Chou TWILIGHT COLORS

Contemporary

CHOU Twilight Colors Double Trio for Winds and Strings

Score and Parts

EP 68193

CHOU WEN-CHUNG CHOU WEN-CHUNG

Twilight Colors Double Trio for Winds and Strings TWILIGHT COLORS Double Trio for Winds and Strings

Score and Parts

ALLE RECHTE VORBEHALTEN

· ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

EDITION PETERS L E I P Z I G · L O N D O N · NEW YORK

duration: approximately 16 minutes

P R I NATL E D A N D D I S T R I B U T E D B Y FA B E R M U S I C LE RECHTE VORBEHALTEN · ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

EDITION PETERS L E I P Z I G · L O N D O N · NEW YORK

Program Note: Twilight Colors is a double trio for woodwinds and strings, specifically for: Flute, Oboe and Clarinet in one trio; and Violin, Viola, and Violoncello in the other. The woodwind trio is by itself a double trio with some movements written for Alto Flute, English Horn and Bass Clarinet played by the same performers as a separate entity. Therefore the movements of the work consist of a string trio in combination with one of two woodwind trios, which offers changing color combinations from movement to movement.

The work is inspired by the exceptional colors of the changing sky over the Hudson River Valley which attracted American painters who initiated a school of true landscape painting not dominated by the human figure. In composing the piece I was influenced by the Chinese brush painters of the early 17th century who developed subtle brushstrokes and their sophisitcated organization for landscape painting by adopting fundamental brush stroke technique from Chinese calligraphy. The result was an extremely terse and abstract expression of the subject portrayed, and conceivably anticipated much of the abstract and the expressionist development in Western painting of the 20th centure, which presumably evolved out of a different esthetic orientation.

The piece consists of a series of vignetts, in four movments, each with a descriptive phrase: “in the darkness, a thread of light,” “through the clouds, colors of dawn,” “trees and rocks in the mist,” and “over the horizon, mountain peaks rising.” There is also a coda, “their silhouettes neither parallel nor contrary.”

–Chou Wen-chung Notes for the Performers: “Contrapunctus variabilis” signifies a movement with strict contrapuntal procedures according to the principles of my “variable (pien) modes” theory, as the earlier contrapunctus I through IV of my String Quartet No. 2, Streams.

Contrapuctus variabilis V, A Thread of Light, is a prelude consisting of the subject and its variants in the transformation and juxtaposition.

Contrapunctus variabilis VI, Colors of Dawn, is a three part fugato in the woodwind with a subject and answers in stretto, accompanied by a countersubject, its variants and free counterpoint presented in the string trio.

Contrapunctus variabilis VII, In the Mist, is a series of episodes with six subject-variants presented in an admixture of contrapuntal and harmonic progressions.

Contrapunctus variabilis VIII, Mountain Peaks Rising, consists of a brief introduction with short subject-variants leading to a sequence of canons of various nature.

Contrapunctus variabilis IX, Coda, concludes the Double Trio with six subject-variants in stretto followed by three pairs of one variant from each trio, also in stretto.

General Performance Notes: v = pronounced vibrato nv = non vibrato (use of vibrato at the performers’ discretion if neither sign is given) Arrows are sometimes used to indicate transitions from non vibrato to vibrato and vice versa.

With both vibrato and trills, speeds are sometimes indicated by the use of notes in parenthesis; these speeds are relative to themselves and each other and are not derived from the overall tempo indications in the work; v(N) and v(D) denote the slowest and fastest controllable vibrato respectively. Arrows are also used here to indicate transitions from one to another.

More specific notes are found in the music as footnotes.

in fond memory of Olga Koussevitzky

TWILIGHT COLORS I. A Thread of Light (Contrapunctus Variabilis Va)

Chou Wen-chung

Allegretto gracioso (variable tempo) alla misura, più mosso poco a poco senza misura = ca. 48 lunga poco lunga ’ ) = ca. 48, = ca. 72 = ca. 56, Alto Flute v(

’

Flute (Alto Flute in G)

’

**

= ca. 84

’

poch.

English Horn

v(

)

Oboe (English Horn)

**

Bass Clarinet nv v

poch. v(

)

Clarinet in B (Bass Clarinet)

**

*

niente poch. più poss.

poch. con sord.

pizz.

Violin

** con sord.

pizz.

nv

v pizz.

Viola

** con sord.

arco

Violoncello

**

8

= ca. 66,

poco

= ca. 96

poch.

