandi, which act as a sort of substitute for

silence. The use of only slightly varied repetition, and the insistence of the long notes gives an oddly

meditative quality to the otherwise maximalist nature of this music. This opening material eventually

gives way to a middle section which is constructed around a repeating pattern of shifting meters. This

pattern is initially left primarily silent; only the performers are privy to its intricacy. As the music

progresses, the meters are gradually “filled in” with actual sound material, eventually revealing the

rhythmic pattern to the listener. The resulting “dance” material culminates in the movement’s most

traditional climax, which immediately breaks apart into the final section, where the opening gestural

material is recast in a more conventionally organic narrative. The frenzied nature of this material proves

to be unsustainable, as it quickly gives way to the movement’s extended slow ending.

Performance Notes:

1. The two movements may be played together in either order, or separately.

2. Courtesy accidentals are used liberally. However, should any question arise, accidentals do carry

through the bar and do not transfer the octave.

3. Staccatissimo markings (wedges) are simply notes shorter than normal staccato notes. They

should not be treated as accents.

4. In passages that move between simple and compound meters (5/4 to 6/8, etc), eighth note always

equals eighth note.

5. (G.P.): “Grand Pause.” The performers should appear frozen during these silences, as if they may

resume playing at any moment.

6. (2+3), (2+2+3), etc: These markings indicate the groupings of the basic rhythmic unit in

asymmetrical time signatures.

7. (x 9), (x 5), etc: These markings indicate the number of times a passage should be repeated. The

first occurrence of the material (before the repeat sign is reached) is included in this number.

8. Glissandi should always begin as soon as the note articulates.

9. Strings: Short notes featuring glissandi with unspecified terminating pitches/rhythms are quick,

instantaneous glissandi without a sense of final pitch. These gestures should sound as if the player

is “flying off the fingerboard.”

10. Clarinet: Glissandi with unspecified terminating pitches/rhythms are lip glissandi with a range of

no more than a major second.

Clarinet in Bb

Violin

Violoncello

f mpp f

p ffpp mf

Impish, impetuous

f p f p ff

f p fmp

Transposed Score

q = ca. 84Aaron Brooks

Grotesque Scene #1

(2+2+3)

(2+2+3) (2+2+3)

mf fp mf f mp f

Brash14

ff mf ff mp p f

ppp f mp ff

mp ff mf f p

mf f p

sul pont.5 3 7

sul pont. sul tasto

(2+3)ord.

ord. sul pont. (2+3)

Contemplative, deadpan19

f mpff pp

mp ff pp

mp mf mp

Dance-like27

sul pont.

sul pont.arco

(3+2) 2

4:3 4:3

f pmf f mf

mp f p f mp

ff f mp

Disintegrating

mf f mf ff f mp

f mf fff

Impish43

mf ff mf f ff

(3+2) (2+3)

sul pont, ord.

sul pont.

mp f ff mp

f mf p

fff mp

mp f ff p

mf f pp

mf ff mp f pp

f pp f pp f pp

Insistent, Argumentative52

ff pp ff pp ff pp ff

sul pont.

f pp f pp

pp ff pp ff

Obsessive, with stubborn interruptions60

ff p f

sffp ff f p

(3+2)4:3 3

ff mp mf mp ff

mf ff mf f mf

ff ppmf

pp f mf

(3+2) (3+2)

sul pont.

ord. (G.P)

arco pizz. (G.P)

Impish, impetuous84

mf fff mp p f ff mp

f ff p f ff p ff mf ff pp

(G.P.)

(solo)

sul pont.

ord.sul tasto (2+3)

f mp f p f

ff mf f

mf f p ff mp f mf ff f

mf f mp f

Dance-like99

f mf mp f

sul pont.ord.

(2+2+3)

(2+2+3)sul pont. ord.

(2+2+3) arco

mf ff f

mf f mf mf

mf f mf

Obsessive

mf f mf fff

(2+3) 3 4:3

(x 3) (2+3)

mf f mp

Almost Furious118

f f pp

mf fff pp

(x 4) (2+3)

(ricochet) (non ricochet)

sul pont.

ff p mf f f

mf mp ff f pp fff

mf pp f

p ff mp

ff pp mp pp

pp pp mp p ppp pp pp

q = ca. 76 q = ca. 66130

mf p mpp ppp p

mp p ppp pp ppp p

sul pont.

(2+3)ord.

sul pont.

ord. 5 3 6

(3+2) mp

Losing steampoco rit.

sul pont.

pizz arco

pizzord.arco sul pont. pizz

p pp pp p

pp ppp p ppp

A tempoSettling

q = ca. 84141

pppp ppp

sul pont.

(G.P) (2+3)

sul tasto (2+3) ord.

(G.P) (2+3)

arcoord. (2+3)

pizz (G.P) (2+3)(G.P)

(2+3) (x 5)

(G.P) (last time only)

(2+3)(x 5)

(2+3) (x 5) (3+2) (G.P) 4:3

f mf f

Dance-like152

f mf f

mf f mf f

4:3 4:3

f mp p f mp

mp fmp f ff

Crazed167

ff pp f

ff pp f p

mf ff f mf ff mf ff

pp ff mp mp ff

ff mp ff mp ff

sul pont.

ord. 6 3

flt. ord.

sul pont. pizz ord.arco

p mf fff

ff pp ff pp ff

mf ff pp ff pp ff

ff f ff

(ricochet)arco

(non ricochet) sul pont. ord.

sul pont.

