Sankaram | Ololyga

R E

Ololyga

SC O

for soprano and electronics

PE R

U SA L

Kamala Sankaram 2017

PE R U SA L SC O

R E

R E

SC O

Ololyga

U SA L

for soprano and electronics

Kamala Sankaram

PE R

2017

Program Note Ololyga is inspired by Ann Carson’s essay “The Gender of Sound.” In Ancient Greek, ololyga is the ritual shriek of women, a sound so alarming to men that it could not be uttered within their earshot. Premiered in 2017 at Resonant Bodies Festival (and largely created while in residence with RBF at Mt.Tremper Arts), the piece is a direct response to the 2016 election and the historic silencing of women. It traces the evolution of a voice from non-pitched extended techniques to the high extremes of the female vocal range.

Performance Notes

R E

Boxes can repeat as many times as you like before the next cue.Tempo is flexible, but in general, intensity should increase over the course of the piece.

Rhythms do not have to be exact- think of the timings in the score as general guideposts for how the piece should develop.

Time code is written as mm:ss:ff

<ʔ>

= Glottal stop

<r>

= Unvoiced alveolar trill = inhale

U SA L

= Exhale on “Sh” sound

SC O

To best achieve the balance of the extended techniques and the track, vocals should be amplified.

= Vocal fry

PE R

Diamond notehead to x notehead = yodel (break from chest voice into head voice)

= Gliss around note, keeping intervals small

Instrumentation Soprano Electronics Duration: 5'

First printing, March 2024 Copyright ©2017 Kamala Sankaram. All Rights Reserved.

Program Note Copyright ©2017 Kamala Sankaram. All Rights Reserved Published by Just a Theory Press | www.justatheorypress.com

3

Ololyga 4 ‰ ¿j ¿j ‰ ¿j ¿j /4

Voice

Y

Th ⟨ʔ⟩ Th ⟨ʔ⟩

00:17:50

6

{

/

Sh

b / b bb

[a]

j j ¿ ¿

Th ⟨ʔ⟩

Y

? bb b b w

Th ⟨ʔ⟩ Th ⟨ʔ⟩

⟨r⟩

00:42:00

j j ¿ ¿ ‰¿‰¿

⟨r⟩ t

w

00:52:00

Th ⟨ʔ⟩

Th ⟨ʔ⟩

b / b bb Drone and

Track

? bb b b w {

L

Y

L

Sh

/ Y

to add pitch, senza vibrato to start. bbb Begin j j b ‰ j j ‰ j j & ¿ ¿ b¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ⟨r⟩ t t t t L ⟨ʔ⟩

11

Voice

~

Drone and whispers fade in

PE R

Track

r Y ¿ ≈‰ Œ

Use full exhale for vocal fry

U SA L

Voice

/ Y

¿

SC O

Track

‰ ¿j ¿j ‰ ¿j ¿j

R E

00:08:50

∑

∑

01:08:00

œ œœœœœœ

⟨r⟩ t t t t t t

Y

whispers fade in

w Copyright © 2017 Kamala Sankaram Music (ASCAP) Published by Just a Theory Press | www.justatheorypress.com

∑

4

01:28:00

L ⟨ʔ⟩

? bb { bb

∑

∑

b & b bb bœœœœœœ œ œ œ œ œ œ w

18

Voice

lo

∑

? bb { bb w

PE R b & b bb

Voice

b & b bb

Track

{

? bb b b

∑

œ œ

Lo

Oh

Voice

∑

˙˙

w

Lo

⟨r⟩ t t t t t t

Machine clicks on.

Drone and whispers fade in

∑

bœ œ Ó

This

∑

∑

j 3 3 ˙ œ œœœœœœ

w

w

02:24:00

Slow gliss

nœ

∑

01:48:00

Y ˙

02:07:00

Th [i]

w

∑

∑

⟨r⟩

Th[i]

Voice

∑

œ bœ œ

Machine clicks on.

Drone and whispers fade in

01:44:00

U SA L

t t 6t t t t lo lo lo lo lo

24

L t t t t t t

⟨r⟩

Th[i]

j ‚ ¿J

SC O

Track

Th[i]

6 j b¿j ¿j bœj ‰ œj œ œ œ œ œ œ ‚

R E

bb j & b b œj œj Œ ‚j b¿

Voice

Increase speed as you repeat this box

Increase speed as you move between these two boxes.

15

Machine clicks on.

w

œ ‰ œj œ ‰ œj ˙

Lo

Oh

˙˙˙

Voice

Lo

02:40:00

Oh Lo

∑

∑

Whispers fade out

∑

5 02:55:96

02:44:56

œ Oh

bb &b b

Track

{

? bb b b

∑

Lo

b˙ ˙˙˙˙ ˙˙˙˙

∑

∑

∑

∑

b & b bb

‰ œJ

Lo

O

Machine clicks on. b b ∑ &b b

{

? bb b b w

Voice

nœ nœ œ Œ

03:30:50

b & b bb

41

n˙˙˙˙ # b n b ˙ & b bb b˙˙˙

Track

{

? bb b b

˙™ œ ‰J ‰ œJ Oh Lo

bn˙˙˙˙ ˙˙˙

Oh

Ó

∑ ∑

∑

bœ nœ Œ ™ œJ Ó

Lo

O

Lo

∑

nœ œ œ œ n w

03:21:50

⟨r⟩ t

nb#˙˙˙˙˙ b˙˙

∑

t

t

Lo

∑

Ó

w

PE R

Track

œ nœ

Ó ∑

U SA L

Voice

˙

bn˙˙˙˙ ˙˙

˙

gliss.

Oh Lo

∑

03:18:00

36

œ œ

SC O

Voice

˙

Add full vibrato

R E

b & b bb

30

03:04:10 Gliss as slowly as possible

Oh Lo

Ó

n˙

n˙

Lo

Lo

∑

Gliss as slowly as possible.

Flip up to highest note possible.

n w gliss. ¿

03:56:70

ΠY

Lo

∑

∑

Ó

Y

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