Paths penumbra

Paths Penumbra For Clarinet, Viola, and Electronic Playback

Patrick O’Malley

Composed for Katie Kroko and Emily Cook

Performance Notes Dynamic marking: n = niente Accidentals carry through the measure.

Clarinet – Breath marks indicate only where to breath and DO NOT imply an adjustment in tempo.

Timbral Trills: trill to the same note indicated on an alternate fingering.

Multiphonics: fingerings for multiphonics are taken from New Directions for Clarinet by Phillip Rehfeldt. If a player cannot produce a multiphonic on his or her instrument, the player is free to choose a pitch from the sonority to play OR tremolo two pitches if possible.

Viola – S.P. = Sul Ponticello S.T. = Sul Tasto Ord. = Ordinario + = left hand pizzicato Spazzolato: a “brushing” bow stroke. Move the bow along the length of the string going from ponticello to tasto and back again (with no sideways pull), giving a “wiping” sound.

Glissandi: All glissandi should be performed for the full duration of the specified note, unless the indication for portamento is present.

Natural Harmonics are notated at the sounding pitch. Artificial harmonics are notated at the fingering.

Electronic Playback – Playback should be set up for 2 channel audio. Preferably, the viola and clarinet should be mic’d with relatively heavy reverb. There is also a clicktrack for both players, which should be fed through headphones, and played simultaneously with the tape part. The electronics may be triggered by any software that does multiple track playback.

Notation – Score is transposed. Both players read off the score (multiple music stands recommended). Cues from the electronic part are notated, for the sake of the players.

Program Note I think of this piece as a sort of “musical dungeon” – a dark but mesmerizing place in which our players explore and hunt for secrets. There are dangers in the shadows, but also light that flickers beams in from somewhere. Deep pulses and rings of metal lead inside, and images are distorted by warped mirrors. Comfort comes as a momentary shine from cracks in the wall. The players converse back and forth on what they see.

Much of the music is drawn from the interval of a minor seventh, and subsequently, chords contained within that interval. The electronics were created by processing samples of my own work (some already written and some newly created), as well as improvisations recorded by my original players Katie Kroko (viola) and Emily Cook (clarinet).

Duration: 10 minutes

Paths Penumbra for Clarinet, Viola, and Electronic Playback

Patrick O'Malley Tempo is set by the constant pulse in the electronics.

The first bell strike in the electronics is the cue for the players to start counting in bar 2.

Largo q = 50 clarinet choir

Electronic Cues about 44 seconds

∑

&

Clarinet in B b

?

44

click begins 0:51 deep piano pulse

bœ bœ ◊

4 4

œ bœ

wandering through shadows

bell

∑

LLL

∑

∑

molto espress.

w

44

∑

&

∑

∑

w

π

n

about 44 seconds

Viola

∑

∑

∑

˙ ∑

∑

Ó

Ø ∑

ª

Cues

Vla.

& ˙

∑

∑

Ó

∑

?

?

Vla.

ƒ

œ

& bw π &

b˙. Œ æ Ø cresc.

S.P.

œ

œ

∑

œ

œ

œ Ó

,

œ

œ æ

rK œœ œ

œ

œ œ. œ œ bœ bœœ nœ

P

Œ

bœ

œ #œ

Nœ æ Ø

œ nœ

w ˙ æ

œ

œ

>œ . æ

© Patrick O'Malley 2014

œ

œ

bw n

œ œ #œ œ œ b˙ ! ! !!! æ p 5

molto espress.

œ

bœ

œ

bœ

1:31

∑

12

B b Cl.

deep piano pulse

œ b >œ >œ œ >œ >œ œ >œ >œ > œ œ b œb œ œ œ ˙ . æ & @J æ @J ! @ ! @ !œ ! ! ! ! ! @ 3 ª

Cues

π

œ b˙. œ

11

8

B b Cl.

œœ

bw

œ

œ

œ

œ

Œ

Ó

∏

œ

>œ œ >œ œ >œ œ œ >œ >œ > œ œ b œ œ n œ @J @ @ ! @ ! @ @ @ b!œ !œ ! ! ! ! !

