NocturneinBlackandGold
ForBassClarinetandMarimba
GibsonMahnke(b.2004)
NocturneinBlackandGoldisbasedonthepaintingNocturneinBlackandGold: TheFallingRocketbyJamesAbbottMcNeillWhistler.Theoilpaintingwascompleted in1875andcurrentlyresidesintheDetroitInstituteofArts.Thispaintingisveryinteresting andinfluentialforavarietyofreasons.Whenfirstdisplayed,itwaswidelycriticizedby artcriticsandgalleryvisitorsalike.ArtcriticJohnRuskinwentasfarastosaythepainting waslike,"flingingapotofpaintinthepublic'sface."Asaresult,WhistlersuedRuskin forlibelandendedupwinning.ThetrialwashighlypublicizedandgaveWhistlera chancetodefendhisartworkas"artisticarrangementswhoseworthlaynotinany imitativeaspectsbutintheirbasisintranscendentidealsofharmonyandbeauty."His artismeanttobeinterpreteddifferentlybyeachviewer,givingitasenseofvariability. Whistleralsosawhispaintingsasmusicalcompositionsillustratedvisually.Ithoughtit wouldbeintriguingtodothereverseofthis,andusehisartworkasinspirationformusic.
NocturneinBlackandGoldisanauditoryrepresentationofWhistler'spainting.Just likethepainting,themusicissupposedtobeinterpreteddifferentlybyindividualaudience members,aswellasperformers.Thepiecestartsbypaintingabackgrounduponwhich therestofthemusiccansettleupon.Ornamentsarethenslowlyplaceduponthis background.Eventually,wearriveatachaoticclimax,representingthefireworksonthat Whistleroriginallybasedhispainting.Finally,weslowlyreturntotheoriginaltextureasthe harmonicmaterialgetssimplerandsimpler.Weendwithasinglebowed 'E',asparklefloatingonanemptycanvas.
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"Naturecontainstheelements, incolourandform,ofallpictures, asthekeyboardcontainsthenotes ofallmusic.Buttheartistisbornto pickandchoose...thattheresult maybebeautiful–asthemusician gathershisnotes,andformshis chords,untilhebringsforthfrom chaosgloriousharmony.”
-JamesAbbottMcNeillWhistler
PerformanceNotes:
A) Timeandtemposhouldberelativetothedurationgivenforeachbar (exceptinthecaseofmeasures4and6wherethetempoisgiven). Performersareatlibertytofillthedurationinthewaytheyfeelisbestto utilizethematerialgiven.Additionally,thesedurationsareapproximations. Feelfreetotakemoreorlesstimeduringbarsifyoufeelitbestexpresses themusicalideaswritten.
B) Accidentalsdonotcarrythroughthemeasure.
C)Foreachcell(I-VIII)followthedirectionswrittenabove.
D)Thisistransposedscore,meaningtheBassClarinetiswrittenatwrittenpitch.
E)Allmultiphonicshavefingeringswrittenabove.Ifanyofthemultiphonics donotworkonyourinstrument,pleasereachouttomeandIwouldbe happytoprovidesomealternatives.
F) Ifyouhaveanyquestions,feelfreetoemailmeat gibson.mahnke@gmail.com!
NocturneinBlackandGoldwaswritten forTransientCanvasaspartoftheir residencyattheAlbaMusicFestival
Duration:7'
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Coverartwork:"NocturneinBlackandGold:TheFallingRocket"JamesAbbottMcNeillWhistler,1875
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