Line Tjørnhøj Stabat Mater (2009) for soprano & mezzo soli, double bass, electronics & video projection
On 15 August, 2004, Atefah Sahaaleh was hanged in a public square in the Iranian city of Neka. Her death sentence was imposed for “crimes against chastity”. Judge Haji Rezai put himself the noose around her neck she was just 16. Stabat Mater was originally created in 2009. The main idea was to change the famous text, placing it in a contemporary context where children are publicly executed in certain situations around the world. The work can be presented in three forms: í As a staged music-drama í As a concert piece with visuals í As a regular concert work The main aria is Mater. A concert was staged in 2009 with the full musical material. It is however possible to revise the work since it consists of parts that can be moulded, staged, and put together in a montage with other of my main “songs” on the mother theme. I will happily assist in creating an updated version suitable for a specific venue or situtation, as this is the way in which the work can best be realized. A few of the songs have been recorded, a trailer has been made, and there is also a full video of the staged concert version presented in Vejle, 2009. Line Tjørnhøj, 2017 COMMENTS ON THE SCORE: For 2 Solo female voices trained in “extended vocal techniques”: í classical mezzo-Soprano í rhythmic jazz/ethno/experimental Double Bass (player also doubles voice) Visual Art Dancer
VOICE “EXPRESSION” EFFECTS: “Sotto voce”: lowering the voice with a hushed quality. Helpful to let voices blend. “Humming” “Vibrato” “Hammer”: produced by the vocal folds through a serie of glottal onsets (more precise than “voice-puffs” – can be used also for quick ornamentations) “Diaphragmal”: controlled by the diaphragma (normally used) “Larynx”: controlled by moving larynx “Multiphonics”: voice sonorities that feature the perception of two or more simultaneous pitches. “Reinforced harmonics”: gives a perception of more voices. Can be combined with multiphonics: articulated (produced mainly through articulating softly with lips) non-articulated (tongue placed against palate. Creates a more “flute-like” sound) “Fry”: also known as “creaky voice” or “pulse register” – a very dramatic and horror-like sound when “uncontrolled” – can produce very deep subharmonics. “Voice-puffs” : perceived as a rapid, relatively even interruption of the basic sound. VOICE “EXPRESSION” QUALITIES: “Speech”: Modal speech as heard in everyday talking in newscast and radio. Also labeled as chest voice in singing voice. “Falsetto”: Associated with children’s voices when they are singing sweetly, used e.g. in early music. Generally no vibrato. “Sob”: The sobbing cry of an adult, who mourns, including the extreme effort associated with silent, suppressed sobbing. Heard much in jazz and blues and e.g. in operatic pianissimo. “Belting”: Mostly known from ethnic singing, gospel etc, children on playground. “Operatic”: quality heard in opera, oratorio and recital hall.