with leaves

Jeremy Rosenstock

with leaves for prepared string quartet

2 with leaves, for prepared string quartet

Program Notes This work is part of an investigation into the use of natural objects in acoustic music. This work is the first that incorporates leaves.

Leaves are weaved through the strings of each instrument. As a result, the "fundamental" frequency of each string is partially muted while higher frequencies in the strings become clearer. This timbral alteration reveals a tension between the instrument as a humandeveloped object and the instrument as a collection of materials taken primarily from trees. The leaf demonstrates an attempt to recontextualize the instrument as an object sourced and alienated from nature, as the organic (nearly) transcended.

This piece was composed for the Isaura String Quartet with the aid of Erika Duke-Kirkpatrick, Michael Pisaro, Rachel Prendergast, and Elizabeth Allen.

3 with leaves, for prepared string quartet Key

Molto sul ponticello.

Transition from normale to scratch tone. Stop scratch tone immediately after.

Transition from one bow position to another.

Regular, and long fermatas (from top to bottom). Regular fermatas are 1 -2" longer than the duration of the (below) notated object. The durations of long fermatas are indicated in the score.

Any ongoing action. Actions continue until next negating action or described/notated end of action. Durations may also be indicated in the score.

Performance Notes All instruments are prepared using leaves, as demonstrated in the Preparation Example on the next page. Fresh Southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) leaves are ideal for performance. Smaller leaves should be used for the violins (in comparison to the viola or cello).

Allow for slight d etunings of all instruments

as a result

of the preparations.

The preparations should slightly mute the strings' respective fundamentals while increasing the audibility of upper partials; this effect is most apparent when playing molto sul ponticello. Certain higher partials may be heard from near the leaf's location on the fingerboard.

All harmonic glissandi start directly below the location of the leaf on the fingerboard.

All accidentals are borrowed from Helmholtz-Ellis JI Pitch Notation, as designed by Marc Sabat and Wolfgang Von Schweinitz. All cent values are in deviation from equal temperament.

4 with leaves, for prepared string quartet

Preparation Example

5

with leaves

Violin I

Violin II

Viola

° 4 ™ &2 ™

q = 60

Jeremy Rosenstock

√ Ú

U Ú

™™

Ú

Ú

√ Ú

U Ú

™™

Ú

Ú

20"

√ Ú

4 & 2 ™™

U Ú

20"

B 42 ™™

20"

√ ? 4 ™™ ≥ ¢ 2 W

20"

Violoncello

U Ú

p msp; increase bow pressure for repeat

° & 5

Ú

Ú

U

™™

Ú

™™ ≥ W

œ ˙™ >

msp

&

B ∑

Ú

Ú ≤ w o

≥

wait 4x repeats of cello cell

œ ˙™ >

W

≥ œ >

˙™

≤ œ ˙™ >

W

≥ œ >

˙™

≤ œ ˙™ >

p

msp

? ≤ ¢ W

U

msp

W

msp

≥

wait 6x repeats of cello cell

Ú

≤

≤

repeat 2x; 4-5" per bow stroke

œ ˙™ >

f

repeat 4x; 4-5" per bow stroke

œ ˙™ mf >

2 2 2 2

repeat 8x; 4-5" per bow stroke

2 2

repeat 8x; 4-5" per bow stroke

2 2

6

° 2 ≥ &2 w-

7 ≤ 4 w™™

≥ 2 &2 w-

7 ≤ 4 w™™

≥ B 22 w -

7 ≤ 4 w™™

?2 ≥ ¢ 2 w-

7 ≤ 4 w ™™

9

ord.

f

ord.

f

ord.

f

ord.

f

° ≥ & O™ 12

ord.

III: 3 f

&

≥

Y™

B Ó™ ? Ó™ ¢

∑ behind bridge

≥

Y™ f

∑ Ó™

2 ~≥ 2

∑

∑

4 O™ 2

2≥ 2 Y

4 2

ord.

≤ œ

msp

p

˙™

2 2

≤ œ

msp

on bridge, unpitched

ord.

˙™

∑

∑

2≥ 2Y

ppp

≤ œ

4 2 4 2 Y™

˙™

p

o

Œ ∑

move towards bridge

Y™

msp

ord.

Ú

o

Ó

Y

2 2

∑

4 2

2 2

∑

4 2

2 2

∑

4 2

move towards msp

2 2Y

msp

˙

pp

4 2

7

° 4 &2

Ú

16

∑

Ú

4 &2

2≥~ 2 j  œ

w msp o

∑

2 ≥j ~ 2 œ

p

p

≤ œj

III: 2

22

j O

œ O™ j œ

IV: 3

w

œ O™

O Oj ˙™

j œ

B œ œj O™

O Oj ˙™

j œ

&

j œ

? j~ ¢ œ

III: 3

IV: 3

III: 3 j O

w

~ j

j O

~ ~

™ œ œj O

j O

sotto voce; msp ≥

w

∑

Œ O™ j

O

∑

™ O Œ

O Oj

 œ p IV: 2

sotto voce; msp ≥ j œ p III: 2

Oj

œ

w

~ j

w O Oj ˙™

j œ

O Oj ˙™

j œ

~

~

j O

w

m ~ -1 4 IV: 5

O O™ ~

˙™

O Oj m O™ -1 4

Oj

Oj

˙™

IV: 5

O Oj O™

~

~ j

œ

j O

≤ j O

≤

~ j

 œ

w

j O

 œ

w

∑

2 2

W

° & j~  œ

IV: 2

2 2

Ú

?4 ≤ ¢ 2W

≤ j œ

p

Ú

Ú

B 42

≤

O Oj m O™ j O

m~

-1 4 III: 5

-1 4 III: 5

8

° & 29

&

rit.

m~

m~

Bm ~

move to ord.

j m O

w

move to ord. j m O

w

<~

move to ord.

