Iannotta A STIR AMONG THE STARS, A MAKING WAY

IANNOTTA

a stir among the stars, a making way for Large Ensemble

Full Score

CLARA IANNOTTA

a stir among the stars, a making way

for Large Ensemble

a stir among the stars, a making way is based on my orchestra piece MOULT

I would like to thank Chris Swithinbank for his constant presence; Matt Barbier for his incredible generosity in sharing with me his brass techniques; Tom Pauwels, for his help with the electric guitar; Dorothy Molloy’s words, for the never-ending inspiration; my family, for the support.

a stir among the stars, a making way was commissioned by Klangforum Wien for frst performance at the Wiener Konzerthaus in March 2020.

Instrumentation

• Flute 1:

Objects: waldteufel

• Flute 2:

Objects: waldteufel

• Clarinet 1 in Bb:

Objects: waldteufel

• Clarinet 2 in Bb (also Bass):

Bass Clarinet’s preparation: A4 laminated paper with a paperclip to fx it on the clarinet (use a bulldog clip to fx the paper on the bell)

Objects: waldteufel

• Bassoon (also Contra Bassoon):

Objects: gelinotte birdcall, waldteufel, egg vibrator attached with a piece of tape to a snare drum, wine glass (the pitch is not important, as long as it makes a sound as soon as you pass the fnger on its edge)

• Horn:

Mutes: wah-wah (use a wah-wah mute for bass Trombone), practice mute

Objects: wine glass (the pitch is not important, as long as it makes a sound as soon as you pass the fnger on its edge), cassette tape

• Trumpet in C:

Mutes: wah-wah, preparation with silver metal sheet, practice mute

Objects: wine glass (the pitch is not important, as long as it makes a sound as soon as you pass the fnger on its edge), cassette tape

• Trombone:

Mutes: harmon, preparation with silver metal sheet, practice mute

Objects: wine glass (the pitch is not important, as long as it makes a sound as soon as you pass the fnger on its edge), cassette tape

• Tuba:

Mutes: practice mute

Objects: wine glass (the pitch is not important, as long as it makes a sound as soon as you pass the fnger on its edge), metal ratchet, cassette tape

• Percussion 1:

crotales

waterphone

large thunder sheet (Inox-Stahl 2m x 1m, 0,7mm)

waldteufel

cymbal (reversed) on a timbale

large, very low gong (pitch is not important, you can take the lowest you have) medium gong put horizontally on a table to damp the resonance small singing bowl (to be used to scrape the surface of the gong)

cymbal 18’’

2 metal ratchets fxed on a piece of wood [watch the video in the Explanatory-Files folder]

2 viola or cello bows

egg vibrator attached with a piece of tape to a snare drum

• Percussion 2: crotales

buzzing bow

tam-tam

bass drum

large chinese cymbal (reversed)

large gong put horizontally on a table to damp the resonance

small singing bowl (to be used to scrape the surface of the gong)

vibraphone with motor

2 pieces of polystyrene

2 viola or cello bows

• Harp:

Objects: superball, metal ratchet, 2 small bows that can pass through the strings, preparation with 2 paperclips on the strings G2 and E2 (the preparation is the same as the strings, and the bow has to pass always between the paperclips)

• E-Guitar:

Objects: 12 circular paperclips, viola or cello bow, bottle–neck, e–bow, kazoo (possibly in wood)

Pedals: reverb (Earthquaker Devices, Afterneath), freeze (Electro Harmonix Freeze Sound Retainer), distortion (Chase Bliss, Brothers), tremolo (Chase Bliss, Gravitas), glitch/swell (Infnite Jets), volume pedal

• Accordion:

Objects: cassette tape, metal ratchet

• Violin 1:

Mute: wooden

Preparation: 4 circular, metal paperclips on strings I–II — 2 paperclips on each string (one AST, one MSP)

Objects: piece of polystyrene attached to the music stand, cassette tape

• Violin 2:

Mute: wooden

Preparation: 4 circular, metal paperclips on strings II–III — 2 paperclips on each string (one AST, one MSP)

Objects: piece of polystyrene attached to the music stand, cassette tape

• Violas 1:

Mute: wooden

Preparation: 4 circular, metal paperclips on strings I–II — 2 paperclips on each string (one AST, one MSP)

Objects: piece of polystyrene attached to the music stand, cassette tape

• Violas 2:

Mute: rubber (ordinary)

Preparation: 3 circular, metal paperclips on strings III–IV — 2 paperclips on string III (one AST, one MSP), 1 paperclip on string IV (AST)

Objects: piece of polystyrene attached to the music stand, cassette tape

• Cello 1 (IV string detuned one octave lower):

