Jessica Rudman
My Father Was a Ventriloquist for C Trumpet and Electronics
2011
6:30
Program Notes
My Father Was a Ventriloquist is probably one of—if not the—most personal piece I have ever written. Growing up, I had very difficult and intense relationship with my father. When I was in my 20s, he abruptly left my mother and went into a tailspin. During the few years after their divorce, I spoke to him on the phone periodically, but the stories that I got from him were very different from the picture of his life that he painted to other family members. I gradually realized that what I thought was alcoholism in remission was in fact the tip of a much larger iceberg of addiction. When Dr. Daniel D’Addio commissioned me to write a work for trumpet and electronics, I decided to confront my feelings about the situation with my father. I chose to write a text to be included in the electronics track, and the work is a modern take on the art song, although the narrator is disembodied and frozen in a recording. The trumpet serves as a sort of commentary, sometimes supporting the text, sometimes screaming over it, always adding a layer of emotional expression beyond what is spoken.
Composer Contact Information
Jessica Rudman
Email: jessica_rudman@yahoo.com
Website: www.jessicarudman.com
My Father Was a Ventriloquist
Music and Text Copyright © 2011 by Transfigured Lady Publishing. All Rights Reserved. Trumpet in C Electronics n Deliberately q = 120 C Tpt. Elec. mf f 5 C Tpt. Elec. mf ff p f ff 8 C Tpt. Elec. 11 4 4 3 4 4 4 4 4 3 4 4 4 4 4 3 4 7 8 4 4 3 4 7 8 7 8 4 4 7 8 4 4 & wearing the derby ∑ ∑ plunger +
Jessica Rudman / electronic shimmers garbled voices bass 3 0" &> 5 / ∑ 3 7" & wa wa+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ +wa > 3 7:8 5:4 / 3 12" & discard plunger / 3 3 18" Ó ™ œ ˙ ™ œj ‰ ‰ ™ œr œ œ ‰ ‰ ‰ œr œj ‰ ≈ œ ™j ≈ œ œ ˙ œ j ‰ œ b œ b œ œ œ ˙ b ™ ˙ ™ Œ ‰ ™ œr œj ‰ ‰ ™ œr Œ œj ‰ œr ‰ œ b œ œ nœ œ ™ œ ™ ˙ œ J ‰ ® œ b ™ j ˙ ™ ‰ œ ™ J œj ‰ ‰ ‰ ≈ œr œ œ œ œj ‰ ‰ ™ œr Œ œj ‰ œr œj ‰ ≈ œ ™j ‰ ™ œr œ œ ‰ w w œ J ‰ Œ Ó ‰ ≈ œr œj ‰ ‰ ™ œr ‰ ‰ œr œj ‰ ≈ œ ™j ≈ œ œ œ œj ‰ œj ‰ Œ ≈ œ ™j ≈ œj ‰ 2
C Tpt. Elec. mp mf fp 14 C Tpt. Elec. ffmp fff 17 C Tpt. Elec. 20 C Tpt. Elec. 25 3 4 3 4 3 4 4 4 3 4 4 4 & open> . .> / 3 24" & flz. > brassy> 3 / ∑ ∑ 3 30" & ∑ ∑ ∑ / "I never ...voice" electronics and garbled voices ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ 36" & ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ / ∑ ∑ high rustling rhythm second layer added 46" Ó œ œ b œ Œ Œ ≈ œ b œ Œ ‰ œ b J w ‰ œj Œ œ œ Œ œ œ ‰ Œ œj ‰ ® œ ™ ™ j ‰ œj ‰ œ œ œ œ ‰ ‰ œj ˙ ≈ æ æ æ œ ™ J æ æ æ œ æ æ æ w æ æ æ œ æ æ æ œ J ‰ ‰ œ œ Ó ‰ ‰ œr œj ‰ w w Ó Œ Ó ‰ 3
