Asha Srinivasan Dyadic Affinities for Tuba and electroacoustic accompaniment
Commissioned by the following consortium: Stephanie Frye, lead commissioner Genevieve Clarkson Marty Erickson Joanna Hersey Fritz Kaenzig Mary MacKinnon Deanna Swoboda Anonymous member
Duration: 10 minutes
2013
Notes to Performer Program notes On the tail of a blossoming gesture in the electronics, the tuba enters with a gentle, meditative dyad, Bb and C. At first these two pitches seem to have little affinity, Bb being posed as a stable tonal center and C as a contrasting unstable tone above. In the middle of the piece, however, the relationship of stable-unstable is reversed when the accompaniment poses C as the new center, making Bb an unstable tendency tone below. The other notes, first sounding above Bb and then C, are identical in each section, but shifting the tonal center creates new modal hierarchies, revealing unexpected affinities between the two regions. Thus, the simple and modest two-note opening sets up the pitch framework of the entire piece. The piece also explores the different timbres of the tuba, its singing quality, its dark, deep bass, and its rhythmic agility. The electroacoustic accompaniment complements and contrasts these characteristics by providing a diverse soundscape in which the instrument is embedded. The accompaniment also sets the mood for each section, transforming from calm, sparse textures to a fuller, more dramatic background, and finally to a heightened melodic and rhythmic climax, before cascading back down to an unsettled tranquility.
Tuba notation: multiphonic: sing diamond notehead, play regular notehead flutter tongue prominent, noticeable vibrato, more so than would be the norm
Electronics notation: full textural crescendo, a prominent build harsh pitched noise gesture; this is a very specific sound that often acts as a prominent cue and will have a quick attack, decrescendo and slow crescendo into the release, as demonstrated by the hairpins.
Page turn setup: The score is laid out such that page turns are possible after pp. 2, 4, 6, and 9. Therefore, p. 1 will be on the left and p. 9 must be attached to p. 8, opening as a foldout, with p. 10 on the back of p. 9 (double-sided). Page turns are indicated with a "page" symbol.
Notes regarding the electronics The electronics are intended to be played back as one fixed track. The performer will need a stopwatch or similar time-keeping device. The composer can provide a software application that will display time and metronomic LED. The application can also be used to provide a click track using a multi-channel audio interface and headphones. The tuba need not be amplified in general but the loud sections of the electronics should fill the hall completely and the electronics should not be under-mixed. This is especially true at the beginning, where the tuba should sound like it is emerging out of the electronics, and circa 8:33, the final climax, where both elements should be full and dramatic.
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Dyadic Affinities Asha Srinivasan
Tuba
percussive/noise
Electronics pitched/drone
2
Tba.
Ele.
Ele.
Ele.
quiet tone in the background
ppp
pp
mf
22"
17"
36" (as an afterthought)
p
mf
(p)
swell gesture - longer
pp
mf
3 p
ppp
(quiet tone continues)
3
57"
3
p
mf
f
wooshing bass noise
bass drone
rattling pitch
wavering detuned low pitch
p
etc.
ambient bass sounds and high sounds swirling
quiet whistle melody
high woosh
rattling pitch
54"
pp
(light spattering of sticks etc.)
pp
gong hit
40"
more firmly
rhythmic pattern leads to downbeat
bass tone creeps in
swell gesture
Tba.
8
11 sec.
11" gently, blend with the mood of electronics
6
Tba.
0" q=60
1'09" distantly, darkly
3
p sub.
poco
(quiet tone becomes more prominent)
mf
mf
©2013 by Asha Srinivasan, USA (ASCAP). All rights reserved.
10
Tba.
Ele.
Ele.
Ele.
p
1'41"
1'45"
1'49"
f
continues to m. 20 bass drone - full texture
1'53"
dolce
mf
3
p
1'57"
p
mf
5
bass hit
mf
poco
noise
2'31"
(ppp)
2'34"
2'21"
ff
2'37"
legato here
mp
f
percussion
TACET - (Resonance only)
2'43"
f
2'40"
3
bass hit
harmonies sustain over
2'17"
noise pulses at q. at first staccato
quiet hit p
sfz
2'28" solidly
3
rattling pitch
bass drone continued
2'13"
smooth synth harmonies
2'25"
2'09"
f
growing in texture
2'05"
2'01"
mf
noise
f
1'37"
3
1'33"
1'29"
swell gesture - bigger
27
Ele.
pp
2
1'25"
high sparkling noises
Tba.
sing
21
Tba.
1'20"
5
14
Tba.
1'15"
ppp
3 34
Tba.
Ele.
3'04"
2'52"
mf
p
transforms into a bubbling background texture
(molto vib. on A)
3'12"
echo
harmonies sustain over
slow dramatic build
3'28" very dramatically
fff
42
synth harmonies
3'08"
3'24"
Ele.
3
mf
f
Tba.
3'00" (molto vib. on G)
2'56"
39
Ele.
2'49"
pp
Tba.
2'46"
3'16"
3'20"
3'32"
whistle melody
full texture
4
20 sec. 3'38" 3 ff 5 3'34"
47
Tba.