Mutes: wooden

Preparation: circular, metal paperclip on string I (AST) and on string III (AST) — NB: the I string should be prepared before the beginning of the piece, whereas string III will be prepared starting from measure 47

Objects: piece of polystyrene attached to the music stand

• Cello 2 (IV string detuned a major seventh lower):

Mutes: rubber (ordinary)

Preparation: circular, metal paperclip on strings II (AST)

Objects: piece of polystyrene attached to the music stand

• Double Basses (V string detuned one octave lower):

Mutes: rubber (ordinary)

Objects: piece of polystyrene attached to the music stand

• Conductor:

Objects: stopwatch

For questions or tape material, please contact Edition Peters or directly the composer.

Duration ca. 20 minutes.

Score is in C.

Explanatory Notes

Winds:

Waldteufel: this instrument is played in two ways.

• Sound 1: Te thread has to be tight and it has to move in circle. Te sonic result is a granulated, rattling sound [watch the video in the Explanatory-Files folder].

• Sound 2: Te thread has slide on the skin of the instrument. Te sonic result is a smooth sound [watch the video in the Explanatory-Files folder].

Preparation of the bass clarinet: cover the bell of the clarinet with a stif sheet of paper — a laminated A4 sheet is suitable — fxed with a bulldog clip. Te sonic result is low buzzing sound.

You can see a photo and some samples of the preparation on Heather Roche’s blog: https://heatherroche.net/2014/03/24/on-bass-clarinet-preparations/

Multiphonics:

• all the clarinet’s multiphonics are taken from Heather Roche’s blog — www.heatherroche.net

• all bassoon’s multiphonics are taken from Pascal Gallois’s book — Te Techniques of Bassoon Playing, published by Bärenreiter.

Brass:

Metal Sheet Mute (for trumpet and trombone): 22 gauge steel (thin). Cut a square metal sheet that can cover completely the bell of the instrument. Fix it with 2 bulldog clips (you can use pata–fx on the clips to avoid scratches).

E-Guitar:

In order to play this piece, you need to have a guitar with sustain (or a second steel guitar), as there are some sounds that are sustained for a long time.

Strings:

Initial preparation: the six strings of the guitar have to be prepared with two circular metal clips each string (one close to the frst pick–up, the other one close to the last pick–up). Using a violin or viola bow, bow the six strings between the two clips. Almost no pressure of the bow, it should be a very delicate sound. [watch the video in the Explanatory-Files folder]

Te clips have to be removed at measure 72, and then put back at measure 383.

Pedals: reverb, distortion, glitch, tremolo, freeze.

Paperclips Preparation:

Strings are prepared with up to 4 circular, metal paperclips, that should be positioned close to the fngerboard (AST) or to the bridge (MSP), or both, as shown in the picture below.

Te bow has to pass always between the paperclips (not beyond!), unless specifed otherwise (see the very beginning of the piece). Although the space between AST (very close to the paperclip), and MSP is reduced, please play where asked, since the sounds AST and MSP are very diferent.

Left hand pressure: = ordinary pressure = lightly touching, as you would when playing harmonics

Right hand pressure: = almost no bow pressure = ordinary pressure = half overpressure = overpressure

Bow position:

molto AST = as close as possible to the left hand

AST = alto sul tasto

T = al tasto

PO = posizione ordinaria

SP = sul ponticello

MSP = molto sul ponticello

Bow techniques: c.l.t. = col legno tratto

NB: all string instruments should have NO metal parts between the fne tuners and the tail piece.

[the

a stir among the stars, a making way

for large ensemble

( h ) <P >

‰ r œœ ‰ r œœ ˙ R œ#œ‰ R œ‰ ˙˙˙ Œ‰ j œ œœœ œ bbb Œ‰œ œ #œ O O O O ˙ ˙

12

( h ) <P > (c.l.t.) (slow bow)

= & = &

π π π

= ?

= &

œ Œ ˙ ˙ R œ‰ R œ‰ œœœ œœœ ( h ) = & CROTALE p

= & = & = & M <P >

∏

π π

π OFF

a stir among the stars, a making way 34766

π

(AST) ()

E ( q ) hair [ordinary bow]

˙ ˙ # ˙ # @ ˙ ˙ + ˙ ˙ ˙ œœ + œœ + œœœ + œ + œ o œ + œ o œ + r j œ ‰Œ R J ‰Œ R J œ ‰Œ j œ#‰Œ R œ‰ R œ‰ ˙˙ ˙ Œ‰œ œœœ œ bbb 3 Œ‰œ œ #œ OO OO O O ˙ ˙ R J ‰œ J œ 3