C Tpt. Elec. p dolce 32 C Tpt. Elec. mf pp 36 C Tpt. Elec. mf 40 C Tpt. Elec. ff 44 3 4 4 4 3 4 4 4 3 8 4 4 3 4 3 8 4 4 3 4 3 4 4 4 3 4 4 4 & ∑ ∑ ∑ / wop wop echoes ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ 59" & to straight mute / "My father was a ventriloquist when I was a child" wop echoes ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ 1'06" & ∑ ∑ ∑ straight mute .-. > / wop echoes ¯¯¯ fast, erratic pulses interlocking trumpet part 1'14" &> remove mute ∑ ∑ ∑ / My, my, my father (etc.) ∑ My, my, my father (etc.) 1'21" w b œ œ œj ‰ Ó Ó Œ œ œ ˙ œ b ™ œ b œ œ b œ ™ œ n j ˙ w œj ‰ Œ Ó ≈ œ œ ≈ #œ œ ≈ œ b ™ J ≈ œ < #> ™ J œ J ‰ Ó Œ ≈ œ œ ‰ ™ ™ #œj #˙ œj ‰ 4
C Tpt. Elec. p 48 C Tpt. Elec. f 52 C Tpt. Elec. 55 C Tpt. Elec. mp f 58 3 4 4 4 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 & ∑ ∑ ∑ open / bass scrape groan & trumpet My, my, my father (etc ) ∑ 1'29" & to harmon mute . > ∑ ∑ 5 / groan &> / 5 1'37" & ∑ harmon mute, stem in wa wa+ > / bass ∑ 1'42" & ∑+ > . +wa+ . wa/ ∑ My father, my father ∑ ∑ ∑ & 1'48" w Œ œ ¿ œ ™ ≈ œ œ ¿ œ œ œ #œ #œ œ Ó Ó ‰ œ b œ b œ œ œ ˙ b Ó Œ œ b œ œ b nœ nœ ˙ œ J û ‰ œ ‰ œj ‰ œj œ Ó œ Œ Ó œ # nœ nœ Œ #œ œ ≈ œ R œ œ nœ ˙ ˙ ™ œ b 5
C Tpt. Elec. f 62 C Tpt. Elec. ff fff 66 C Tpt. Elec. 70 C Tpt. Elec. 74 5 4 5 4 & ∑ ∑ stem removed> &> more trumpets / When I, when I ∑ 5 1'56" & bell up (medium)> bell up (high)> / ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ 2'04" & ∑ remove mute ∑ / My father was a great negotiator ∑ ∑ My father was a great negotiator, when I (echoes) was growing up ∑ 2'12" & ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ / bass He drove a hard bargain ∑ And was... walk away ∑ 2'20" ˙ Ó Œ ˙ b ™ œ b œ b œ œ œ ˙ b ™ w ˙ ˙ ™ œ J ≈ œ R w ˙ ™ ‰ ™ œ b R w w œ œ J ‰ Ó Ó Ó Œ ‰ ™ œr ‰ ™ œr Œ œj ‰ Œ Ó 6
C Tpt. Elec. 78 C Tpt. Elec. 83 C Tpt. Elec. 88 C Tpt. Elec. 92 C Tpt. Elec. 96 5 4 3 4 4 4 5 4 3 4 4 4 & ∑ ∑ ∑ remove derby and place on stand ∑ ∑ / Walk away bass Walk away ∑ (silence) ∑ electronic shimmers ∑ ∑ 2'28" & ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ / ∑ ∑ ∑ garbled voices ∑ ∑ 2'38" & ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ / ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ 2'48" & ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ / bass shimmers & voices cont. ∑ My father sat us... ∑ 2'56" & ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ / ∑ ∑ saying they had... ∑ ∑ 3'04" Œ ‰ ™ œr ‰ ™ ™ œ K r œj ‰ Œ œ ‰ œj ‰ œj œj ‰ Œ 7
C Tpt. Elec. p dolce e expressivo 100 C Tpt. Elec. mp 104 C Tpt. Elec. p mf pp fp aggressive 108 n cresc. C Tpt. Elec. ffp fff 113 decresc. 5 4 4 4 5 4 4 4 & ∑ ∑ in the hat / ∑ I though maybe at the time ∑ ∑ ∑ 3'12" & 3 / ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ 3'21" & 3 ord./ ∑ ∑ ∑ trumpet choir ∑ ∑ 3'29" & bell up (medium)brassy, bell up (high)> / ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ 3'39" Œ Œ Ó œ w ˙ ˙ ˙ ™ ‰ œ J œ œ œ #œ ˙ œj ‰ œ #œj ˙ ˙ ‰ œ J œ œ J #œ ˙ ™ ˙ #˙ ˙ ‰ nœ J œ w ˙ ™ œ J ‰ #w ˙ ™ œ J ≈ œ R w w w 8
My father visited me this one time
C Tpt. Elec. 119 C Tpt. Elec. 124 C Tpt. Elec. n f 129 C Tpt. Elec. n f n f 132 & ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ /
∑
etc. ∑
my, my, etc.
