on the edge, for alto saxophone and guitar (2012)

on the edge for alto saxophone and guitar 2012 commissioned by Duo Montagnard

Laura M. Kramer duration: ca. 10 min.

on the edge (2012)

for alto saxophone and guitar Movements: - intro-1-2duration: ca. 10 min.

Commissioned by Duo Montagnard Joseph Murphy, alto saxophone, Matthew Slotkin, guitar Premiered at World Saxophone Congress, St. Andrews, Scotland, July 2012 Performance Notes: Alto Saxophone

•

overtones: diamond indicates fingering; note in ( ) indicates sounding pitch

•

slap-tongue – sound both the pitch and “slap” staccatissimo may be substituted if slap-tonguing is not possible

•

slashed notehead = sounding pitch; vary lip pressure during tremolo so that overtones are produced Guitar

•

Bartok pizz.

• pizzicato - place right hand on strings near the bridge while plucking • clarinet tone - strum at XII, producing a clarinet or harp-like tone • harmonics - diamond notehead indicates sounding pitch; fret (Roman numeral) and string (circled number) are indicated • tambora - indicated by square noteheads. Strike the strings near the bridge, creating a percussive sound.

• strumming on opposite side of string: slashed notehead indicates fingering; notehead in ( ) indicates sounding pitch • x noteheads - strike the soundboard while muting the strings Completed June 2012

Program Note

When standing “on the edge” of a cliff in the California mountains, it is possible to view a panorama of such a vast range of terrain. There is the melting snow on distant mountains at one angle, the seemingly endless, arid, plain of desert speckled with sage and chaparral at another, while a glimpse straight downward reveals greenery of sycamore and wild flowers, sprouting between rugged rock formations. As this view is composed of so many different dimensions, “on the edge” similarly combines fragments and jagged melodies into one complete whole. Though the individual motives do not correspond to any particular elements of the landscape, I aimed to recreate the reflective, thought-laden nature that hiking can have. In this way, the recurring fragments constantly change and allow new themes to form. Taking such rejuvenating excursions periodically throughout my doctoral coursework have yielded the inspiration for “on the edge”.

-

Laura M. Kramer

commissioned by Duo Montagnard

on the edge

Transposed Score

2012

- intro Laura M. Kramer (b. 1984)

Freely, Without Meter q = ca. 120

 

1

Alto Saxophone



ff

tuned to D



     

 



          



5

pppp

aggressive



Guitar









pizz.







6









ff aggressive

Tranquil q = ca. 68

       

2



3 q = ca. 120                

ppp

f

ord.

VII

 

XII



  

pp

 

     

4

pppp

ff

 

5



ff

clarinet tone

    p

   

   



rit.







pppp



          





6

5



p

poco

pizz.       f

(pizz.)

        p

poco

p

               

ord.





III

overtones: diamond indicates fingering note in ( ) indicates sounding pitch

poco

     

 IX XII      XII



p

clarinet tone

  p

 

 

q = ca. 68

p



slide upwards, producing higher partials

 pizz.  6      rit.

mp

© 2012 Laura M. Kramer (ASCAP) LMK Publishing

  

        mf

5

6

2

      

6 q = ca. 120 rit. q = ca. 72 3                              6 3 6

f

         

p

ord.





   

6

f

mp

on the fretboard (opposite side of strings) round note with slash indicates fingering diamond note in ( ) indicates sounding pitch

tambora

sul pont.

rit. dolce

   IX 

 







rit.

q = ca. 64

9





  attacca

on the fretboard (opposite side of strings) lower note indicates fingering upper note in ( ) indicates sounding pitch





                       

        



held back





   

 

6

attacca

-1In Time q = ca. 64

11

      







p sub.

f

clarinet tone

 VII       ord.