Ele.
p
soft swell
noisy woody harmonic
4'22"
ppp
4'26"
o a e o a e o ae oa
p
p sub.
f
high swell
4'46"
4'50"
(low noise mass continues)
4'54"
4'58"
percussive
3
low hit
pp
(quick vowel alterations)
3 3 3 3 p p low hit
4'34"
4'30"
(fade into straight tone, 1/2 valve gliss at end)
(noisy textures continue)
stuttering tones in background
4'02"
low noise mass
mf
3'58"
sharp hit with echo
4'18"
mf
4'42"
3'54"
morendo
p
4'38"
3'50"
full texture holds then fades
4'14"
p
3'46"
Electronic interlude: moving from pitch to noise, timbre shifting
high tone holds
(gradually move to multiphonic)
63
Ele.
ppp
Tba.
4'06" 4'10" (as if part of electronics)
55
Ele.
Tba.
3'42"
soft ring
ppp
5 69
Tba.
Ele.
5'02"
5'06"
5'23"
p 3
5'43"
+ stuttering textures
5'35"
5'39"
5 3
pp
shift from Bb drone to C drone (recontextualizing tuba's pitches)
5'47"
mf
high sparkle
5'50"
f
3
quick pitch swell
5'56" dolce, longingly
5'53"
3
mf
poco
smooth synth harmonies
sharp hit with echo
p
3
mf
mf
3
5'31"
mp
5'27"
tentatively
p sub.
79
Ele.
Bb drone, high and low
Tba.
3
5'19"
harsh pitched/noise gesture
74
Ele.
5'15"
p
Tba.
5'11"
5'59"
pp
mf
quick pitch swell
3
scratchy noise
(texture creeps in and grows)
3
85
Tba.
Ele.
6'05" building in urgency
6'02"
5
3
low drone texture getting fuller
ff 3
high noise accumulation
6'20" broadly
6'23"
noise hit
6'35"
f
6'43"
6'47"
f percussive
swell gesture returns
harsh pitched/noise gesture - Bb
+ cluster chord
6'39"
5
mf
6'29"
f
scratchy noise texture getting fuller
3
(ff)
bass hit
6'32"
6'26"
high noise accumulation + high swirls
bass noise rumble
6'17"
95
Ele.
f
G - rattling pitch
Tba.
3
soft hit
6'14"
3
89
Ele.
6
6'11"
3
3
Tba.
6'08"
harsh pitched/noise gesture - C
pitched pluck, getting gradually closer
7 Tba.
Ele.
high whistle
3
p
3
f
(establishing q=90) 3
p
3
7'39"
3 3
3
3
3
7'45"
mf
3
3
glassy chord (only prominent pitches shown)
f
3
3
3
3
3
3
ff
3
3
7'47"
7'49"
f mf mf
(off-beat noise added to pulse)
resonant hit
(pitched pluck becomes the beat)
(high whistle)
3
3
7'43" K <q = q > (q=90) 3 broadly
3
f
(high whistle)
3
mf
3
3
7'35"
3
mp
3
3
3
7'23"
7'19"
7'31" with a sense of urgency
7'27"
mf
f
3
mf
p
C drone stays prominent until m. 107 where it starts to get noisy
7'11"
3
mf
(electronic percussion already in q=90)
112
Ele.
Tba.
3
7'07"
noisy texture creeps in and grows
109
Ele.
7'03"
f
Tba.
6'59"
7'15"
105
Ele.
6'55"
5
mf
Tba.
6'51" molto espr.
100
ff
7'51" poco a poco legato
117
Tba.
Ele.
Ele.
f
Ele.
synth line
8'09"
p
continues in the background to m. 130
synth line - broken
reverse bell
glassy chord
ff
3
3
synth line
3
3
pitched plucks - following synth line
8'15" vigorously
f f
8'12"
reverse bell
8'07"
8'04"
f
8'20" 8'23"
128
Tba.
p
f
soft bass pattern delineats half-measure
p
reverse bell
126
Ele.
8'01"
f
8 7'59" emphatic accents, sync with electronics
7'57"
synth low tone
Tba.
122
Tba.
7'55"
7'53"
8'17"
ff
sf
(irregular)
mf
page insert foldout - tape to right edge of page 8 and open out
9 131
Tba.
Ele.
8'28" 8'31"
8'25"
134
Ele.
Ele.
Ele.
fff
big build
8'39"
8'36"
f
full drone texture holds (C and Db prominent at multiple 8ves)
mf
ff
8'57" mf sub. 3
ff
8'55" suddenly relaxing
high noise swirls in and out
poco
9'00"
mf
p
8'52"
fff
high noise + bass hit
low textures ebb
small build
9'04"
9'08"
q=60
f
bass swells and ebbs
sfffz
(percussive)
harsh pitched/noise gesture
poco
high noise accumulation
fff
8'47"
8'44"
8'41"
8'33" marcato
mf
8'49"
142
Tba.
138
Tba.
half-measure bass pattern becomes bassier and more prominent to m. 130
Tba.
ff
mf
slightly pitched noise gesture
high texture fades also
slow pulsation of low drone cluster
10 147
Tba.
Ele.
155
Ele.
mf
p
9'32"
mp
scratchy noise in background
9'36"
resonant bass
p
9'28"
9'24"
9'40"
dolce, inwardly
mp
p
slight build
Tba.
9'20"
slightly pitched noise gesture
151
Ele.
9'16"
3
p
Tba.
9'12"
9'44"
pp
falling gesture
9'48"
poco
unpitched bass rumble
9'52"
9'56"
ppp
TACET - (Resonance only)
10'00"