boom/BUST (Perusal Score)

boom/BUST

for small orchestra

Max Deger

boom/BUST

for small orchestra

Max Deger

PROGRAM NOTE

boom/BUST is an attempt to make sense of some things I have felt and thought since I moved to Nevada from New York in July of 2021, centered around the contentious relationship between human settlement and our environment.

When I first got to Reno, I was shocked into what seemed to be an entirely new reality. I was greeted by an intense summer of daily high temperatures over 100° F and weeks of hazardous wildfire smoke. It was also very strange to be in a place that was still building and developing outwards; the eastern U.S. has been done expanding for a long time now.

I was upset that the land around me was literally burning down, and was quick to blame it on reckless building and consumption of land. But although these two phenomena are undoubtedly related, I had to recognize the need for nuance in this conversation. Every new building means something significant to someone: they are homes, places of work, and spots where we gather to spend time with one another.

This work is an exploration of my own impressions of the buildings most emblematic of our shared culture here in Reno—the casinos—against my memories of exploring our jeopardized natural surroundings.

We are seeing the consequences of our consumption on our environment, particularly throughout the western United States. And even after interacting with these issues for a few years, I am still wondering how we build sustainably to meet the needs of all of us who live here, while respecting and conserving the surroundings that are special to so many of us.

Max Deger January 2023. Reno, Nevada.

INSTRUMENTATION

Flute (dbl. piccolo)

Oboe (dbl. English Horn)

Clarinet in B-flat

Bass Clarinet in B-flat

Bassoon (dbl. contrabassoon)

2 Horns in F

Trumpet in C

Tenor Trombone

Bass Trombone

Timpani

2 Percussion

snare drum, bass drum, tom-toms (2), suspended cymbal, ride cymbal, triangle, Tam-tam, maracas, bongos, wind chimes, ocean drum, glockenspiel, xylophone, marimba, vibraphone, crotales

Piano

Violin I (6)

Violin II (6)

Viola (6)

Violoncello (6)

Contrabass (2)*

*string section may be expanded proportionally at the discretion of the conductor

Score is written in C. All octave transposing instruments are notated in their written (not sounding) octave.

PERFORMANCE NOTES

General Notations

• repeat boxed cell and follow any accompanying text directions

• move steadily from one boxed direction to the next. In this example, the performer would steadily move their bow from the bridge (sul ponticello) to normal playing position throughout the indicated duration.

• choke stop: stop the sound with absolutely no taper or musical indication of phrase ending, as if a pause button were pressed in the middle of the phrase. This may be achieved by using the tongue or extra bow pressure to cut off the sound.

•

gradually and steadily accelerate out of time throughout the duration of the gesture

• gradually and steadily decelerate out of time throughout the duration of the gesture

• quarter step flat

• three-quarter step flat

note on microtones: all quarter steps are approximately 50 cents in between their nearest corresponding chromatic pitches. In this piece, however, quarter-step intonation is used gesturally, and therefore it is most important to play in tune relative to one another

• multiphonics are notated according to their closest regular fingering. The multiphonics used in the piece are below, along with recommended fingering:

• pitch oscillations may be achieved by slightly manipulating the embouchure and direction of air stream

• pitch oscillations may be achieved by moving individual valve slides, along with alternate fingerings if the pitch is typically played open

• indicates alternate fingering. Allow a slight shift in timbre and intonation

• indicates alternate slide position. Allow a slight shift in timbre and intonation

Oboe

Bassoon

Trumpet and Horn

Tenor and Bass Trombone

F l u t e O b o e

C l a r i n e t i n B b

B a s s C l a r i n e t i n B b B a s s o o n

H o r n i n F 1

H o r n i n F 2

Tr u m pe t i n C

Te n o r Tr o m b o n e

B a s s Tr o m b o n e Ti m pa n i

Pe r c u s s i o n 1

Pe r c u s s i o n 2 P i a n o Vi o l i n

Re pe a t c e l l i n t i m e a t i n d e t e r m i n a t e i n t e r va l s a s l e d b y pr i n c i pa l pl a ye r As d yn a m i c i n c r e a s e s o r d e c r e a s e s , s o s h o u l d f r e q u e n c y o f r e pe t i t i o n Fe e l f r e e t o l e a ve s pa c e a n d s i l e n c e

° ¢ ° ¢ ° ¢ ° ¢ { °

f o r s m a l l o r c h e s tr a

S u n l i g h t p i e r c e s th e tr a n sl u c e n t l e a ve s o f p l a n te d tr e e s. . .

An d a n t e c o m o d o q 7 2

M a x D e g e r

¢

An d a n t e c o m o d o q 7 2

u t o f t i m e , va r i e d r h yt h m

t e f r e

B

o s c i l l a t e f r e e l y b a c k a n d f o r t h s t a g g e r e d wi t h h o r n s

o s c i l l a t e f r e e l y b a c k a n d f o r t h , s t a g g e r e d wi t h H n 2 a n d B s n

bœ

œ

a r c o , c o n s o r d

s u l t a s t o p

≤

p mp p ≤ mp

≤ BB bb bbbbb

‰

Bb Bb

‰

l i k e a warped rec o rd ≤ BB bb mp

s u l t a s t o p Bb Bb ∑ p

bbbbb Ó Œ ‰ ¿ ¿ n¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ b¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ≈ Œ Ó Œ ‰ n¿ ¿ Ó Œ ‰ ¿ ¿ n¿ ¿ b¿ ¿ ¿ n¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ‰ ‰ Œ Ó Œ ‰ b¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ Œ ¿ b ¿ ¿ ¿ n¿ œ

œ

4 7

c o n s o r d

Œ œ œ œ œ œ

˙ œ œ bœ œ #œ œ œ œ ‰ œ ‰ œ j œ #œ #œ nœ ‰ œ j œ #œ #œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

t u t t i , d i v a 2 f a s t h a r m o n i c s l i d e s s u l E f

3 & > > ∑

pu t d o wn b o w s t r i ke b o d y o f i n s t r u m e n t wi t h c u ppe d h a n d ∑ ∑ ∑

O ¿ ¿ ff

> 3 & 3 3

pu t d o wn b o w s t r i ke b o d y o f i n s t r u m e n t wi t h c u ppe d h a n d d i v a 2 f a s t h a r m o n i c s l i d e s s u l A & f > ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿

d i v a 2 s u l D , A n o pi t c h , m u t e s t r i n g s c l o s e t o o c t a ve h a r m o n i c ∑

? >

B ∑

? Œ œ œ œ œ ‰ O J Œ Œ Œ Ó ‰ O J Œ Ó Œ O J ‰ Ó Œ O J ‰ Ó Œ ‰ ¿ J Œ ‰ ‰ O ‰ ¿ J Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ Œ ‰

?

pu t d o wn b o w, s t r i ke b o d y o f i n s t r u m e n t wi t h c u ppe d h a n d

>

pu t d o wn b o w, s t r i ke b o d y o f i n s t r u m e n t wi t h c u ppe d h a n d ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ Œ Œ ∑ ¿ J ‰ Œ Œ ¿ J ‰ Œ

a d y b u t i n d e pe n d e n t r h

t e a d y b u t i n d e pe n d e n t r h yt h m

t e a d y b u t i n d e pe n d e n t r h yt h m

t e a d y b u t i n d e pe n d e n t r h yt h m

o l l e g n o , s t e a d y b u t i n d e pe n d e n t r h yt h m

o l l e g n o , s t e a d y b u t i n d e pe n d e n t r h yt h m

c o l l e g n o , s t e a d y b u t i n d e pe n d e n t r h yt