= ca. 69,

poco

più

= ca. 104

poch.

più

’

nv v ( )

* niente poss. poco poco

arco (con sord.) v v

cresc. poco a poco poch.

v

cresc. poco a poco poch. poch.

17

’

= ca. 76,

= ca. 114

poco nv

*niente poss.

poco

v( )

poco

= ca. 84,

= ca. 126

poco

arco (con sord.)

v

poco poco

(cresc.) v

poco poco

(cresc.) poco

poco * mute as needed ** all dynamic levels in this movement to be adjusted according to the use of mutes and the low register of the low woodwinds.

Edition Peters 68193

© 2007 by C. F. Peters Corporation. New York

2 25

poco accel.

= ca. 92,

’

= ca. 138 ancora accel.

’=

Subito meno mosso = ca. 69

v( )

nv

33

v( )

( )

v( )

( )

nv

( )

( )

( )

( )

( )

( )

( )

( )

( ) v( )

( )

( ) v( )

v( )

( )

( )

( )

( )

( )

( )

40

( )

( )

( )

( )

( )

’ poco

( )

( )

( )

poco ( )

( )

( )

poco ( )

( )

( )

( )

poco ( )

( )

( )

poco ( )

( )

( )

( )

poco

3 Con moto = ca. 96 48

= ca. 84

= ca. 72 =

pizz.

arco (trem.)

pizz.

arco (trem.)

pizz.

arco (trem.)

poco

52

= ca. 72

= ca. 84 (

v

v

v

= ca. 168)

accel.

v

morendo

espr.

morendo

poco

morendo

poco

morendo

morendo

poco

morendo

59

poco

morendo

rall.

a tempo =

poco

morendo

morendo

via sord.

via sord.

(con sord.)

morendo

poco

più

morendo

3

4 69

senza sord. sempre sul tasto*

senza sord. sempre sul tasto*

poch.

poch.

poch. via sord.

poch.

poco

poco

Più mosso ( = ca. 96)

77 **

= ca. 192

**

** v

poch. v

poch. senza sord. sempre sul tasto*

v

poco poch.

poch.

84

poco a poco meno mosso =

3

3 3 3

più

* sul tasto except for and . ** fast, unsynchronized trills

5 Largo

91

= ca. 66,

= ca. 132

poco

poch.

3 3

morendo

98

rall. poco a poco

poco

niente poss. sempre sul tasto

3

3

3

poch.

105

(rall.)

’

niente poss. morendo

lunga

poco

lunga

poch.

3 3

poch.

poco

attacca subito (opt.)

6

II. Colors of Dawn (Contrapunctus Variabilis VI) Andante con moto, molto espressivo Alto Flute = ca. 76

’

3

3

poch.

English Horn

Bass Clarinet nv v 3

3

poco più al punta, sul tasto

3

3

3

al punta, sul tasto

sul tasto (non trem.)

3

3

6

3

poch.

3

meno 3

3

poco 3

3

meno ord.

3

3

meno

3

3

3

3

3

poco

3 3

3

più

poco

ord.

al punta, sul tasto

3 3

3

3

3

3

3

3

poco 3

3

3

poco

più

9

3

3

poco 5

3

3

3

3 5

5 6

3

poco sim.

3

sub.

3

3

più

3

3

3

3

3 3

7

3

3

poco

poco

3

3

sul tasto 7

poco sub., delicato poco

poco più

7 accel. molto

lunga

12 3

cresc. poco a poco

6

sub., cresc. molto

molto

3

cresc. poco a poco

sub., cresc. molto

7

molto 7

3

molto

cresc. poco a poco

sub., cresc. molto

jeté

sub.

jeté

v

sub. v

jeté

sub.

senza misura, tempo ad libitum

molto rall. poco a poco

14

3

poco

dim. poco a poco 3

poco

3

dim. poco a poco 3

poco

3

3

3

3

3

3

dim. poco a poco sim.

jeté

dim. poco a poco sim. jeté

dim. poco a poco sim.

jeté

dim. poco a poco

Molto adagio e cantabile ( = ca. 60) A tempo (A.Fl.) rit. = ca. 69 15 poco lunga

A tempo = ca. 76

rit.

rit. molto 3

(E.H.)

3

(B.Cl.) 3

3

poco

poco

8

III. In the Mist (Contrapunctus Variabilis VII)

Molto lento e misterioso = ca. 48–56

poco

Flute

Oboe

Clarinet in B

poco 8va

3

al punta, sul pont.

morendo 3

al punta, sul pont.

morendo

3

al punta, sul pont.

morendo

nv

8

v

nv

nv

15

nv (nv)

v

v

nv

nv

v (v)

(nv)

nv

v

v

nv

v

nv

nv

(v)

nv

v

v

nv

accel.

