Martin Stauning Welkende Schalen
(2015)
Withering Shells for string quartet Dur. 9′
PROGRAMME NOTE Welkende Schalen (Withering Shells) consists of eight movements which can be perceived as character pieces (or ‘shells’) woven into one unbroken stream of music. The overall title refers to the structure and musical material in each movement, while at the same time being an oxymoron (eg. shells do not wither away as flowers or other organic materials). The individual titles of each shell are as follows: I: Heftig (fierce, intense) II: Atemlos (breathless) III: Ruhig (calm) IV: Etwas Ruhiger (somewhat calmer) V: Leicht Fließend (lightly flowing) VI: Einfach Fliegend (simply flying) VII: Schimmernd (shimmering) VIII: Pulsierend (pulsating) PERFORMANCE NOTES a.s.t.: s.t.: ord.: s.p.: s.p. flaut.:
Alto sul tasto (very tasto, i.e. completely on the fingerboard). Sul tasto (a ‘normal’ sul tasto). Ordinario (normal playing position). Sul ponticello. — ord.: Gradual change from one playing position to another. Flautando.
Gridare: Sfocato: Sulle corde: Cristallino:
Screaming, yelling. Blurred, hazy. On the strings. Crystaline. Square notehead: No pitch. Stop strings in a way that no discernible pitch is perceived, but rather an airy sound.
Damp string(s) immediately. INSTRUMENTAL SET-UP Although the instrumental set-up is left to the discretion of the performers,
Vla.
Vln.1
Vcl.
Vln.2