Without a Philosophy

1. Like Young Men It’s hard not to love the way they stand, easy and affirmed like young men alone together not knowing they’re watched.

A sweetness in their power, a hesitancy.

One stag lowers his head to my garden.

The other, calmly alert, looks to this cabin.

They take turns protecting each other in a beautiful simplicity of eating and guarding.

Their clay-colored bodies are a massive surprise after the delicate doe I’ve chased from here.

Their racks are young, but sharpening. It’s hard not to stare, not to freeze. The guardian arouses the other to a scent of harm that could be me— his antlers toss and almost instantly both deer bound up the hill, take my fence with effortless ease, lithe and cocky as teenagers, armed.

2. Gnat Facts on NPR Now I know for sure every living thing springs for sex. Gnats swarming in your face snuffing up your nose guttering in the liquid of your eye— they're doing a fucking dance!

Their aerial male fandango's as hot as Watusi writhing in fireheat, as white boys oiling their torsos to volley a ball at Fort Lauderdale.

“They orient themselves to a tall pole” says here—which is you, in June, gnat-exasperated, batting hot air— “and if that pole moves—they go with it.”

Down the graveled walk by the black walnut where you wanted to talk, to maybe touch, but you're fanning your sweaty face, your lips are sealed.

It's all for the females, says the expert, who “hang back on the sidelines until the frenetic could of their kind is too much to resist.” Then they jump in— mate right there in your shut-down face.

It's the radio's word sidelines switches the picture to cold Friday nights, the sidelines swaying to rhythmic cheers, the scrimmagers wild in a flurry of motion's sounds: tackle and crack and knocked-out wind.

Then something signals us girls. A buzzer, a gun, and it's time to run onto the field, into the thick, grab the boys tight around stiff plastic pads, thin padded hips, knowing their swarming is all about us, loving the sweat they drip.

3. Without a Philosophy . . . like a dog between 4 trees . . .

—email from a friend Toward the end of this summer, this long labyrinth, I thought of you in a clearing green and sunlit, bordered by four tall trees and the dusky spaces between them where barely discernible rhododendron start the process of shadows.

Light moves on your turning shoulders and on the four tall trees: the black walnut, the copper beech, two sycamores peeling to bonewhite the sun loves most.

It's not only the trees but more than your fabled dog's choices, it's those darknesses between that like me you are lured to choose.

But you are arrested there— watching the swallowtails feed on the aster, then go in and disappear.

—Elizabeth Seydel Morgan

Commissioned by the Providence Premieres New Music Festival for its 2013 Season

Without a Philosophy for soprano, violin, and harp Elizabeth Seydel Morgan

DENNIS TOBENSKI (2013)

1. Like Young Men

q = 60 Soprano

Violin

    

 

Harp





 

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

      



q = 60





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3 3              3

3



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It's



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mf

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mf

5

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not

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

    



    

  

hard



 

to





    

Copyright © 2013 by Dennis Tobenski. All rights reserved.



love



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9



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the way they stand

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16

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 they're

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    

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26

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in

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36

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39

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are a mass - ive

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42

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are 3

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doe

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not

to

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12

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49

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not

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to

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

52

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

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-

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es

the



3

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

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3



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oth - er 3

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



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

 

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



his ant - lers toss







  



a

3

 



 

to





  

 





 









that could be me–

3

3



    

harm











of







    



  

3







55





 

 

freeze.

The guard - ian a - rous

  









 





  and





  

 



  

    

58

 

3

al - most in - stant - ly

 

   





both

 3

 

 





61

 

3

3



 



 





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 

 





 



64

 



 



3



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with ease,

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3

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cock - y

as teen - ag - ers,





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   

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my fence

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13

3

and



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take

3    

lithe

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bound up the hill,

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deer

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armed.

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    

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     

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     

 



      



 5-9 March 2013 Astoria, NY



 c. 4'00"

2. Gnat Facts on NPR

Elizabeth Seydel Morgan

 

Soprano

DENNIS TOBENSKI (2013)

q = 80 Annoyed



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

ff

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

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Now

 

Violin

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I know for

gnat-like, with varying bow-weight pizz. arco    

 

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            

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sure

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6





liv - ing

thing

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springs

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   

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for



sex.

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bisbigl.

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mf

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  

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

Copyright © 2013 by Dennis Tobenski. All Rights Reserved.

