Footsteps

Footsteps for soprano and piano excerpt from DONIA, a chamber opera

Music

Julia Adolphe Libretto

Nahal Navidar

Piano Score November 2014

Footsteps

for soprano and piano Excerpt from DONIA, a chamber opera Music by Julia Adolphe Libretto by Nahal Navidar Duration – 4 minutes Instrumentation – Donia, soprano Piano Performance notes: Tempi and rhythms are suggestions only and the musical result may vary from performance to performance. Points of coordinated arrival are marked by solid barlines. Please see the downbeats at rehearsal numbers 1 and 3 for examples.

Greater flexibility and freedom are permitted in music marked with dashed barlines.

For example, the grace notes found between rehearsal numbers 1 and 3 can be played with expressive rhythmic freedom.

When a fermata appears in only one part, this signifies that the player with the fermata determines the length of the pause. An example may be seen in the first measure. The soprano determines the length of the pause before her entrance. The pianist has a curlew sign, designating that the pianist must wait and take his or her cue from the soprano. At rehearsal number 4, the pianist repeats the pitches notated within the box until the singer gives the cue to move forward.

Summary of Notation: Fermata Curlew Dashed barline Solid barline

Pause at your own pace, cue others when moving forward Wait on rest or sustain pitch/pitches until you receive a cue to move forward Flexible rhythms and/or flexible coordination between soprano and piano Coordinated arrival between soprano and piano

www.JuliaAdolphe.com

Footsteps

Aria from DONIA (working title), a chamber opera

Nahal Navidar

Julia Adolphe

Scene 2: Evin Prison, Tehran. Donia finds herself in a small jail cell. Her blindfold removed, her hands unbound.

A single drop of water drips. Donia steadies her breathing. Water drips again, and again, and again. A shadow passes and brings in daylight, back to night, back to daylight.

Freely (q = c. 58)

Donia

Piano

=

{

Pno.

espr.

& ?

mf

#œ #œ °

{

& ˙ ?

= D.

Rain

#œ œ

p

#œ #œ

#œ œ

{

˙

–≤–

1

3

#œ # œ

my

#œ ø

p

#œ ™

home

Ó

#œ ø

#œ

#œ œ

2

mf

#œ

#œ

#œ

œ

œ #œ

#˙ Ó

p

#œ ø

#˙ Ó

Œ

nœ œ <#> œ œ œ œ f

Ó

p

Ma

& ˙

#œ #œ

#œ # œ

#œ

#œ ™

∑

pat- ter pit -ter pat - ter

œ

town.

fi

#˙

#œ

#œ œ

j œ

-

–≤–

–≤–

œ #œ œ #œ #œ œ œ œ #œ

pit - ter

∑

in

&

?

w

Ó

U Œ

mf

falls

–≤–

#˙

& œj ‰ Œ

D.

Pno.

& Ó

#œ ™ #œ U ˙ J p

U Ó

-

#œ

-

#œ

Copyright 2014 Nahal Navidar and Julia Adolphe (ASCAP)

#œ J

˙

ma,

œ

#˙ Ó

œ

2 D.

Pno.

{

& #œ ?

= D.

Pno.

Pno.

#œ

fi

œ

#œ #œ

#œ

#œ

œ <#> œ

#œ

3

Ma - ma's foot

œœœ

f

Œ

œ #œ #œ

Ó

-

j œ #œ ™

steps

3

#œ œ œ # œ

‰ œj

Œ

soft

Ó p

#œ

#œ ø

like

# œ œ #˙ Ó

3

{

mf

œ œ œ

warm

?

mf

nœ- nœ ø

4

?

#œ œ

œ #œ ™ p

œ

Ó

#˙ Ó

nœ ø

j œ bœ œ™

Moss

mf

bœ ø

and

œ

Œ

Ó

œ

bœ b œ

b˙ p

Ó

U œ

∑

j bœ 3 œ œ bœ b œ œ

˙ œ

œ œ and

Play pitches in any order as quickly as possible

bœ

œ

bœ b œ

bœ ™ f

earth

Œ

poco accel.

slip - pers.

q = c. 66

p

& Ϫ &

#œ

win - ter

& Ó

{

œ #œ # œ

nœ

#œ

& Ϫ

=

D.

‰ #œ #œ œ

& Ó

œ

b œ bœ

œ bœ bœ œ

leaves

b˙ Ó

Ϫ

¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯ f

5 D.

Pno.

œ

&

{

Bil

œ

&

=

?

{

Ϫ -

lows

œ-

mf

b >˙ ø

& ‰

Pno.

?

= D.

Pno.

6

{

&

bœ

?

{

&

of

soft

œ

bœ

nœ b œœ p

‰ œ

‰

œ œ œ

bœ

bœ

˙™

? Œ

œ bœ bœ bœ bœ

bœ bœ œ Œ J

œ

œ œŒ œ

bœ

bœ

≈

œ

‰

œœ

œ

œ

bœ

Dance,

nœ

œ

Ϫ

mf

œ

3

cot - ton

bœ

‰

œ

œ

œ œœ

bœ

œ

p

œ

œœœ

Ϫ

œ

white

b Ͽ

bœ

bœ ™ & bœ

Pno.

bœ

œ

œ

bœ œ œ

& ≈

= D.

p

bœ ø

œ

p

bœ

œ

bœ

œ ‰

œ

œ

œ

f

œ

nœ ™ œ J

b œ bœ

nœ bœ œ bœ bœ

bœ

œ

œœ‰

bœ œ

‰

Œ bœ

œ

bœ œ œ œ bœ œ

œ <b> œ Œ

bœ œ bœ œ œ

œ bœ

7 molto rall. , ™ b œ bœ œ bœ œ œ œ b œ &

4 D.

{

dance,

&

Pno.