-31 j  mO III: 7

q = 60

accel. ord.

4 2 <O >

8"

IV: 7 mf

ord.

4 2 <O >

ff

8"

IV: 7 mf

4 <>O 2

ord.

8"

? ~ ¢ m

<~

4 <>O 2

ord.

mf

8"

™™

ss. gl i

!≤

gl i ss.

™™

ss. gl i

!≤

gl i ss.

™™

mp harmonic gliss. across fingerboard

<O 22 ™™ ≥ O 7 ff

gl i ss.

mp harmonic gliss. across fingerboard

<O 2 ™™ ≥ 7 2 O ff

ss. gl i

!≤

mp harmonic gliss. across fingerboard

2 ™™ ≥ 7 <O 2 O ff

mf

move to ord.

-31 j  mO III: 7

2 ™™ ≥ 7 <O 2 O

ss. gl i

!≤

mp harmonic gliss. across fingerboard

gl i ss.

™™

9

harmonic gliss., rapidly tapping string

ss. gl i

gl i s s.

harmonic gliss., rapidly tapping string

? ™™ ≥ ¢ O

ss. gl i

!≤

gl i s s.

harmonic gliss., rapidly tapping string

gl i ss.

gl i ss.

gl i ss.

ff

≤ Ÿ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ! ! ! gl i s s. ss. i l 6 ™™ ™™ O g ™™ O 4 O . i ss gl

≥ B ™™ O

!≤

mf

gl i ss.

gl i s s.

≤ Ÿ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ! ! ! gl i 6 ™™ ™™ iss. ss. ™™ 4 gl O O O msp

msp ff

mf

≤ Ÿ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ! ! ! g lis gl i s. ss. ss. i l 6 ™™ ™™ g ™™ 4 O O O mf

gli ss.

ss. gl i

!≤

ff

. i ss gl

≥ ™ ™ & O

mf

gl i ss.

harmonic gliss., rapidly tapping string

gl i ss.

gl i s s.

≤ Ÿ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ! ! ! gl i 6 ™™ ™™ iss. ss. ™™ 4 l g O O O msp

gl i ss .

ss. gl i

!≤

. i ss gl

° ™≥ & ™ O 33

msp ff

10

° 6Ó &4 37

Œ

≤

˙™

msp f

behind bridge

≥ 6 &4 Y™

≤

˙™

msp

f

B 46 Ó

≥ O™

III: 3

msp

≤ ˙™

msp f

≥

>Y

msp

≤ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ bridge Ÿ ! ™ ≤ 4≥ 2 msp >Y >Y behind

behind bridge

≥

Y™ f

≤ Œ ˙™

scratch tone, behind bridge

f

Ó

f

? 6 Ó™ ¢ 4

≤ !Ÿ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ™ 4∑ 2

ord.

f

Œ

≤ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ÿ !™ msp

behind bridge

4Ó 2

f

Ó™

≤ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ÿ !™ msp f

4∑ 2

≤ >Y

≥

Ó

behind bridge, as close to bridge as possible

≤

>Y

>Y

≥ >Y

Ó

f

scratch tone, behind bridge

≥ >Y

Ó

11

° & 40

&

B

¢

?

U Ú

U Ú

U Ú

U Ú

bow leaf, unpitched

≥ Y p

bow leaf, unpitched

≥ Y p

bow leaf, unpitched

≥ Y p

bow leaf, unpitched

≥ Y p

∑

∑

∑

∑

col legno tratto on leaf, unpitched

≥ Y

pp

col legno tratto on leaf, unpitched

≥ Y

pp

col legno tratto on leaf, unpitched

≥ Y

pp

col legno tratto on leaf, unpitched

≥ Y

pp

U ∑

U ∑

U ∑

U ∑

12 normale, bowing string on leaf; aim for 5th partial or higher

° ≥ & Y 43

mp

¿.

normale, bowing string on leaf; aim for 5th partial or higher

&

≥

Y

mp

B

¿.

normale, bowing string on leaf; aim for 5th partial or higher

≥ Y

mp

¿.

normale, bowing string on leaf; aim for 5th partial or higher

? ≥ ¢ Y

mp

¿.

U Ó

vertically drop bow on ord., unpitched (mute strings with LH)

U Ú

pp

U Ó

vertically drop bow on ord., unpitched (mute strings with LH)

U Ú

pp

U Ó

vertically drop bow on ord., unpitched (mute strings with LH)

U Ú

pp

U Ó

vertically drop bow on ord., unpitched (mute strings with LH)

pp

U Ú