3

ƒ

2

clarinet choir

?

16

Cues B b Cl.

&

œ #œ

∑

œ

œ

#œ

œ

œ

∑

œ

Vla.

˙.

ª

19 Cues

B b Cl.

Vla.

&

œ œ œ #œ œ #œ

f

5

cresc.

Vla.

B

w

#w

w

#w

w w

bœ

inquisitive, what is this place?

œ

w w F

Cues

?

B b Cl.

Vla.

&

&

∑

j œ œ bœ œ bœ bœ œ & œ 3

bœ.

bœ

œ. π

& # # ww p

bœ

bœ

bœ

j #œ œ.

,

œ œ nœ π

œ

w

Nw

high piano pulse

œ.

# # œœ

œ

Œ

œ J

∑

n

Ó

∏ 26

œ

∑

?

Œ

œ π

2:46

deep piano pulse

bœ

bœ

œ

œ

w

œ #œ #œ œ œ œ œ œ # œ œœ œœ # œœ œœ œœ œ b œ œ œ # œ œ #œ bœ. nœ 6 P n

5

#œ

œ

œ

w

P

w

w w

bœ

œ

bœ

œ

ª 27

∑

bell

Ÿ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

& bœ

&

3

ƒ

∑

ª

B b Cl.

h

repeat œ œ œ œ ~~~~~~ ~~ œ b œ œ œ œ b œ b œ œ B œ œ

6

∑

LLL

dim.

Cues

#œ

#œ #œ

œ

œ

2:31

2:11 bell

w F > B w w

24

∑

bow as needed

gradually slow strokes from tremolo to sustained ad lib. also move bow to ord. (ord. stroke and position)

w & æ

#œ

œ

Œ

>

Bœ

P

œ. bœ œ œ œ

œ #œ

˙. π b˙.

œ

œ

œ

œ œ #œ.

œ

,

p œ œ œ. œ. p

˙ ˙

œ

6

œ #œ œ œ

œ

œ

œ

œ

œ œ œ.

œ J

33 31

electronic ambience

Cues

B b Cl.

Vla.

& B

œ.

,

∑

œ œ.

J

#œ œ sub

bœ.

~~~~ , œ b˙. œ & bœ œ B ‰ J F

Ord. port.

ª

42 Cues

&

j œ

œ.

œ

œ

high piano pulse

#œ

Vla.

∑

& B

œ œ

4 4 π

œ

∑

*

*

˙

œ

P

Œ

œ

triangle

y

( wœ ) w

( œœ ) œ ∑

ª

w

w p

Cues

Vla.

&

B b œœ æ

5

f

∏

spazzolato

œ œ ˙æ.

Œ

∏

Œ bb œœ ‰ œœ ‰ œœ @J @J æ p

∑

∑

∑

∑

∑

∑

Ó

Ÿ~~~~~~~~~~ œ #œ œ 3 # œ œ œ # œ j #œ #œ œ œ œ œ œ > 9

‰

S.P. (normal tremolo)

b ww æ ∏

4:24

45

B b Cl.

f

cresc.

∑

œ #œ œ œ œ œ

F

growing confidence

w

π

˙

port.

Ÿ~~~~~~~~~ Ÿ~~~~~~~~~ œŸ Ÿ~~ b˙. ˙ œ bœ

, b spazzolato œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ bsim. œ throughout œ œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ bœ œ Œ œ æ æ æ ∏

4 ˙˙ ..

4 æ ∏

S.P.

3

click stops, play freely

bass drum

bœ

4:04

click resumes

4 4

bœ œ bœ nœ œ œ ˙

pulse reastablished B b Cl.

3 ˙.

4 æ˙ .

move to

˙.

36

Vla.

F

3

œ 3 #˙.

4

œ œ b œ n >œœ J J @J subF

ª

B b Cl.

œœ

3 4

3:19

fingering) , (alternate +œ œo œo

œ

subito

p

+œ

œo +œ œo +œ œo +œ œo +œ

‰ œ b œ b œ œ! œ! œ! œ! œ! ! œ œ œ œ œ œ œ! œ! ! n œ œ # œ # ˙ œ! ! ! ! ! ! œ #œ ! ! ! ˙ 3 3 3 P 3

3

3

Œ

y

+ œ

+ œ

+ œ

Ó

~~~~~~~~~ timbral trill

b˙ F

œ. œ.

