Nova

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Cory Brodack

Nova

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for alto and baritone saxophones

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O

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Nova

for alto and baritone saxophones

Program Note

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In astronomical terms, the time novae take to happen is practically a blink of an eye compared to the millions and billions of years it takes stars and galaxies to form. Only perhaps one nova happens per year which is visible to the naked eye, but when it does appear, a seemingly "new" star appears in the night sky, fading over several weeks or months. These novae involve a binary star system, consisting of a dwarf star, the remains of a star that no longer can perform fusion, and another younger star. The older star feeds on the younger, increasing the atmosphere's temperature of the dwarf star until it reaches the critical temperature to start fusion. Over the next several weeks or months, the newly reignited star fades over time, returning to the dimly lit dwarf. Nova attempts to simulate this process, through the smaller alto sax feeding off the energy of the larger bari sax, before finally receding back to its initial state.

Performance Note

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Nova uses both proportional/aleatoric notation combined with standard rhythmic notation. Both performers should attempt to make considerations to the other performer's temporal location in the score, but the performers should not strive for a precise alignment of events during these passages. There are moments in the score indicated by text where the performers should attempt to synchronize with the other player. These moments occur during rhythmically synchronous lines, so tempos should be agreed upon between players during these moments. After these passages, the saxophones gradually drift apart again, out of sync.

Multiphonics are used throughout the score, which may be achieved using the corresponding fingering. Reoccurring multiphonics are not always notated with a fingering. When overtones occur in the score, the fundamental pitch is notated with a diamond notehead, but the performer may utilize alternate fundamental pitches, as long as the timbre is still that of a harmonic tone.

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When indicated in the score, the player should play subtones with lots of air, allowing the embochure to leak somewhat. The effect, combined with a growl and tremolos, should produce a fluttering, airy effect of multiple timbres, along with a good amount of key clicks.

Several microtones are utilized throughout the piece. These microtones may alter several standard fingerings when used in a tremolo or line. Multiple microtonal fingerings have been provided below, to help facilitate some of these passages.

Crescendo dal niente/Diminuendo al niente One quarter tone flat

B

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One quarter tone sharp

μ

Signifies slap tongue when notated on the stem of a note

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Sustain pitch/multiphonic for the duration of the line

Feathered beaming indicates a gradual acceleration or deceleration of note values from the first beamed note to the last.

Figures enclosed in a box should be repeated ad lib., varying the order of figures randomly Repeat enclosed figure for the duration of the line Dashed lines connecting the two parts indicates the players should attempt to synchronize their entrances.

x

&œ

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Microtonal Fingerings:

Alto

œœœœœœœœ œœœœœœœœ &

:

:

Bari

&

Bœ

&

Bœ

Bœ

Bœ

Bœ

Bœ

Bœ

Bœ

Bœ

Bœ

Bœ

c. 5' 1

Nova

2 Pushing and Pulling , q = c. 40 - 46

for alto and baritone saxophones



light growl throughout, subtone with lots of air and loud key clicks

c. 2"

Bari Sax

@ &

&

π

œ Bœ . > P

bœ π full tone (non subtone)

œœ

œ & b œ Bœ œ Bœœ b œ- œ- œF >>> ß &

Bœ bœ

bœ π

sync. w/ bari

3

3

B œ ( n œ) B œ ( b œ ) b œ

o F

Bœ œ ( œ)

œ(

,) ( Bœ )

subtone

bœ œ :

cresc. poco a poco

c. 6"

Bœ

,

bœbœ

P

**Alternate multiphonics quickly (2nd page)

bend down , Ÿ~~~~~~~~~~ U B >œ œ œ ( œ ) B œ (μ œ) b œ œ B œœ§ œ . bœ Œ

poco œ

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L

c. 6"

Pushing and Pulling , q = c. 40 - 46 A heavier growl, subtone and loud key clicks

F

π

,

b œœ§ p

subito

c. 10"

, b œ¶ œ

U

L

Œ

,) ,) > j > ( ( (,) b œ 3 B œ Œ : B œ B œ œ b œ (œ) b œ ( œ) œ (n œ) B œ . œ b œj œ (b œ)œ œ b œ œ ¿ œ (B œ) b œ (œ) b œ œ (b œ) œ (b œ) j ¿ B œ¿b œB œ œ (B œ) œ b œj B œ .( œ) ¿ () œ( ) œœ œ œ œ œj > > p P cresc. and dim. ad lib. against bari ➤

c. 7"

