OscillatorStudyNo.1
Gibson Mahnke
OscillatorStudyNo.1
forFluteandVioloncello
GibsonMahnke
Instrumentation
Flute
Violoncello
Duration
ca.8’
PerformanceNotes
Seconddurationsaresuggestions,andlibertiesmaybetakenforthesakeofperformanceormusicality.All phraseswithoutseconddurationsshouldbeperformedatthetempodesignated.
Phrasesinboxesshouldbeperformedfreelywithslightfluctuationsintempo.Theyshouldtakeuptheentire durationspecified.
Theirrationaltimesignatureinm 51isameasuremadeupof5quarter-notetripletpulsesatthesametempoas thepreviousmeasures.
Flute
- Squarenoteheadsindicatetongueram
- Diamondnoteheadswithscoopindicatejetwhistle
- Circlesabovenotesindicateharmonics
- Stemlessgracenotesindicatetorapidlyfingerrandompitcheswhileplaying
- Performanupwardsglissandowiththevoicewhileplayingtheuppernote.Startina comfortableoctaveforyourvoicetype
- Trianglenoteheadsindicatewhistletone.Exactpitchisnotimportant-performthe effectatthepitchthatworksbestonyourinstrument
- Slashednoteheadsindicatetoaudiateintotheinstrumentwhileperformingthegiven pitch
Fordemonstrationsofextendedtechniques,refertohttps://wwwflutecolorscomorfeelfreetocontactmeat gibsonmahnke@gmailcom
Violoncello
m.s.t.-MoltoSulTasto
st -SulTasto
ord -Ordinary
s.p.-SulPonticello
m.s.p.-MoltoSulPonticello
bb -BehindBridge
- Wedgeindicatesmovetooverpressure Theeffectshouldbecrunchyandpitchless
- Mutestringwithlefthandtocreatepitchlesswhitenoise Theeffectisindicatedwith anemptysquarenotehead
- Rapidlefthandmovementinrandomizedorderwithharmonicpressure.Oneneednot playspecificnodes,justharmonicpressure.Theresultanteffectshouldbeacloudof shimmeringharmonicnoise Wavyglissandiindicatestogliss thefigurewithinthebox
- Trianglenoteheadsindicateindeterminatehighpitch
ProgramNotes
Overthepastyear,Ihavebecomeincreasinglyinterestedinsynthesizersandsynthesis,especiallyanalog subtractivesynthesis.Thisprocessinvolvesstartingwithawaveform,thenfilteringoutand“subtracting” frequenciestocreatethedesiredtone Thisprocessstartswithtuningoscillators Thereissomethingso satisfyingabouttheactoftuninganoscillatorasyouaresettinguptheblankcanvasofnoisefromwhichyou cancarveyourownsonicidea.Workingwithandprogrammingpatchesonasynthesizerisalsosuchatactile experienceinawaythatnotatedcompositionoftenisnot.Asyousounddesign,youreceivereal-timefeedback asthetone,timbre,andresonanceoftheinstrumentchangeasyoualterparameters OscillatorStudyNo 1isthe firstinaseriesofworksexploringtheutilizationofsynthesistechniquesinnotatedcomposition Thiswork exploresacollectionof“patches”madethroughcreativeorchestrationoffluteandcello.Throughoutthe compositionprocess,Ifocusedontechniquesmorecommonlyusedinelectronicmusic,suchasanemphasison ADSR(attack,delay,sustain,release),whencreatingeachpatch Ialsothoughtofwaystomanufactureeffects suchasreverb,resonance,anddelay,incorporatingtheseintothevarioussoundworldsofthework Thework alsoemphasizes“noise”,exploringtheexpressiverangeoftheinstrumentsthatexistsoutsideofpitch.
GibsonMahnke 6October2025
VersionI:6October2025
Cover Photo: “Wooden Classic Audio Mixer” - Alexey Demidov
Expressive,increasinglysaturatedwithnoise(q=90)
slow,randomchanges inbowplacement
(rapidlyfingeringrandompitches)