Hovering for Piano (No. 12a from Paul Klee: Painted Songs)

Hovering for Piano No. 12a from Paul Klee: Painted Songs

Jonathan Posthuma

2

About Paul Klee: Painted Songs Paul Klee: Painted Songs is an ongoing series of instrumental chamber works inspired by the visual art of Paul Klee. The series began in 2011 as a composition assignment from my first composition teacher, Luke Dahn, who asked all of his students to compose a work for clarinet and piano inspired by the iconic "Twittering Machine." Over the years, I have added to the series, continuing to draw on the wealth of inspiration from Klee's images, which are filled with musical references, textures, colors, and symbols that closely link musical concepts with his Klee's philosophy of visual art. To me, these pieces are musical settings of visual poetry, hence "painted songs." What continues to fascinate me about Klee is both the diversity and consistency of his total body of work. Throughout his vast career, certain ideas continue to resurface and find new applications. In this spirit, Paul Klee: Painted Songs continues to expand, ever exploring the poetry of his work through musical interpretation.

Performing Paul Klee: Painted Songs Each piece within Paul Klee: Painted Songs can be performed separately and is considered an independent, free-standing musical work. But, performers are encouraged to recontextualize these pieces into "galleries." Like a curator of an art gallery, performers can combine these works in any order or number, interpolate them with other works by other composers, or arrange them for different instrumental forces. Some pieces are more flexible than others, but the full work is designed to be self-referential and open to interpretation. As the series grows larger, I have aided "curators" by arranging and composing my own "galleries," multi-movement works that were conceived together, but even these can be rearranged and will evolve as more "painted songs" are added to the series and developed in collaboration with performers.

About "Hovering" (Schwebendes, 1930) Bold angled lines and colorful, multi-textured planes overlap and interconnect to create an illusion which appears to move while remaining fixed. An arrow near the top suggests this structure is suspended in air, or perhaps slowly rising. Fluid lines and accented figures trace downward and upward courses in free, toccata-like gestures. Harmonic, melodic and temporal ambiguity support this freely evolving structure that slowly rises out of view.

Note: No. 12a "Hovering" appears as Mvt. I in Gallery II, Mvt. IV in Gallery VI, and has been arranged for clarinet, percussion, and piano (No. 12b / Mvt. I or V in Gallery V). The solo piano version can also be adapted for performance on other keyboard instruments or by various ensembles.

3

Hovering (Schwebendes, 1930)

No. 12a from Paul Klee: Painted Songs

Piano

{

Jonathan Posthuma (b. 1989)

“” Kr b œ R.H.b œ n œnœ b œnœbœb œnœnœ n œnœœ #œ 16 bœbœ 17 n œ œbœ bœnœnœnœ bœ nœ#œ#œ#œœ nœ#œ #œ#œ 16 & 16 n œ L.H. RÔ ** e = 88* accel.

e = 122* rit.

molto legato

? 17 16

pp sempre

16 16

:“; Kr b œ b œ bœ n œ nœ n œ nœ b œ œbœbnœœ œ 16 b œ n œ nœnœ#œ#œ#œ#œ 14 nœ bœ bœnœnœnœ bœ œœ#œ#œnœ & 16 #œ 16 nœ R RÔ Ô 14 ? 16 16 16

{

e = 88

e = 122 rit.

accel.

2

Pno.

:“; Kr b œ b œ bœ n œ nœ b œ nœ nœ œ b œ loco b œ œ 14 16 bœ nœ œ bœ nœ œbœ #œ nœ #nœœœ & 16 #œ n œbœ® nœ nœ nœ bœ œ 16 œ #œ #œ nœ ® RÔ RÔ 16 ? 14 16 16

{

e = 88

e = 122

accel.

3

Pno.

{

bœbœ 16 & 16 bœnœnœœnœbœ

4

Pno.

p

? 16 16

rit.

f

nœ œ bœ œ œ #œ #œ œ bœ bœ œ #œ

e = 88

# œ #œ 17 # œ nœ#œ 16 œœ œ b œ n œ œœ

p

17 16

* The tempo should fluctuate freely between approximately (e = 88) and (e = 122) as indicated. ** The meters in each measure show the duration of each phrase, not the pulse of the music, which is free and syncopated.

4

{

e = 122 rit.

accel.

molto legato

Kr b œ b œ bœ n œ nœ b œnœbœb œ nœnœ n œnœœ #œ 16 17 b œ n œ œbœ bœnœnœnœ bœ nœ#œ#œ#œnœ nœ#œ #œ#œ 16 & 16 nœ R L.H. Ô > pp sempre > 16 ? 17 ®bœR ≈ œR 16 16 R.H.

5

Pno.

{

f sempre

e = 88

e = 122 rit.

accel.

