Apertures (2017) for saxophone quartet

~

© 2017

PERFORMANCE INSTRUCTIONS GENERAL NOTES • The score is transposed. No clefs are used in this piece, with the implication that all tones are notated in treble clef.

• The meter in this piece is given to facilitate entrances, and the pulse is approximately 60bpm, with room for expressive stretches and contractions of time.

• Beams in this piece are used to indicate phrases rather than rhythmic values or durations.

• The multiphonics used in this piece were taken from Marcus Weiss’ and and Giorgio Netti’s The Techniques of Saxophone Playing (3rd printing, 2015). The catalogue numbers, fingerings, and accidentals match those contained within the book. If a multiphonic cannot be produced, a multiphonic of comparable intensity and pitch content may be substituted.

• The senza mesura at the end of the piece gives the players some freedom to control the amount of time needed for the final crescendo and decrescendo. This can be anywhere between 20 and 30 seconds long.

NOTATION A tone followed by a slightly wavy line indicates a sustain. The sustain may occupy the spectrum between a perfectly pure tone and a somewhat unstable tone. However, this is incidental rather than forced. Any perfect unisons or beatings are welcome results of this style of tone production.

Two tones connected by a dashed slur indicates that the same tone should be rearticulated. This only happens under this particular circumstance.

Feathered beams accompanied by a tenuto marking indicate that the tonguing used to create the acceleration and deceleration should be soft enough to retain connectivity.

Sequences of tones accompanied by an ad libitum marking indicate that the player may take rhythmic liberties with the line.

Some secondary beams are given to suggest faster note values.

Three lines through a stem indicate flutter tongue (flz.). If a flutter tongue cannot be produced with the tongue, a throat flutter or growl may be used as substitutes, as long as the range of the player is not too exposed within the texture the flutter appears. If this happens to be the case, then a feathered beam may be used as an alternative substitute.

Multiphonic sustains are notated with black masses, indicating changes of density in dynamics as well as the number of partials present in the multiphonic.

Tones may be isolated from a multiphonic. In these cases, the target tone is given above the tone as well as spatially positioned in the same place that it would appear on the staff (this is reinforced visually by a straight line between the isolated tone and its first notated appearance on the staff). These are also used as opportunities for circular breathing, to optimize the continuity of sound.

A multiphonic accompanied by a feathered beam and crescendo results in a pix elated bringing-out of the partials.

A notehead with an arrow attached to it indicates an extremely high pitch, produced by biting the reed.

When the players bite the reed, several markings are given: tenuto, irregular, broken, ad libitum. This means that the overall sound should be relatively connected, with some rhythmic irregularities, stops in sound, and that all of these things should be carried out in a somewhat improvised manner. Rhythmic indications here are mostly suggestions, to imply the targeted irregularity. These irregularities also apply to the pitch domain, though on a micro level. Once the pitch is produced, it should remain relatively within that position.