#œ œ J F

4 47

Cues

B b Cl.

Vla.

4:34

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

& w π

+ + + +j ‰ œ œ œ œœ .

B œ #œ œ œ œ.

#œ œ J

ª 51

Cues

B b Cl.

4:49

y

w & w

Œ

B ª

B b Cl.

Vla.

Œ

Œ

Ó

œ. ‰ œ. π

+ + + + + +j ‰œ œ œ # œœ œœ œ œœ . œ. œ œ œ J j # œ # œ œ

œœ J

œ œ œ œ œœ ..

œ J

Ord.

p

œ

j œœ œ J

w w

˙.

œ bœ

œ #œ Nœ œ ˙

f

j œœ œ œ J

˙ ˙

œ

œ J

œ

œ J

œ

œ œ

# # œœ

œ

œ

œ œœ œœ

œœ

œ

œ nœ

5:05

,

œ œœ

building intensity

,

w w

6 # œ bœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ # œ # œ # œ œ œ œ b œ œ œ #œ œ #œ #œ œ œ œ B ≈ # œ œ œ œ & œ n œ œ 5 5

cresc.

ª 56

Cues

Ó

p

#˙. & #˙.

54

Œ

simple beauty

Ó

move to

Vla.

y

49

Ó

w

B b Cl.

& #w

Vla.

b˙. & ˙. f

5:17

y

Œ

‰ œ bœ

6

3

œ œ œ # wæ

œ @œj # œ œ # œ # œ # œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ # œ œ > f p

œ #œ œ n œ œ œ # œ nœ #œ

œ œ #œ

5:24

œ

58

Cues

B b Cl.

Vla.

&

œ

crotales

œ

œ #œ œ œ ˙.

nœ f

59 high piano pulse #œ #œ & # # œœœ

œ

,

p

˙. & æ

œœœ

π

Cues

B b Cl.

Vla.

&

& ª 64

Cues

B b Cl.

Vla.

#w

˙.

f

45

∑

5 œ &4 B 45 b ˙

F

˙ .. ˙ #˙. œ

B bœ

œ # œ œ œJ œ .

Vla.

&

˙

42 ˙

œ

68

B b Cl.

85

6:22

œ bœ nœ œ

B #˙

3

3

˙

j #œ ˙ #˙

‰

‰

, œ # œ 2 5 4 8 # œJ œ

ª

Cues

˙.

˙. ˙

p

Ó

85 ˙

œ.

f

Nœ p

œ

œ J

44

rK

bœ œ œ.

œ

π

Œ

bœ bœ & J P espress.

‰

œb œb œ œ

click resumes

63 œ

45

œ #œ œ œ

œ #œ œ œ œ 5 4

œ

p

move to

j b œ œ .. p œ bœ bœ b ˙ b˙ J p

espress.

w

S.P.

bw π

4 b œ .. œ # œ # œ œ 4 P ˙ œ # œ 44 # w

œ

Ord.

œ

crotales

˙

‰ œj

42

œ

5:47

click stops

Ó

bœ œ #˙.

˙.

˙ #˙.

Œ

y

œ #œ ‰ #œ #œ œ #œ #œ #œ J F

b˙.

bœ œ

LISTEN for crotales to Cantabile e=80 set new tempo

backing off...

& œœ

‰

ƒ

ª 60

w #w

œ b œ œ #n œœ . œ œ . œœ

œœ

œ

#œ

12

gliss ad lib.

5

nœ bœ œ.

45

, œ œ nœ œ #œ 3

w

œ bœ bœ œœ # n œœ

6 6:46

œ

71

Cues

B b Cl.

Vla.

,

& œ

œ #œ #œ #œ #œ #œ

œ J

3

5

# œ œ # œ # œœ œœ œ & J

F ˙ œ œ #œ œ œ 3

œ J

B b Cl.