’

ord., non vib.

ord., non vib.

nv

nv

v

nv

’

vib.

vib.

=

v

rall.

ord., non vib.

v

non vib.

non vib.

vib.

9 Subito a tempo

= ca. 60–69

molto accel.

21

ord.

ord.

sul pont., al punta

ord.

A tempo primo (

rall.

26

= ca. 48–56)

jeté, sul tasto*

jeté, sul tasto*

trem., sul pont.

jeté, sul tasto*

sul pont., al punta

30

sim.

più

meno

più

meno

sul pont. (trem)

come sopra

molto

come sopra

pos. ord.

come sopra

sim.

* asynchronous

sul pont. (trem)

poco

10 Più lento e espressivo

poco più mosso

accel.

34

pos. ord.

pos. ord.

A tempo primo (

rall.

39

= 48–56)

cant.

cant.

jeté, sul tasto

cant.

cant. jeté, sul tasto

44

rall. poco a poco

jeté, sul tasto

cant.

molto tranquillo e lento

cant.

nv*

v

nv

v lunga

nv*

poch. v

nv

più v

nv*

poch. v

nv

più v

poch.

più

flaut.**

poch. flaut.**

poch. flaut.**

poch.

* slow, asynchronous vibrato; change speed and amplitude ad lib. ** asynchronous flautando tremolo; vary speed and pressure ad lib.

poco

poco

poco

IV. Mountain Peaks Rising

Lento assai (Contrapunctus Variabilis VIII) ( = ca. 48–56, = ca. 72–84) senza misura, molto tranquillo e espr. poch. poco

poco

poco

Alto Flute

11 poch.

English Horn

Bass Clarinet

poch.

poch.

più

poch.

2

Lento, ma non troppo ( alla misura

= ca. 66) accel.

= ca. 84 rall.

poco

più

poco

poco

poch.

più

più

più

più poch.

più poch.

= ca. 72–84, accel.

7

= ca. 96–104, molto rall.

Lento assai, tempo ad libitum nv

nv

nv

poco

non vib.

poco

12

’ poco ’

14

poco

meno

poco

meno

poco

poco

meno poco

non vib.

poco

non vib.

meno

poco

meno poco

poco

poco

meno

A tempo primo ( = ca. 48–56) *senza misura, molto legato, accel. poco a poco

21

’

2

3

5

1

4

6

(

21a

= ca. 72–84) ancora accel.

’

2 cresc. poco a poco 4 cresc. poco a poco 5

cresc. poco a poco 1

cresc. poco a poco 3 cresc. poco a poco 6 cresc. poco a poco

* each line enters and leaves approx. 1/16 beat behind the previous, strict synchronicity is not required

13 (

= ca. 96–104) più accel. poco a poco

21b

to Flute

più

’

cresc. to Oboe

più

cresc. to Clarinet

più

cresc.

più

cresc.

più

cresc.

più

Maestoso 22

= 69–80

accel.

lunga

poco

cresc.

rall.

a tempo

poco

sub.

poco poco

poco

sub.

più poco

28

accel.

rall.

a tempo

accel.

rall.

a tempo

’

più

sub. poco

più

poco

14 33

Flute

cresc.

molto

al tallone, sul C

ord.

dim.

cresc.

cresc. molto

**

38

* più

poco

Clarinet in B

*

**

molto

poco

poco

meno

poco

rall. poco a poco

44

Oboe

8va

*

poco

**

sub.

al tallone

al tallone

più

molto

meno

ord.

poco

* grace notes are to be played at the end of the note value and with increasing speed ** trills are played with increasing or decreasing speed as indicated by the arrow

meno

15 50

(rall.)

ancora rall.

poco

Allegretto giacioso e espressivo 57 senza misura*

molto

più

Coda: Their Silhouettes neither parallel nor contrary (Contrapunctus Variabilis IX)

’

rall.

più

meno

più

61

Allegro non troppo

rall.

rall.

a tempo

’

poco

più 8va

più

meno

più

più

più

* Each measure consists of 18 16th notes; note values are relative, not proportional.

Execute flexibly using the bar lines as reference points only; rhythmic synchronization is not intended.

16

molto rall.

poco

64

Allegro assai alla misura

8va

a tempo, rall.

molto accel.

68

’

poco

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