POLYSTYRENE : :

POLYSTYRENE

l.v. P <P >

OFF F oF

ã R J ‰œ J œ 3

ã R J ‰œ J œ 3

[with bow] [with bow] oF

POLYSTYRENE :[with bow]

˙ ˙ ˙ @ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ œœœ + œ œœ j œ ‰ R œ‰ R œ‰ j œœœ j œœœ œœœ Œ ≈ j œ œœœ œ bbb Œ ≈ œœ #œ ± ≤ O + ≥ ± œ O O ˙ ˙ œœœ œœœ œœœ

M <P >

( q ) (II) [open string] (c.l.t.) (slow bow)

o ∏ ∏ ∏

J œ œ ≈ Œ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ j œ ≈ Œ R œ#œ‰ R œ‰ ˙˙ ˙ Œ ≈ j œ œœœ œ bbb Œ ≈ œœ #œ ˙ OO ≥ OO ˙ ˙ œœ œœ œœ

π <P >

h ( q ) hair [ordinary bow]

(AST)

o (c.l.t.) (slow bow)

= & (I) [open string]

j œ œ ‰Œ R œ‰ R œ‰ ˙˙ ˙ Œ‰œ œœ œ bb 3 Œ‰œ œ #œ ˙ ≤ ± ± ≤ O + + ≥ ± O ˙ ‰ j O + + œO œ J œœ 3 œ J œœ 3 œ J œœ 3

o ( q hair [ordinary bow]

(AST) ) III IV F F F

o < p >

( q )

( q )

R œ‰ R œ‰ ˙˙ ˙ Œ‰ j œœ œ b Œ‰œ œ #œ œO + ≥ O + ± ≤ ± œœO + Œ‰ J O + ± ≥ ± ˙ ˙ ˙

M < p > (c.l.t.) (slow bow) hair [ordinary bow]

(AST) ( q ) ∏ ∏ ∏

the musicians (women and men in falsetto are reccommended).

p p ( h )

˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ Œ‰œ œœ bb 3 Œ‰œ <P > 52

â â â [with fnger] W ( h )

J œ œ‰Œ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ Œ‰œ œœ bb 3 Œ‰œ <P >

( h ) a stir among the stars, a making way 34766

p ( h

˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ Œ‰œ œœ bb 3 Œ‰œ œ# <P >

( h )

˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ Œ‰œ œœ bb 3 Œ‰œ <P >

˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ Œ‰œ œœ bb 3 Œ‰œ <P >

( h )

( h )

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Clara Iannotta

Clara Iannotta (b. 1983 in Rome) is particularly interested in music as an existential, physical experience. She studied at the Milan and Paris Conservatories, IRCAM and Harvard University. Her music has been commissioned and performed by renowned ensembles and orchestras, including Quatuor Diotima, Ensemble Intercontemporain, Klangforum Wien, Neue Vocalsolisten Stuttgart, Münchener Kammerorchester and WDR Symphony Orchestra. She was a fellow of the Berliner Künstlerprogramm (2013) and Villa Medici (2018–19) and the recipient of several awards including the 2018 Ernst von Siemens Composers’ Prize and the 2018 Hindemith Prize. Her portrait albums A Failed Entertainment and Earthing were selected by the German Record Critics’ Awards for their Quarterly Critics’ Choices. In 2014–2021 Iannotta was artistic director of the Bludenzer Tage zeitgemäßer Musik, becoming joint artistic director of Klangspuren Schwaz in 2022.

Clara Iannotta (*1983 in Rom) setzt sich mit Musik als existenzieller, körperlicher Erfahrung auseinander. Sie studierte an den Konservatorien in Mailand und Paris, am IRCAM und an der Harvard University. Ihre Werke wurden von namhaften Ensembles und Orchestern in Auftrag gegeben und gespielt, darunter das Quatuor Diotima, das Ensemble Intercontemporain, Klangforum Wien, die Neuen Vocalsolisten Stuttgart, das Münchener Kammerorchester und das WDR Sinfonieorchester. Sie war Stipendiatin des Berliner Künstlerprogramms (2013) und der Villa Medici (2018/19) und erhielt u.a. den Förderpreis der Ernst von Siemens Musikstiftung 2018 und den Hindemith-Preis 2018. Ihre Porträtalben A Failed Entertainment und Earthing standen auf der Bestenliste der deutschen Schallplattenkritik. 2014–2021 leitete sie die Bludenzer Tage zeitgemäßer Musik, ab 2022 als Teil einer künstlerischen Doppelspitze das Festival Klangspuren Schwaz.

Photo © Luc-Hossepied