re Sc o
Fissure
Pe
ru s
al
by Lisa Neher poetry by Trevor K. Allred
for Piano 7 minutes 2018 D.C. Al Platypus Publishing Company
re Sc o al ru s Pe About the Composer: Portland, Oregon composer and mezzo-soprano Lisa Neher (b. 1985) writes theatrical, story-driven music for instruments and voices. Trained as a stage actress, her compositions are shaped by her keen sense of dramatic timing and feature aching, lyrical phrases, energetic rhythmic motives, and intense harmonies. Lisa’s particular passion for text and poetry has led to works such as her chamber opera White Horizon, about a nineteenth-century Arctic expedition gone wrong. She often draws inspiration for her instrumental works from the natural world, expressing the joyous bubbling of streams, the delicacy of sprouting plants, and the eerie mystery of deep ocean life with evocative timbres and vivid motives. Lisa’s commissions include works for Durward Ensemble, the Glass City Singers, Coe College Symphony Orchestra, Kirkwood Community College Chamber Singers, pianist Michael Kirkendoll, and flutist Rose Bishop. Her marimba duo Thaw was premiered by Mayumi Hama and Chris Froh at the Sacramento State Festival of New American Music. She is a fellow of the Cortona Sessions for New Music and the Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music. Lisa is in high demand as a performer of contemporary and standard repertoire and is the creator of the One Voice Project, a one-woman performance combining contemporary poetry and new musical works for unaccompanied voice chosen through a call for scores initiative. She holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Voice Performance & Pedagogy from the University of Iowa, a Masters of Music in Composition from the University of Kansas, and Bachelor of Arts degrees in Music and Theatre from Lewis & Clark College. She served on faculty at Grinnell College, Coe College, and Kirkwood Community College, teaching applied voice, vocal seminar, and applied composition. Lisa spends her free time training for and competing in triathlons, watching science fiction movies, and baking delicious treats involving copious amounts of chocolate. For more information, visit her website, www.lisanehermusic.com.
Fissure
Commissioned by Michael Kirkendoll
Trevor K. Allred
Lisa Neher (ASCAP)
Needed for performance: two mallets, one guitar pick
7
distant, eerie ppp
Pe
delicate, spacious, like stars in a night sky
poco accel.
A Tempo
p
mf
ru s
p
Sc o
Piano
al
Pluck strings with guitar pick
re
Senza Misura, q = 60-63
p with a sense of emptiness Speak: Even friends move on.
With yarn mallets, tap on the sides of two support beams in the piano. Choose the lowest beams available.
Approx. pitches. Slap lowest strings with palm of hand and let vibrate.
q = 54-56 With Longing
pp legato
(normal playing on keys)
11
pp
3
3
plentiful pedal
16
3
3
3
3
sharp
mp
mf
p
3
3
pp
ppp
rit.
p
softening
Copyright © 2018 by Lisa Neher (ASCAP), D.C. Al Platypus Publishing Company, All Rights Reserved. Text Copyright 2018 by Trevor Allred. "Fissure" was originally published by Sidereal Magazine. Composer must be informed of all performances at lisanehermusic@gmail.com. Thank you!
3
Fissure by Lisa Neher
21
p with a sense of emptiness Speak: And the world is so much bigger than me.
re Sc o
molto rit. A Tempo
mp searchingly, urgent but not extroverted Speak into the sound box of the piano: When did you realize you weren't home?
al
poco accel.
ru s
26
Pluck strings with guitar pick
p delicate
Senza Misura, q = 60-63
p
mf
p
Pe
With yarn mallets, tap on support beams.
30
distant, eerie ppp
q = 54-56 With Longing
p
(normal playing on keys)
legato
plentiful pedal
Approx. pitches. Slap lowest strings and let vibrate.
mp grave Speak: I find myself thinking of the word "ghosts"
34
p
sharp
3 3
mf
mp
as I look up
to - night.
p
Fissure by Lisa Neher
37 mp
p
plentiful pedal
dark
44
Approx. pitches. Slap lowest strings and let vibrate.
3
pp
3
mp
3
3
with pedal
3
3
mp
p
3
3
3
3
3
With yarn mallets, tap on support beams.
q = 76-80
mp with conviction Speak: I am driving forever into stars;
Pe
mf
Mesmerized, Driven q = 48 accel.
in out - er space.
rit.
mf
ru s
41
3
10 p. m.
q = 60
re
3
It's
Sc o
3
al
p
3
3
3
3
q = 54-56 Searching 3
4
Speak naturally in rhythm with mf approximate inflections.
3
3
Repeat as many times as needed to speak line.
47
mf
3
3
3
3
3
3
p
3
3
3
3
3
mf
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
50
Fissure by Lisa Neher
mf` Speak:
Nothing can stop me
p
f
Sc o
al
ru s
53
3
poco accel.
3
3
3
Pe
3
56
3
q = 80, q = q
3
3
3
3
3 3
RH
LH
RH
f
3
mf
3
re
5
spellbound Speak: Space has its music.
3
3
3
rit.
3
3
q = 52
3 3 3 3 3 ff
5
p hauntingly
5
5
5
mp
5
5
5
mp
Speak: It's what echoes are made of.
mf p 3 p mf 59
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
6
Fissure by Lisa Neher
3 p mf 62
5
5
5
5
5
5
Sc o
re
5
65
Speak: Somewhere,
5
5
5
right now,
5
5
5
5
Pe
ru s
al
p mf mp Speak: Jupiter is swallowing nothing
68
5
5
mf
again 5
and again 5
5
5
5
5
ff f Speak: and again
rit.
pp f 3 mf 72
5
5
5
5
5
5
7
Fissure by Lisa Neher
Senza Misura, q = 60-63
p dark, spacious
q = 54-56 With Longing
p legato
(normal playing on keys)
ru s
Pe
87
pp
plentiful pedal
83
3
3
3
3
Approx. pitches. Slap lowest strings with palm of hand and let vibrate.
3
3
al
79
mf
re
Pluck strings with guitar pick
Sc o
75
mp resigned Speak: Even friends move on.
mp
3
p
3 3
mf
3
p
mp Speak: and the world is so much bigger than me.
mp
3
mf
3
3
mp
3
8
Fissure by Lisa Neher
rit.
mf
ru s
December 1, 2018 Portland, Oregon
With yarn mallets, tap on support beams.
Pe
al
mp matter of fact Speak: I walk back to my car. 92
pp
3
Sc o
3
re
89
mf
mf from the heart Face audience. Speak: When did you realize you weren't home?
pp
distant, eerie ppp
Approx. pitches. Slap lowest strings and let vibrate.