Vla.

back off...

& ˙

b˙

bœ

œ.

&

Cues

Vla.

43

7:15

3

bœ

high piano pulse

43

∑

bœ

#œ ˙ J

n˙ æ π

nœ #œ J

œ

œ #œ #œ Jœ 3

high jingles

44 ¿¿

44

∑

∑

3 4

Ó

4 wæ 4

w æ

S.P.

∑

∑ gradually slow strokes from tremolo to sustained ad lib. move to

about 20 seconds

ª

dim. for 10 seconds

B b Cl.

j # œ &# œ œ p

Vla.

œo œo & J p

7:49

S.T.

82

œ 43

7:35

about 20 seconds

rK œ

∏

pulse reastablished

&

3 œ &4

#œ œ

43

Ó

click resumes

clarinet choir

∑

œ.

3

As Before q = 50

& 43

82

P click stops

77

œ > bœ.

J

#˙

#˙

#œ #œ œ œ œ œ J

œ

p

f

77

B b Cl.

˙

#w

#w p

œ bœ n˙

ª

77

6

emerge...

#˙ #˙ π

œ

3

F

5

ª

73

œ

, h œ œ œ nœ repeat b œ b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ~~~~~~~ œ œ

˙

œ nœ J

œ

j œ œ œo J

œ

œo

œ œ œ

œo

œo

#œ # œ

port.

œ

œO œO œO

œ œ œ J #œ . œo œ.o J

œ J œo J

œ J

œ.

œo œo.

J

#œ J

œ.

œo œo.

J

Œ œo

œo

#œ. ‰ ( œœ .. ) π

˙ ( œ˙)

o oœ œ .

J

œo

bO O B b œ Oœ œ sempre port.

P

43

86

&

Cues

w & (œw)

nO O B n œJ œ

86

Vla.

Oœ Oœ b b Oœ J

O˙

bœ

˙.

∑

86

B b Cl.

œ bœ

high piano pulse

O˙

move to

π

O˙ ..

89

œ

bass drum

œ

˙

Oœ Ow æ æ ∏ S.P.

ª

Œ

f

7

electronic tumult

‰ œj ˙æ. >

8:25

œ nœ

œ

#œ

w Oœ @J f

>O >O O >O >O O >O >O œ œ œœ œ œœœ& æ @J ! @ ! @ 3

91

Cues

B b Cl.

fluttertoungue œ œ œ Ÿi ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ œ # œ œ œ. œ œ # œ œ œ # œŸ Ord. œ œœ 91 # œ œ nœ œ œ œ œ œ œ æ œ œ ! ! ! ! ! æ # œ # œ n œ .. œ b œ &œ

w

&w ƒ

91

Vla.

Ï

ª

w

95

Cues

93

B b Cl.

&

œ #œ #œ ˙ 3

# wo

&w p

93

Vla.

+œ œo +œ œo +œ œo +œ œo

n˙

p

w

Cues

& œ

bell

Œ

Ó

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ w &

97

Vla.

wo

& ˙

Ó

œ

Ó

bœ

&

∑

Œ

w

9:19 high piano pulse

œ

#œ

œ

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

n

∑

S.P.

œ

bœ

Ÿ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ œ œ w œ œ #œ œ # œ œœœ 5 π wo

timbral trill

˙.

œ

5

#œ

∑

3

high piano pulse

Ø 100

97

B b Cl.

Œ

bell

wo

ª 97

8:56

Ó

f

# wo

# wo

Ord.

93

œ #œ J

w ƒ dim. sempre port. >œ œ œ œ.

J ƒ

#œ

œ

#œ

œ

gliss ad lib.

w Œ

œ

F

œ

œ œ

8

click stops molto rit.

102

Cues

&

#w

∑

102

B b Cl.

&

w

∑

n

œ

Ø

U w

gliss ad lib.

˙.

natural harmonic gliss (full duration of note)

& œ

102

Vla.

Œ

>

Bœ

P

œ

j œ œ. p

Œ

>O &œ

œO

œO œO ˙O π

Ó ˙

Œ

˙

II detune to C

œ

#U wo

Ø