Kr b œ b œ bœ n œ nœ n œ nœ b œ œbœbnœœ nœ 16 13 b œ n œ œ bœ nœnœ#œ#œ#œ#œ 16 bœnœnœnœ bœ œœ#œ#œ œ & 16 #œ nœ R RÔ Ô >œ pp sempre 13 ? 16 ® R 16 16

6

Pno.

{

f sempre

e = 88

e = 122

accel.

bœbœ b œ bœ ® n œ nœ b œ nnœœ œ bœ œ 13 b œ n œ b œ n œ n œ # œ œb œ #œ #œ nœœ œ 14 nœ œ #œ #œ nœ & 16 #œ n œ nœ nbœœ nœ bœ 16 RÔ R RÔ Ô pp sempre r 14 ? 13 ® # œ 16 16 >

7

Pno.

{

rit.

-

f sempre

e = 88 accel.

- pp mp n œ®œ ® ® b œb œœ ®b œn œ nœ nœ ® b œ bœ 16 ® ® 14 2 b œ œ b œ n œ b œ œ œ œ n œ bœnœœ 16 bœ & 16 nœnœn œ nœbbœœ ®œ® #œ#œ nœ® 16 ®n œ bœ n œ # œ # œ n œ # œ# œ RÔ RÔ pp pp

mf

8

Pno.

? 14 16

9

pp sempre

f

mp

© 2017 by Jonathan Posthuma Demodocus Music Publishing / www.jonathanposthuma.com

2 16

p

16 16

5

{

Kr n œ b œ bœ n œnœ n œ#œbœbbœœ bœ n œ œnœ #œ 14 16 b œ n œ # œ nœbœ nœ#œ #œ#œ 16 & 16 #œ bœbœbœbœbœbœ nœ#œnœnœ pp sempre RÔ >œ b n>œ 14 ? 16 >œ œ ≈ ≈ ® R 16 16 œ œ > f sempre e = 122

rit.

10

Pno.

{

e = 88

e = 122

non rit.

Kr b œ loco b œ bœ n œ nœ nœ œ b œ nœbœ bnœœ nœ 14 11 b œ n œ n œ # œ œbœ #œ nœ œ œ 16 œ œ #œ #œ nœ & 16 #œ n œbœ® nœ nœ nœ bœ ® ® RÔ RÔ pp sempre >œ Kr 11 r ? 14 ® ≈ ® #œ bœ b>œ 16 16 > accel.

11

Pno.

{

molto legato

b œ bœ 11 bœ bœ nœ nœ & 16

12

Pno.

f sempre

? 11 K 16 r >œ

{

13

&

Pno.

pp sempre

>œ œ œ nœ nœ bœ œ sfz

R.H.

b>œ

sfz

nœ #œ #œ #œ

n>œ

n œ b œ bœ

sfz

sfz

e = 88

rit.

sfz

5 16

14

e = 122

ppp U 5 ® bœnœ œ ? œ bœ bœ œ nœ œ bœ #>œ œ ‰ 16 œ nœ œ # œ # œ œ f sub. #œ#œ © 2017 by Jonathan Posthuma Demodocus Music Publishing / www.jonathanposthuma.com

“”

œ

bœ nœ bœ n œ 17 16 p

17 16

6

rit. :“molto ; legato Kr n œ n œ nœ b œ bœ n œ #œ œ nœnœ b œ bœbœ œ 16 17 n œ b œ œ #œ nœœ nœbœbœbœ bœ œnœnœnœ bœ œ #œ#œ 16 & 16 bœ R Ô bœ >œ pp sempre > œ 16 ? 17 > ® ® > nœ 16 16 bœ #œ

{

15

Pno.

{

f sempre

e = 88

e = 122 rit.

accel.

Kr b œ n œ nœ b œ bœ n œ nœ b œ nœ œnœœ œ 16 n œ b œ nœnœ#œ#œ#œ#œ 14 nœ bœ & 16 #œ nœbœbœbœbœ bœ bœnœnœnœœ 16 RÔ RÔ >œ pp sempre >œ >nœ œ # > 14 ? 16 ® bœ ® œ ® nœ 16 16 loco

16

Pno.

{

f sempre

e = 88

e = 122

accel.

>K > >r r r f K f #œ fœ n œ pp pp loco K r® ® ® 14 17 b œ ® nœ nœ bœ ®nœ œ bœ 16 Kr b œ & 16 bœbœ bœ n œ nœn œ bœ nœ n œ bœ pp sempre Kr œ nœ œ œn œ bœ # œ # œ #œ#œ n œ # œ œ # œ 17 ? 14 #œ #œ ® œ bœR ® 16 16 Ô

17

Pno.

{

17 & 16 ‰

18

Pno.

> ® œ#œ

f sempre

>

® œnœ

rit.

