floe state - Gibson Mahnke

floe state

Gibson Mahnke

Instrumentation Solo Alto Saxophone

Performance Notes: 1. Multiphonics - All multiphonics and fingerings are taken from Bärenreiter’s The Techniques of Saxophone Playing, written by Marcus Weiss and Giorgio Netti. All multiphonics have fingerings provided over the given notes. If a multiphonic does not have a fingering, it is utilizing the same fingering from the previous multiphonic. The given dynamics and air pressure changes should facilitate the change in notes between such multiphonics. If a note has “+8” above, add the octave key to the previous fingering. “-8” denotes the octave key should be removed.

a. Fingerings - All fingerings are based off of the following chart.

b. Slap Tongue Multiphonic - iii. ...fleshed, fair, erected indivisible. calls for the use of slap tongue while playing a multiphonic. The effect should be a bell like sound. The performer should make sure to sustain the note slightly after the slap tongue to fully achieve this effect.

2. Dotted Slurs - Dotted slurs, as used in i. Icebergs behoove the soul… simply delineate phrasing. The performer should feel free to articulate notes however they feel fit to achieve a smooth, connected texture.

3. Bisbigliando - i. Icebergs behoove the soul… calls for bisbigliando, also known as a color trill or timbral trill. This effect is notated as follows.

For more information on bisbigliando, see: https://youtu.be/viTPnp8iBrM?si=p5Y7RMNg_oJTRQL0 4. Accidentals - All accidentals carry through the measure, even in measures that take up multiple lines. These such measures are delineated with measure names ending in “a”.

5.

unpitched air ord. tone a. iii. ...fleshed, fair, erected indivisible. calls for smooth transitions between unpitched air and ordinary tone. To accomplish this effect, slowly add or subtract air pressure throughout the phrase. It is fine if some notes do not speak at the beginnings and ends of phrases. The effect should be similar to that of a car engine slowly starting before sputtering to a halt.

6. Performance of Feather Beaming in iii. ...fleshed, fair, erected indivisible. - The final movement of floe state features phrases made up of accelerating and decelerating feather-beamed motifs (see image above). Each of the phrases has a second duration overhead. The performer should time the accel./deccel. so the exact number of notes given fits within the time duration. The phrase must start and finish painstakingly slowly, sputtering to a stop at the end. The performer should feel free to slightly lengthen or shorten time durations in order to obtain this effect. The only thing that needs be exact is the amount of notes performed within each phrase.

If you have any questions throughout the process of preparing and performing this work, please feel free to email me at gibson.mahnke@gmail.com !

Duration: ca. 9’

Cover Photo: “Aerial View of Frozen Ocean” - Nikita Grishin

Program Notes: floe state takes inspiration from a variety of sources. The first topic examined is the idea of “flow state”, which is a term used to describe a mental state of being completely absorbed in an activity or task. For me, I feel like music often induces this state both as a composer, performer, and listener. I wanted to sonically recreate this mental state by using a combination of fluid lines and drifting motific ideas. I also took inspiration from icebergs and floe. Floe is simply a sheet of floating ice. For me, this idea of ice slowly drifting across a surface is very similar to how the mind drifts while in a flow state.

While in a flow state, the mind moves through a task in an unconscious, semi-hypnotic manner.

Similarly, floe drifts across the ocean in a natural, unbothered state. The final piece of inspiration for this piece was Elizabeth Bishop’s poem Imaginary Iceberg. This poem meditates on the beauty of the natural world and its impact on the human psyche. Similar to the comparison between floe and flow state, it juxtaposes nature and humanity, inevitably pointing to a deep connection between the two.

The final three lines of this poem make up the titles of each of the three movements in floe state, and are as such:

Icebergs behoove the soul (both being self-made from elements least visible) to see them so: fleshed, fair, erected indivisible.

At its core, floe state is a meditation on the connection and overlap between nature and the human psyche, and works to present music that progresses and develops in an almost subconscious nature.

Gibson Mahnke 1 February 2025

“floe state” was commissioned by Aria Morgan for premier at the 2025 North American Saxophone Alliance Region VI Conference

floe state for Solo Alto Saxophone

i. Icebergs behoove the soul... (both being self-made from elements least visible)

Drifting, cold (ca. q = 60)

Gibson Mahnke

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© 2025 Gibson Mahnke, Gibson Mahnke Publishing (ASCAP) - [ Los Angeles]

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ii. ...to see them so...

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floe state 10a

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iii. ...fleshed, fair, erected indivisible.

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Aimless (ca. q = 48)

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Repeat the phrase with a gradual ritardando and decrescendo. At a point, you should lose the air support needed to make the multiphonics speak, and will be left with an airy effect articulated by subtle slap tongue. Repeat the phrase between 4 and 7 times, allowing for at least one full repetition where no pitches speak. This final repetition should move at a glacial pace, leaning into the subtle nuances of the air moving through the instrument.

n 23 December 2024 Denver, CO