 

Pushing and Pulling , q = c. 40 - 46

¨, n œ > ,> 4 Ÿ~~ * > > B œ b œ . b œ œ œ . n œ- œ b œ œ œ- b œ b œ œ- b œ b œ B œ œ b œ B œ œ : œ Bœ bœ

b œ b œj œ

3

cresc.

full tone (non subtone)

f

, > B œ œ B œ b œ B œ - œ . B œ§ œ . œ bœ œ œ œ œ p P

U

‰ b œœ § L π c. 15"

full tone (non subtone)

f

Copyright © 2020 by Cory Brodack. All Rights Reserved.

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light growl, subtone and loud key clicks 2 ➤ 3

accel.

espress.

slap tongue (,) ¿ ¿ (,) (,) (,) 3 & œ B œ b œjœ (n œ)œ B œ b œ œ œ (b œ) (b œ) (b œ) œ (B œ) n œ œ œ¿B œ¿ œ j œ .(b œ) B œ b œ b œ ( œ ) œ (b œ) œ j: œ ( ) bœ > > œ œ bœ b œ .(œ) > b œ ( )œ œ > cresc. poco a poco c. 20" subtone

*Trill/tremolo to notes in parentheses

(,) œ •

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P r ,

, 3 3 j œ . nœ œ mœ m œ- œ m œ œ œ m œ œ > b >œ > > nœ f molto pesante sync. w/ alto

O

c. 2"

c. 12"

3 *Ÿ~~ U4

b n >œœ 3 Bœ œ- b œ b >œ œ œ- b œ b œ n œ

c. 11"

Very heavy, e = c. 54

b œ• b· P

b œ-

,

>π

overtone (fundamental Bb ) full tone (non subtone)

cresc. poco a poco

Very heavy, e = c. 54

,

> Z

,

subtone

B œ. œ. B œ. b œ œ . j œ . > œ- œ b œ n œ b œ. œ. œ. . f molto pesante> F ,

π

Z

c. 8"

,

¿ ¿

¿ ¿

c. 7"

subtone, lots of air

,

slap tongue

cresc. and dim. ad lib. with bari sax

c. 4"

@

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,) , , ( ) 3 *Ÿ~~➤ j > ( > 3 ( ) ( ) 4 bœ B œ bœ 3 œ œ) j B œ) B œ) œ j B œ . ( œ ) B œ B œ n œ B œ œ œ ( B œ) œ ( œ œ ( ( œ œ œ œ œ 2 ( ) bœ : bœ b œ b œ ( b œ) œ ( b œ ) j bœ Bœ bœ bœ ( ) B œ ( b œ) b œ ( ) : 1B œ B œ œ b œ ( ) b œ œ (n œ ) ( b œ) œ B œ j œ( ) œ œ B œ . ( œ) œ œ œ œ bœ

&

Alto Sax

,

Cory Brodack

U

Œ

fP

( )

œ F

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bœ œ Bœ œ L L p

bisb.

œ ( b œ)

cresc. and dim. ad lib. against alto

Bœ œ œ œ bœ Bœ c. 12"

( œ)

bœ

2

&

&

@

,

œ

,> bœ Bœ .

œœ§

œ Bœ

π

c. 6"

œ

bœ bœ Bœ œ œ Bœ Bœ bœ bœ œ œ œ

π

P

Nova

bœ œ bœBœnœ

œ œ Bœ

subtone

b œp

œ

cresc. poco a poco c. 12"

c. 7"

U

&

·

, 3 , subtone -œ . œ œ b œ- œ J p

n œœ§

¿œ b œ¿ ‰ b œ¿j

Œ

slap tongue

Z

U

air sound only

Like an Echo, e = c. 54

alternate tremolos, molto agitato

& œ bœ œ bœbœ œ œ p bœ

@

œ

ord.