father didn't like to travel ∑ 3'51" & ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ /
My father didn't... 4'01" & ∑ o o o o o o / bass scratch 4'11" & o o o o o o rip o o o o > / 4'17" Ó Œ ≈ Ó Œ Ó ≈ Ó Œ ≈ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œû ‰ Œ œj ‰ ‰ ™ œr œ œ ‰ ‰ ™ œr Œ ≈ œr ‰ ≈ œ œ ¿ Œ œ œ Œ ≈ œ ™ j Ó Œ ‰ ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œû ‰ œ J û ≈ œ ™ J ù œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ™ œ ‰ œj ‰ œj œj ‰ ‰ œj ‰ ™ œr œ ™ œ œ œ ™ Œ ≈ œ ™j ‰ ™ œr ‰ œj ‰ œj 9
My father,
My,
My
But when I was He visited me electronics
C Tpt. Elec. p ff 135 C Tpt. Elec. n 138 C Tpt. Elec. ff 141 C Tpt. Elec. fff 144 & . shake - > ~~~~~~~~~~ rip . > 1/2 v. fall 3 / 4'23" & 3 / 4'29" & > > . . > > o o o o growl > 3 / loud and crazy! ∑ ∑ ∑ 4'35" & . > growl ad lib 5 / ∑ ∑ 4'41" ‰ #œ J #œ nœ œ ˙ nœ nœ ‰ œ b J ˙ nœ #œj ˙ œ œ ™ ‰ œj œ ™ œ ‰ ™ œr œ œ ‰ ‰ œj ≈ œ ™j œ œ ≈ œ œ ‰ œj ≈ œ œ ‰ ™ œr Œ œ œ J #œ ˙ œ ™ #œj ˙ œj ‰ Œ Ó œ ™ œ ‰ œj œj ‰ œ œ ≈ œ ™j ≈ œ ™j ≈ œ œ ‰ œj ‰ œj œ æ æ æ œ æ æ æ œ J ‰ Œ ˙ ™ œ œ œ œ b œ œ b œ œ œ œ n œ b ≈ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ J œ b ˙ nœ #œ #œ œ œ œ nœ œ b œ œ œ œ ˙ b ≈ œ b nœ œ œ nœ œ œ œ nœ œ 10
C Tpt. Elec. 146 C Tpt. Elec. 149 C Tpt. Elec. ffff screaming! 152 p decresc. C Tpt. Elec. n p 156 n & shake ~~~~~~~~~~ > 1/2 v. shake ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > . / ∑ ∑ ∑ 4'45" & - > 1/2 v. fall 1/2 v. fall> . > 3 1/2 v. fall / ∑ ∑ ∑ 4'51" & brassy, bell up (high) to cup mute ∑ ∑ ∑ / bass My father packed up... ∑ After I "ted" 4'57" & ∑ cup mute / ∑ 5'05" ˙ b ™ œ œ nœ ‰ œ J ˙ ™ ˙ Œ ≈ œ œ œ œ b œ œ n ˙ ‰ ™ œ # R ˙ ‰ œ J #œ œ ‰ œ J ù ‰ œ J œ b ˙ ˙ œ œ J ‰ œj ‰ Ó œ ™ œ œ œ w w w œ œ ™ œ ™ œ œ œ œ œ ™ œ ™ œ œ œ œ œ ™ œ ™ œ œ œ œ œ ™ Ó 11
C Tpt. Elec. dolce e expressivo mp 160 C Tpt. Elec. mf n p mp 164 C Tpt. Elec. n 169 C Tpt. Elec. pp dolce p n 174 &/ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ 5'13" & / ∑ I saw him once ghost choirs ∑ ∑ ∑ 5'21" & remove mute ∑ ∑ / ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ trumpet choirs ∑ 5'31" & in the hat to whispa mute / ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ 5'41" œ ‰ œ J œ œ b œ ™ œ b ˙ ™ ˙ œ J ‰ œ b w w ˙ Ó Œ ˙ b ™ ˙ ™ œ ™ œ b w ‰ w w œj ‰ Œ Ó Œ ˙ b ™ ˙ ™ œ ™ œ b w w œj ‰ Œ Ó 12
C Tpt. Elec. pp dolce mp 179 C Tpt. Elec. ppp 184 decresc. al fine C Tpt. Elec. pp dolce 188 C Tpt. Elec. pp dolce n 192 n & ∑ lyric mute / ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ 5'51" & turn away from audience / ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ 6'01" & / ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ 6'09" & ∑ / ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ 6'17" 6'27" Œ ˙ b ™ ˙ ™ œ b w œ ™ œ b j œ œ œ b ™ œ œ ˙ œ œ n w w œ j ‰ Œ Ó Œ ˙ b ™ ˙ ™ œ b w ˙ œj ‰ Œ w œ ™ ™ œ b r ˙ w ˙ ™ œ j ‰ 13