  



 

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12

  

    

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Gnats

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in your face

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16

gutter - ing

in

snuff - ing up

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3

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in

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19

q = 108

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              

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a fuck - ing

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they're do - ing

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dance!

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    

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

 

15

        



 

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3

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 

16 24

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-

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3

  

3

q = 80

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f

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writh - ing in fire - heat,



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as

 



f

            

29

 

  





  





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white boys

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oil - ing

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  

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3

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tor - sos

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q = 80

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ley

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   

  



    







     

   

  

 





   

32

   at

3

 Fort



 3



Lau - der -

   



   

dale.

"They

 3

o - rient

 them-





selves

3

  to

a

        

 



     



  

 

  







          

35



  

 tall

  

 

pole"

3

   

says here–

 

  



which is you,

17

in June,

      



  

         

 

  

      

 



      

38

 

 gnat

       -



ex - as - per - at- ed,

3

 

  

bat - ting hot





air–

 

"and

if that

  

 



          





 



     

   



 



 

        41







pole

 



moves–

 they





go

with





 



 

it."

             

      

  

     





 



 

        

18

 

45

q = 60 Intimate, delicate p

rit.





 



3

     



Down slow trill gently  

  

rit.

  





p

 





49

 



  



 

   



3











 





  











 





 

   

  

 talk,



 

   



 

  











 





mp



 

but you're

 



 

 

     mp

   

 to

touch,



 







   





 



to may - be

 



where you want - ed



       



by the black



52







  

walk



 

wal - nut



 

q = 60 Intimate, delicate

 



the grav - eled



 



   



      

 

   

   

56

 

 

fan- ning your sweat - y

  



 



 



   



  







   

 

 





It's

all

for

the

are

 

sealed.



  



p

    

 





19

  



your lips



f



 



face,



q = 80

60



 

mf

 



 



 



  



 

 



fe - males,



 

says

the







ex - pert,

  who

       

 

f

q = 80

 

63





"hang

 back





 







 









3

 



on the side - lines

 

  un

-



 3

til



 



the fre - ne - tic





cloud

 3



 

of their

          





 



 



 





 



 



 

20

  

 

 

kind

is

too

66

   





3

much

to

re - sist."

      

 



   



 

Then

they

   jump



 

in–



 bisbigl.

 



    

 







 

f

    

70

 





 



mate

right







   

3

  

there

in

your

  

 

   

mp

  



It's

the





   





 

 



     3

ra - di - o's



   

word

side -

    lines



 





 





 



q = 60 Suddenly contemplative

 

mp

 



    

 



face.

 



 

 

     

q = 60 Suddenly contemplative

 

 



 

 



shut - down



     

72



 





 

76

 



3





switch - es

the

3





pic - ture



 

 to

 

Fri







  



  

 

 



-

day



  

78

 



cold

21

 



nights,

  the

 



 

sway - ing

to





side - lines





 

rhyth - mic







  

 



 

  

 



 





   

80



 





cheers,

    

f

3     

the scrim mag- ers

  



 



 



 



    

wild

 

3

in

 





 

a flur - ry

of mo- tion's





  

 



  



f

 













22

 

84

 

   



sounds:

tack - le







 



  

and

 



crack









 



and knocked - out

wind.







 



 

  



    







 



 



  









  

 

88

bisbigl.



 





Then some-thing sig - nals

  us

   girls.

  





    

   

    

           3

and it's time to run

3

on - to the field,

   

3

  

 

   

 

 

   



buzz - er,



   a

gun,

          

    grab

the



boys tight

 



 

    

  

    

  





   

in - to thethick,

  



    

 



  

   



   



  



    

  A

  

91





 



   



  

 

95

 

 3





 

a - round stiff



 



plas - tic pads,

   



thin

pad - ded

 



97

  





 

3



3



     

know- ing their swarm ing

is

all

3

 





3

 



sweat they

 







us,

    lov





ing

the

f

 





-

 

  

  

  



100

 

  

  



a - bout







  

  









  





hips,





23

  





drip.

        returning to gnat-like buzzings

 

 

  

 

n



 











9-10 March 2013 Astoria, NY



c. 4'30"

3. Without a Philosophy "...like a dog between 4 trees..."

Elizabeth Seydel Morgan q = 126

 

Soprano

DENNIS TOBENSKI (2013) mf





  



     



Toward

the

end

                                      mf

Harp

3

3

  



3

4

 

3

3





 







of

this

sum

3

-

3

3









3







3







mer,

3

3

3





 



this

long

                                     3

3

 