?

nœ

n œ^ bœ ^ œ bœ ff ^ ^ nœ œ

dance

∑ bœ

bœ

bœ

{

9

U & ˙

Pno.

?

=

ø

U ∑

#˙ œ nœ # ˙

p

Ͽ

œ œ

j & Œ bœ

D.

{

The

& #œ ™

Pno.

?

œ wood

-

mf

∑

>Ͽ

q = c. 72

ϡ

œ en

floor - board

œ bœ ™ œ

œ œ œ

>œ

Ó

œ

œ œ œ J

3

3

Fire

¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

crack - ling

œœ

ff

œ #œ œ #>œ ø

#œ

rit.

ff

creaks

œœ œœ œ œ

f

n>œ ø

‰

nœ œ

n˙

Ó

#œ

Play pitches in any order as quickly as possible

œ œœ

p

#œ œ n œ #œ - œ #œ #œ

bœ œ œ™

j nœ bœ

b-œ bœ ™

bœ

3

10

mf

bœ

˙™

˙˙

Ó

#œ

‰

o - pen win - dow.

accel.

Slow (q = c. 52)

˙

bœ œ bœ œ bœ bœ œ

a - round my

nœ ø

=

8

œ J

œ

¯¯¯¯¯¯

{

∑

&

w ø

=

mf D.

œ œ œ œJ œ œ œ œ œJ

&

{

car- ry the weight

Œ

n œœœ ? nœœ

∏∏∏∏∏∏∏∏∏∏∏∏∏∏∏

=

D.

mf

œ ø

13

{

≈ #œ #œ

nœ bœ & J 3

creak

œ œ™

œ

3

3

Pa - cing

#œ

ff

? #œ #œ ø

3

3

#œ- # œ ™

œ

The

n œœœœ -

œ

f

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ™

p

U p œ™™ œ œ œ œ œ™ œ bœ œ™ J

3

creak

œ ‰ œ J J

pa- cing, book in hand

вРϪ

creak

nœ #œ # œ # œ œ # œ œ œ ≈ bœJ ™ ˙˙ ‰ ‰ œ # œ œ & # œ #œ œ nœ œ

Pno.

‰ œ #œ œ

#˙ ™ ø

œœ J 7

#˙ ø

molto rit.

‰ #œ #œ ‰ # œœœ

Fa - ther's foot - steps

#˙ #˙˙

12 q = c. 72

q = c. 54

ff

˙ œœj œœ ™™

Ϫ

of his - to - ry

#œ œ œ ‰ œœœœ ™™™™ œ™ œ™

sooth- ing my sen - ses to sleep

‰ #œ ™ œ™ ‰ #œ ™

3

&

Pno.

Soot

3

3

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ™

#œ

& #œ œ œ œ ‰ Œ œ œ œ ‰ p ? #w w

‰ œ œ œ œ

3

3

∏∏∏∏∏∏∏∏∏∏∏∏∏∏∏∏∏

Pno.

p

∏∏∏∏∏∏∏∏∏∏∏∏∏∏∏∏

D.

7

–≤– ^

3

of my

house

w w

fff

#œœ œ ø

5

poco accel.

∏∏∏∏∏∏∏∏∏∏∏∏∏∏∏∏

11 Calm (q = c. 66)

˙™ n˙ ™

n˙ ™ ø

w w w

‰

6 D.

Pno.

{

= D.

Pno.

{

= D.

Pno.

{

= D.

Pno.

{

14 molto rall. b œ œ ™ œ bœ œ bœ œ bœ ™ œ bœ & ‰ J ˙ & ˙ ?

Tells me

œ b œ bœ bœ bœ

p

Humming p

& #˙ & ?

the same fa - mi - liar sto - ry.

∑

Ϫ

15 q = c. 52 Ó

‰ Ó™

œ bœ b˙ ™

œ

∑

‰ œ -œ #œ #-œ œ #˙ J

œ

w

#œ #œ œ #˙ ‰ J

∑

#˙

&

Ó

pit - ter

pat - ter pit - ter pat - ter

#œ #œ œ #˙ & ‰ J #w & &

#œ ™

floor

& ‰ #w & ø

-

#œ J

-

#œ

j œ

#˙

boards.

œ

Œ

Œ

ø

‰

#˙

pp

3

#œ # œ

'cross

the

U Ó

Ó

#œ J

steps

°

#œ #œ œ #˙ ‰ J #w

rall.

˙

-

#w

Ó

j ‰ œ

–≤–

#œ #œ œ #˙ ‰ J

#œ #œ œ #˙ ‰ J

œ #œ œ #œ #œ œ œ œ #œ

#˙ Ó

Foot

rit.

& ˙

–≤–

16 q = 58 #œ ™ #œ ˙ J

Ó

#˙

#œ #œ nœ

Ó

poco accel.

#˙

U Ó

#œ

#U ˙

œ ?

U

n˙ “‘

c. 4 minutes