L c. 13"

, bœ -œ b œ b œ œ œ- b œ b œ œ ¶

B œ¿ b œ¿ ‰ œ¿B œ¿

Œ

B œœ§

Œ

bB ˙˙ n˙ B˙

π

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c. 8"

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Œ

œœ§

b¿œ b œ ‰

¿

U**

j Œ œ¿

P

bœ œ

μ ˙˙˙ ˙

b œœ§

œœ§

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œBœ

bœ

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c. 8" add grace notes randomly to previous multiphonics

œBœ

bœ

bœ œ bœ œ Bœ

bœ œ

cresc. poco a poco

ad lib., follow contour and arrive at climax with bari

œœ

bb ˙˙ ˙ ˙

bœ œ

bœ œ

cresc. poco a poco

c. 5"

U

3

U

B œœ§

c. 2"

L , ** Ÿ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ÿ~~~~~~~~~~~~ bB œœ (+8ve) b n œœ (+8ve) b n ˙˙ œ B œ bœ n œ (b œ) B˙ b œ Bœn œ œ ( ) œ Bœ Bœ nœ n˙ bœ œ œ F cresc.

U

b œœ§ π

Œ

add grace notes randomly to previous multiphonics

b œ Bœ œ b œ œ

ƒ F cresc.

c. 5"

Bœ œ

œ

b œ œ œ b œ œb œ Bœ œ œ Bœ

B œ œ b œ b œB œ

œœ œ b œ œ b œ Bœ b œ œ b œ Bœ œ

c. 7"

ad lib., follow contour and arrive at climax with alto

œœ

bœBœ œbœ œ

Bœœ

œ

b œ œ œb œ œb œBœ œ œ Bœ

Bœ œb œ

ƒ F cresc. , Ÿ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ , sync. > m œ bend down Ÿ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > m œ mœ œ n œ , - b œ b >œ œ œ- b œ b œ b n œœ (+8ve) bB œœ (+8ve) bB œœ , , sync. Ÿ~~~~~~~ . œ œ bœ bœ œ , . b n œœ m œ œ œ n œ b œ > • > B œ œ B œ B œ . > > Bœ œ œ Bœ B œ œ . œ b œ œ ( ) B œ ( μ œ) . œ. œ. œ. œ B œ œ . n œ œ b œ œ B œ (b œ) n œ (b œ) b œb œ œ œ b œ b œ & Bn œœ œ Bœ Bœ J nœ 3 3 f F Ï c. 12" f ƒ molto pesante c. 5" c. 7" ~~~~~~~~~~~ bisb. c. 11" c. 17" , , , 3 sync. b> >œ œ m œ mœ œ n œ > sync. ^ , B œ b , œ œ . > , , overtone œ œ bœ bœ m œ bœ œ b œ Bœ > . > nœ μ œœ . œ . >œ œ m œ œ m œ m œ œ œ B œ > œBœœ Bœ œ Bœ b œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ b œb œ œ B œb œ . b œ b œ • œ b œ J b œ n œ m œ B œ & œ œ œœ.

B œ œœ . nœ œ œ œ bœ œ œ œ œBœ > b œ b · 3 3 > ad lib. palm keys > J 3 > > > ƒ molto pesante P Ï molto agitato dim.

Z f as before ,) ,) , , ( j > > 3 ( ~~~~~~~ poco Ÿ~~ ( ) * ➤ ( ) b œ b œ 3 U B œ œ ( B œ ) ( œ) œ œ Bœ œ Bœ j œbœ œ ¿ ¿ ( B œ) œ b œj B œ . ( ) œ) b œ ( œ ) œ B œ n œ) œ) B œ œ ( ) b œ œ b œ Œ b œ b œ b œ b œ ( ( ( b œ n œ b œ b œ b œ b œ : Bœ Bœ œ : & Bœ ( ) œ ( ) œ œ B œ . ( œ) œ ( )œ ¿ ¿ œ( ) œ ( ) œ ( ) œj œ b œj B œ B œ L > >π p π cresc. and dim. ad lib. with bari sax Z π Z c. 8" c. 10" c. 12" c. 8" c. 7" c. 2" accel. , , >œ b œ , , § , bisb. ~~~~ Ÿ~~~~~ bisb. ~~~~ Ÿ~~~~~ ord. , , > subtone b b œ , ¶ bœ bœ bœ b œ B œ B œ . >

¶ œ œ œ œ œ œ § b œœ Bœ œ . n œ- œ b œ œ œ- b œ b œ œ œ- b œ m œ œ œ Bœ bœ b œ( ) b œ (b œ) • & J œ œ Bœ . œ œ bœ b œ œ 3 P espress. dim. p L π P dim.

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ad lib. palm keys

,

ord.

o F

P r

cresc.

o F

P r

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o F

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