     

f



   

XII







 

 

f

            

  

14

mf 4 2 1 0

    

mf



  n

p

(D§)

ord.





f

p

warmly and lightly         

        

    

pluck  strum                  



XII

sul tasto





       

      



pp



    p

sul tasto



pp

 









3





3

        

3

p

ppp

 

mp

        mp

f

ff

    

XII sul pont

            poco

      

ord.

f

pp quick scrape, nail only

poco

   

3

mf

pppp

poco

25 espress., dolce    3            



23

poco

clarinet tone



 XII      pp 

 ord.                 pppp p V

  

f

mp

 



          

18

21 Slightly Faster                  

3





poco





f

mp



     BV

ord. strummed

BIV sul tasto

   

mf

ff

3





  



    





           

27



f

 

      

29 Gliding  

3



3





        

     



ord.           pluck

3

 

3



f

 legato    

mp

pp

(not sustained)



              

      



p





      

mf



ppp poco a poco cresc.

   l.v.



                                       

p sub. poco a poco cresc.

  

4 31



 mp

f sub.

    





mp

 

placid



pp sub.

3

             

  



  

                 ord. ord. mf

34     



 

sim.

tasto

tasto

f sub.

33



    





    

f

 

35







 

  

 



       

 

3



   

legato

ord.     4

   2

1

0

f







 

     ff

         



ff

38 Freely                         p

  

ppp

ppp



5



 

 

  

     

  

  



ff

                                                        f

  

       

                     ppp p mp 5             ppp p mp



           

42

p

p

mp



p

 

  

46

     

  



5







 



               

   

50   





 

pp sub.





  

mp



 













                            

55  











mf

     



mf

     

 

59



mp

 





ppp



 



   





 

 



 



 





 



   



 

   

 



  



mp

 

  

pp sub.

 

 

  

                                               

   

  

  



 

 

             p mp



51

43 q = ca. 68  













 



 

 

 

  



mf

                                    mf

63 

 

 

  



 

f

                                

                             ff



 

mp

    

ppp

      





         

3

        mp

clar. tone



 

 

  

mp

       

              

6

  pp



Freely rit.

ord.



p

p

 



            rit.                              



rit.



      

mf

6

78

poco

   

73 q = ca. 60                     

  

rit.

67

ff



       

f



6

    

   

 

 



7

-2-

ff



ff

5



mf



 

fp

mf

ord.

IX

pp

V        p

        

  

ff



3

p

7

mf







  

 f





        ppp

 

f

ff









mf



full tone

 

ff

 



f

  

l.v.



 

p

f



 

attack each note while bending the pitch

5

pp

                            pp f  VII  mf f





poco

    

p

   

      

6

    

clarinet tone





ppp

  

   

mf

    

XII strum

     

mp

ord.

q = ca. 96

3

hold back







VII

subtone

     

10

 

   

9

hold back



     

f

f

 

sul tasto

ord.

mf

pizz.



ff

 VII 

accel.

    ord. sul tasto                  

sul pont.

XII

                    

8

f

mf

  







 





tuned to E

 

poco

clarinet tone l.v.

 

       

accel.







   





4 q = ca. 116                       

q = ca. 92



q = ca. 116

   

      



                       mf 

               mf  

strum

    

      

  

pluck                    

8 14

 





  



sul pont. pluck

                 poco

17

 

 

  

                 

 

  





 



     

sul pont.

 



             

ord.

ppp

poco

  

  

ppp

mp

  

 

20                              f

    

           f

23





     

 

    

ff





   

attack each note while bending the pitch

5

      

        

      

  

ord. IX



 p

     

  

 

           



25

  



ppp

mp

  IX   

V





 

             

5

   



 

                

           

        

       

mp

  

ff

strum

             



      

      

    



                   

    

9 26



               



      

   

  

 

 

  



     



pp

          

    

   



   

 

   

  

              sul pont. p

full tone

p

pppp

ord

 

pizz.

                 

subtone

*

      

  

* slashed notehead = sounding pitch; fingering= low E + side C; vary lip pressure so that overtones are produced during the tremolo

29

 

      

 

 





 

             

mp

p

* slashed notehead = sounding pitch; fingering= low D#+ side Bb; vary lip pressure during tremolo so that overtones are produced

        

32





*

                 p



pppp

     

35





                                                       

36  ppp

  p

                             

 



   

mp

cresc.