®

œ

® #œ ® 16 16 nœ >

#œ > molto legato Kr b œ nœnœ bœnœbœbœ nœnœ nœnœœ #œ 16 ? 17 bœbœbœnœ œ n œ œbœ nœ#œ#œ#œœ nœ#œ #œ#œ 16 16 nœ nœn œ b œ RÔ pp sempre © 2017 by Jonathan Posthuma Demodocus Music Publishing / www.jonathanposthuma.com

{

7

e = 88

® #œ œ > n>œ

{

11 & 32 ? 11 32

{

#œ

f sub.

e = 88

bœ

nœ

nœ

accel.

molto legato

bœ

nœ

nœ

bœ

nœ

bœ

p

16 16 16 16

e = 122

>

{

b œb œ

f

>

> nœbœ

rit.

e = 88

U pp œ # œ & œ bœ #œ n œ nœ bœ nœ # œ #œ Kr ® > bœ ® #œ ‰ Œ nœ œ #œ > pp sempre > > f œ # œ ? œ œ œ œ nœ œ # œ # œ #œ#œ > œ

22

Pno.

e = 122

nœ

pp #œ > b œ b œ n œ n œ b œœ nœ n œb œ œ nœnœ pp œ f #œ n œ b œ nœbœbœ bœ bœ œnœbœ œnœ nœ #œ œ nœ 16 n œ nœ & 16 ‰ #œ # œ œ RÔ ≈ R Ô n œ pp #œnœ f f pp sempre, but f on accented notes > > > ? 16 ∑ 16

21

Pno.

®

rit.

20

Pno.

® nœbœ > >œ

nœ 11 #œ 32 n>œ > Kr 11 ? 16 bœ b œ nœnœ b œ n œ 16 bœ 32 b œ n œ b œb œn œn œn œ n œ œ # œ# œn œ nœb œn œ n œ œb œ n œn œ# œ# œ# œ œ #œ œ n œb œR RÔ Ô

16 & 16

19

Pno.

> #œ ® >œ œ

accel.

f

© 2017 by Jonathan Posthuma Demodocus Music Publishing / www.jonathanposthuma.com

11 32 11 32

8

{

e = 122

11 & 32

23

Pno.

? 11 32

{

#œ

f sub.

œ

bœ

nœ

bœ

:“molto ; legato

rit.

nœ

nœ

“” bœ nœ

bœ

nœ p

e = 88

17 16 17 16

accel.

> > f Kr > pp nœ b œ # œ b œbœ n œ nœ Kr b œ n œ f f b œ nœœbœ nœnœœœ RÔ nœnœnœ#œ#œ œ 11 17 b œ n œ œ n œ b œ n œ n œ n œ b nœ nœ nœb>œ #œ#œ 32 & 16 #œ#œ#œ pp > f pp pp sempre >> f nœ nœ 11 ? 17 ∑ # œ 16 32

24

Pno.

{

e = 122

#œ 11 & 32

25

Pno.

? 11 32

{

rit.

nœ

bœ

p

nœ

16 16

bœ œ

œ e = 88

bœ

nœ

accel.

nœ f

> > >> pp bœ n œ pp œ f #œ f f f b œ œ nœ b œbœ n œnœ b œnnœœ œnœ b œ # œ n œ 16 bœ nœ œbœ nœnœ#œ#œ#œ#œ 11 & 16 #œ bœ#bœœnœn œnœnœbœ nœnœœ œ#œ#œnœ 32 ® ® RÔ RÔ pp pp pp pp pp f f f œ f bœ œ 11 ? 16 bœ œ 16 32 œ > ®> ®> ®> >

pp

26

Pno.

bœ

16 16

© 2017 by Jonathan Posthuma Demodocus Music Publishing / www.jonathanposthuma.com

{

9

e = 122

11 & 32 #œ

bœ

27

Pno.

nœ

nœ

bœ

nœ

nœ

bœ

nœ

bœ

mf sub.

? 11 32

15 16

nœ p

{

e = 88

rit.

15 16

b œb œ n œ nœ U 11 nœbœbœ 15 n œ œ b œ ® n œ ≈ 32 & 16 bœbœ #œ #œ # œ œ n œ bœ RÔ RÔ œb œn œ pp sempre œb œ œ œ œ 11 ? 15 #œ ® ® #œœ œ #œœ #œ #œ 32 16 RÔ ® RÔ nœ e = 122 nœ bœ 11 œ bœ & 32

28

Pno.

{

29

Pno.

? 11 32

{

30

Pno.

& ?

#œ

ff sub.

#œ œ pp

bœ

œ

rit.

bœ nœ

bœ nœ

nœ

œ bœ

bœ

p

nœ

e = 88

nœ œ bœ bœ bœ #œ b œ n œ nœ bœ n œR U nœ nœ Ô ® 31

∑

∑

ppp

-- Alba, Italy June 2016, completed June 1, 2017

© 2017 by Jonathan Posthuma Demodocus Music Publishing / www.jonathanposthuma.com