Embracing Obsession176

fff ff

bite reed ord.

arcosul pont.

(2+3) (3+2) (G.P)

(2+3) (3+2)

(2+3)(x 9)

(x 9)(2+3)

(2+3)(x 9)

pizz (3+2)

mp f p mp mf

q = ca. 72 Meditative

mp f mp mf

mf mf f p

mp f p mp mf

mp f mp mf

mf f p

mp f p mp mf

mp f p f mp mf p

mf f p

Grotesque Scene #2

sul pont. ord.

pizz arco

sul pont. ord.

sul pont. ord.pizz

sul pont. ord.

sul pont. pizzord.

fff p mp mf

f p mp mf

ff mf f p

mp fff

f p mp mf pp mf p

ff mp mf pp mf

sffp ff mf f

pp mf p pp mf p

pp mf pp mf n

tongue

sul tasto

pizzarco

slaptongue

pizz arco

sul pont.

pp mf p

pp mf n

pp mf p f mf

mf f p mp f

pp mf n ff mp f

f p mf

p f mf

f pp f p mp f

f pp ff mp f

ord sul pont. pizzord.arco

pizzarco

f p mfp

f mf f p mfp

f p mp f mf pp

ff mp f mf pp

pp mf pmp pp

pp p ppmf p

pp mp pp mp pp

(bounce onone bow)

(normalbowing) sul pont.

sul pont.

ord. 5 pizz

pp mf pmp pp

pp p ppmf p

pp mp pp mp pp

pp mf p

ppp pp

mp pp f mf ff mf ff

mf p f mf ff mf ff

mp ppf

mf ff mf ff

arco pizz3

ord. sul pont. ord.

slaptongue ord.

flt. ord.6

pizz arco

f mf ff pp ff

f pp f mf ff pp ff

fmf ff pp ff

f mf ff pp ff f pp

fmf ff pp ff

fff p ff

fff p ff f pp

fff p ff

slaptongue

ord. flt. ord.

slaptongue

ord. flt. ord.

slap tongue

mp f p mp mf mf f p

mp f mp mf

fp pp f p

fp p f

sul pont. ord.

(2+3) (2+2+3) q = 100 Quirky, maintaing rhythmic energy through the silences (visual cues encouraged)

(2+3) (2+2+3)

pizz. (2+2+3)

(2+3) (2+2+3)

(2+3) sul pont.

(2+2+3)

(2+3) arco

(2+2+3)

mf f mp p f

pp n p f

mf pp mf

mf mpmf mp ff

f f mp

p p ffpp

ff mp f pp

(2+3) (2+2+3)

sul tasto (2+2+3)ord.

(2+3) arcosul tasto (2+2+3)

(2+2+3)

(2+3) (2+2+3)

(2+3) (2+2+3)3

(2+3)sul tasto

sul pont. (2+2+3)

(sul pont.)

(2+3) arco

(2+2+3)arcosul pont.

f mp p

f mf pp

ff p mp

(2+3) ord.

sul pont.

(2+2+3)

pizzord.

(2+2+3) arco

(2+3) 3

(2+3) pizz

ff p mf ff

f f mp

fff mf

mf p f

(2+2+3)

arco(2+2+3)

(2+3) pizz

(2+2+3)

mf p mpmf

mf p mp mf p mf f

mf p mp mf p mf

mp f ff mf

mp f ffmf

mf f mf f mf mp

Dance-like127

mf f mf f mf mp

(2+2+3)

(2+3) 3

f mf f

f mf fmp

fmp f mf f

mp f mp f mf f mp

(2+2+3)

mf f mf f

mf f mf f mf

mf fff

(2+2+3)

f ff fff f

ff f ff f

(2+2+3)

ff mf ff mp

q = ca. 72 Beginning explosively, then mellowing drastically

mf ff fmf ff

fff mf f mf

ff mf ff

ff mp ff

mf f p mp f

f mf f mp ff

sul pont.

ord.(bounce onone bow) (normal

bowing) 3 5

mp f mf

mp f p f p f

mp f mp

f p mf mpf

mp f mfmp f mp ff p

f p f mp f

mp f mp f p mp mf

mp f p f ff mp f mp mf

mp f mf ff mf

ord. sul pont.

(bounce onone bow)

(normalbowing) sul pont.

ord.3 6 6 5

5 3 5 6

sul pont. ord.

sul pont. pizz arcoord.

mp f f mf

f p f p f p mp f

f ff mp f

f p mf pp pp mf p

f pp p pp

f pp mp pp

mp pp pp mf pp mf p

poco rit. q = 64171

mf p pp

mp pp mp pp

(bounce onone bow) (normal

bowing) 3

35 3 5

pizzarcoord.

ord. 3

5 pizz arco

pp mf p pp mp

mf p pp mp pp

p pp pp mp pp

pp mp pp p

mppp mp pp mp pp

mp pp mp ppmp pp

pp p ppppp pp ppp

poco rit. q = 58183

p pp ppp

pp ppp pp ppp pp ppp

pp ppp

pp ppppp ppp

pp ppp

grotesque scene #1 -...

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