7









3

3







la - by -

3

3

3









3



3

3









  

  

rinth,

I

3

3



3





     

thought

of

you

                                     3

 

3



3



3



3



3



3



3



3



3



3



3



3

10

 

3







in

a

clear



-

  







ing





green

25

and

                                     3

3

 



  

 

sun

-

3







13

3

3

3







3

 

3







 

lit



3

bor - dered

3

3

3









by

four

3





    tall

                                     3

3



 

16

3

3





3

3





 

 

3











trees 3

3

3

3

3

3

3



3



 

and

the

dusk

3

3















3

3





                          

3

3





     -

y

3

spac

3

-

3

3

            







26

    

19

-

 



es



be - tween

3

3

3

3







 



them

3

3

where

3

3

3

3

3

3

                                      



3

22

 

bare - ly

3













3

3





dis - cer - ni -



3





ble

3



3

-

3

 

den

-

3





  



rho - do

3







  



 



dron

start

3

3

3

3

3

                                      

25











3



the

pro



    -









 

    



cess

of

sha -









   

  

dows

  



 





3

 





3

 

    3





                   3

3



3



3



  3

  3

3



3

 



3





 

 

Slightly slower (q = ca. 104)



  

28

27





Light







 

  

moves

 

 

3

on

your turn

-

    



ing

shoul -













ders

slow roll

 

 

rit.

 

and on the

four











 





black

wal

-

 

tall



36

A tempo (q = 126)

  



    

32





  



trees:

The

                        3

3





nut,

3

3

3





   



3



3





 

the cop - per

3



3









beech,

                                     3



 

3



3



3



3

 

3



3

 

3



3

 

3



3



3



28 39

 

 



   

    

two

sy - ca - mores

peel - ing to bone -

3



 

white

the

                                                 3

 

43



3

3

3







sun

3

 

loves

3

3

 



 

  



3

3

3

 





3



3







3

It's not 3

3

3

3



 

   

most.

3

3

3





3

    onl - ly the

3

3

trees

3

3

3

                                              3

 

 

47



3

3

 





3

but 3

3

3

 



      3

3

3

 



3

 

 more

3

3







3



than your fab

3

3

3

3

 





 

-

dog's

3

3



     





led

3



 

choic -

3

3

3

es; 3

3

                                             







 



 

 





 

 











29

   

51

  3

3

3



3

3





it's

those

3

3

3



dark - ness

3

3

3

  



 -

3

es

  

be -

3

3



tween

3

3

3

3

                                              











55

 







like 3

3

3

3

















that 3









  



me 3





you 3

3

3

3

3

3

                                     

 

3

58

 





 are





lured





 

  

to

choose.









 

 







  3

3                                         3

 

3



3



3

 

3



3



3



3

3



 









3

 

 

q = 63

30

 

61



    





    

3

But

you are ar -



    

  



3

rest

-

ed there

 

3

3

        

watch - ing the swal - low tails

 



 



 



 



feed

slow roll

   

 

    

64

3

 

on the as

-



 



ter,



then

rit.

 

 

go

in



 



and

















q = 126 67













dis - ap -



pear. pizz.



  p

  f





3

 





3

 





3

 





3

 



      3

3



p













f

  fast roll

3-5 March 2013 Astoria, NY









f





 c. 2'00"

Additional vocal works by Dennis Tobenski

Drinking Alone with the Moon (2003) song for soprano and vibraphone text: Li Po

And He'll Be Mine (2005) song cycle for tenor and piano texts: Robert Burns

It's all I have to bring to-day (2007) song for voice and piano text: Emily Dickinson

till night is overgone (2007) song cycle for tenor and piano texts: James Joyce

Sweet Briar Songs (2007) song set for soprano or tenor and piano texts: Patricia Valdata

Starfish at Pescadero (2007) song cycle for soprano, viola, harp, and percussion texts: Idris Anderson

echoes (2008) song cycle for tenor or soprano and piano texts: Mark Statman

at least a moment (2009) song cycle for soprano or tenor and harp (or piano) texts: Kenneth Koch

To a Western Boy (2009) song for voice and piano text: Walt Whitman

meditation (2011) song for solo voice text: Mark Statman

All works are available digitally at http://newmusicshelf.com/dennistobenski.

For print copies, send inquiries to dennis@dennistobenski.com

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For more works by Dennis Tobenski, please visit: www.dennistobenski.com