   

  



  



                 

mp

poco

  

 

10 38







                               

 

f

41

 

     3 2 1

            



  

  

       

pp

          

 

mp

ff

                    



5

7

    

      



49  



pp

q = ca. 92

  

  

           

p



f

ord.                      

f



 

                    

pizz.

    

 

 

p



    



mf



      ppp f molto

mp p

   



p

50

4

 43 Slightly Slower            freely 5                                        f ff

46

                            mf 



11

                     

54

         

58 q = ca. 84   

 

p

mf

ord.



   



     

 

f

mf

  



f

 

 

mf





ord.

  

       

 



f

ord.

     f



    mf



subtone    3        

p



      subtone 3

p

  

 

    poco

f sub.





f



   mp

pizz.

  

      

        ord.

  







            p

pp

pizz.

              pp 

 

66           full tone                     5 6 p f p ord.

       p  

pizz.

mp

7

 

pizz.

poco

6

p

 



mf

f

full tone

mp

64



        



                      

61

     

poco

mf

p

  

 l.v.                           







ord.

           f 

pizz.



   mf

 

  

 



12

       

           

67

f

    

   



f

                      6



 

71    

mf



  

 









      f

  

      

69

   

     

x notehead = strike soundboard while muting the strings



  

 



      



           

   

  



f

mf

p

f

                                                             mp 6 f ff     mf  ff sub.

      

74



             p sub.

 

pp

    

        7

   

   

 

                          

f

                                         p sub.  

7

  

           

     

 

      

mf



 

  

mf

     f

mf sub.







78      

   mf



 



 

   

 



  

      

pizz. ord.                          

mf

  

ord.

                 pizz.

 

 

f

         

f

  

f

  

mf

 

 

   

   

      

91

      

 

  

   

mf

  

 



  

 

  



   



               p mf

          

            

 

                        p f p

p

82

87

13

 

 

f



 

p

          p

                           p mf p ord.

pizz.

      

fff

ff

       

                 f

             f

      



fff

     

      



poco

  

 

 

  

     

                



14

95     

94

poco a poco accel.

                              



ff cresc. poco a poco

poco a poco accel.

      

  

 

 

       

q = ca. 116

 97                 ffff                 ffff

102



    

 

         



 

                        ff cresc. poco a poco

99

q = ca. 96

  

 

mf

           mf 





poco

     

  

  



      

(gliss while playing the tremolo )

        

104

                 

ord.

 

gliss.



  

  



    

      

        

   



ppp



  

gliss.

mf

                                   5

pp

        



   VII                                   f pp f   mf 

strum on opposite side of string (notes indicate fingering)

f

      

103    

    

6

IX

                   

  

mf

 

p

VII

 

             f

ord.

         

   

                          f

15

diamond notehead = add random side keys, changing the timbre

109

                                         

           

107

 

111



   

 

    



 



5

     

5

      

      

  

     

      

113

 





     

115

  

         

  

  

 

  

mp

                                   

7

     

 



mp

     

  





  

          

   

  

f

  

     



7

       

fierce

   

f

    

                     5 3

  

   

  

   

(strum)

6

  

                  

      

fierce



6

  

   

  



attack each note while bending the pitch



       

   

     

     

       

  

  

    

   

   

    

         

gliss

        

   

   

 



   



    



   

   

       

16

118  

   3

   

ff abruptly

   



f



            

     

fff

    



ff abruptly

  

  

  

   

              





   

 

 



legato

                                  

fff

 

122



          



6

 

3

  



3

  

 

pp

  

  

127     mf

    

              

  legato

   

  

 

       5

 

 

131

   

   

    



f

mf

 



    mf

 VII      

       

f

  

 

           



 

           

ppp



 



           



7

pp

       

 

mp

 

    

p

  



mp

134                ff

   

mf

pp





3

3      



 

p



 

aggressive

       

ff aggressive



            

17

137 q = ca. 120      135                              ff  



   



   

       



l.v.



ff

          139                          p

f

mp

ff

accel.



 

             p

f

   

mp





mf

accel.

f

 

         

  

   

   ff



      

     

ff



 V  V VII          f mf

q = ca. 132

                   fff

q = ca. 132

                    fff 