CLARA IANNOTTA
where the dark earth bends
for RAGE Thormbones, Orchestra and Electronics
(2022–23)
POD PETERS on demand
EDITION
• Soloists: 2 trombones
Mutes: you can use whichever you prefer, including Mellow-wah-wah; harmon, horn mute, etc.
Objects: “clown reed”, bassoon reed, glass or metal for rattling sound
• 3 Flutes
sample pages for issuu for perusal only
Objects: 3 Waldteufel; 3 Ratchets (hand spun); 3 birdcalls Jay
• 3 Oboes
Objects: 3 Waldteufel; 3 megaphones (with mouthpiece); 3 (dog) clickers; 3 birdcalls Jay
• 2 Clarinet in Bb
Objects: 2 waldteufel; 2 (dog) clicker; 2 birdcalls Jay
• 1 Bass Clarinet (also Clarinet in Bb)
Objects: laminated paper as preparation; (dog) clicker; birdcall Jay
• 3 Bassoons:
Objects: 3 Waldteufel; 3 megaphones (with mouthpiece); 3 (dog) clickers; 3 birdcalls Jay
• 4 Horns in F
Mutes: 4 wah-wah Mutes (the one for the trombone), 4 practice mutes
Objects: 4 Harmonicas 48 holes (possibly different tuning), silk to prepare it; 4 “clown reeds”
• 3 Trumpets in C
Mutes: 3 wah-wah Mutes, 2 harmon Mutes (without stem), 3 practice mutes
Objects: 3 Harmonicas 48 holes (possibly different tuning), silk to prepare it; 1 gauged metal sheet (or CD with the hole completely taped), 3 “clown reeds”
• 3 Trombones
Mutes: 3 harmon Mutes (without stem), 3 practice mutes
Objects: 3 Harmonicas 48 holes (possibly different tuning), silk to prepare it; 3 gauged metal sheets (or CD with the hole completely taped), 3 “clown reeds”
• 1 Tuba
Mutes: Ordinary Mute
Objects: 1 Harmonicas 48 holes (possibly different tuning), silk to prepare it; “clown reed”
• Percussion 1:
Crotales on stand: C5, D#5, F5, G5 [NB: do central = C4]
2 Double Bass Bows
Bell Plates: D3 (with tin foil over the top side for long, resonant, trilling buzz), E4 [NB: do central = C4]
2 Coils laid flat on small piece of moosgummi (they should be very resonant!)
Timpano 29”
Crotales placed on the Timpano: F#4, G4, A4 [NB: do central = C4]
Japanese Rins on Timpano: starting from measure 45, you need 2 large rins on the Timpano — the pitch is not important (although low is recommended) as long as they have a nice, long resonance
Large thunder sheet (Inox-Stahl 2m x 1m, 0,7mm)
China Cymbal 24’’ reversed and blocked
Guiro
Ratchet
Waterphone
• Percussion 2:
Crotales on stand: D5, F#5 [NB: do central = C4]
2 Double Bass Bows
Bass Drum
Large Gong
Timpano 32’’
Japanese Rins on Timpano: D4, E4, F#4, G4, A4, Bb4 [NB: do central = C4]
Large thunder sheet (Inox-Stahl 2m x 1m, 0,7mm)
China Cymbal 22’’ reversed and blocked
Coil laid flat on small piece of moosgummi (they should be very resonant!)
Ratchet
• Percussion 3:
Crotale on stand: C#5, E5, G5 [NB: do central = C4]
2 Double Bass Bows
Large Tam Tam
Vibraphone with motor and detuned (see performance note)
Bell Plate: B3 (with tin foil over the top side for long, resonant, trilling buzz), F#5 [NB: do central = C4]
Coil laid flat on small piece of moosgummi (they should be very resonant!)
China Cymbal 20’’ reversed and blocked
Ratchet
sample pages for issuu for perusal only
Vibraslap (with long resonance)
Big slapstick
• Harp (detuned and prepared)
Objects: 8 Alligator clips (or wooden handle of a Japanese hand fan uchiwa) ; Bow hair (a bunch); 2 hard plectrums
• Piano (prepared)
Objects: 3 E-bows; plexiglass CD case; rubber; blu-tack (or patafix); hard mallet (or hammer) to hit the frame inside the piano; superball to be used on the strings; fishing line (with a lot of rosin); hard plectrum
• E-Guitar with sustainer (detuned)
Objects: E-bow
Pedals: Reverb; Irregular Tremolo, Compressor, Over-Drive (Distortion)
• Violins I (at least 14)
Mutes: Vln 1–8: wooden Mutes (in alternative some musicians can use the ordinary mute, but mostly they should use wooden mutes; Vln 9–14: wooden Mutes (in alternative some musicians can use the ordinary mute, but mostly they should use wooden mutes; metal Mutes (you can also use Practice mutes instead)
Objects: 6 wah-wah tubes (all different size, if possible) to be used with the bow
• Violins II (at least 12)
Mutes: Vln II 1–8: wooden Mutes (in alternative some musicians can use the ordinary mute, but mostly they should use wooden mutes; Vln II 9–12: wooden Mutes (in alternative some musicians can use the ordinary mute, but mostly they should use wooden mutes; metal Mutes (you can also use Practice mutes instead);
Objects: 12 small pieces of polystyrene attached to the stand; 4 wah-wah tubes (all different size, if possible) to be used with the bow
• Violas (at least 10)
Mutes: wooden Mutes (in alternative some musicians can use the ordinary mute, but mostly they should use wooden mutes
Objects: 10 cardboard boxes with flaps (always bow the flap!)
• Cellos (at least 8)
Mutes: Vlc 1–4: wooden Mutes (in alternative some musicians can use the ordinary mute, but mostly they should use wooden mutes; Vlc 5–8: wooden Mutes (in alternative some musicians can use the ordinary mute, but mostly they should use wooden mutes; metal Mutes (you can also use Practice mutes instead);
Objects: 8 spatulas (to be bowed); 6 Small Thunder Sheets with a contact microphones attached to a small speaker (Marshall MS-2) via a jack cable
• Doubles Basses (at least 6, with the Double Basses 1, 2, 3 with 5 strings — NB the V string is detuned)
Mutes: Ordinary mutes
Objects: 6 spatula (to be bowed), 6 credit cards (or similar)
Electronics:
• Amplification for the 2 soloists: please use at least 2 microphones per soloist (consult the soloists to know which microphone is most suitable for them);
• Amplification for orchestra: use as many microphones as possible, so that the orchestra can have the same levels as the soloists, who are heavily amplified. NB: the orchestra’s sound is not processed, whereas the soloists sound is processed through Max/Msp
• 2 loudspeakers + 2 subwoofer;
• laptop with Max/Msp installed.
Explanatory Notes
*** Please watch all the videos provided by the composers in order to understand some extended techniques or how to use the objects ***
Wind Section
sample pages for issuu for perusal only
Waldteufel: this instrument is played in two different ways.
• Sound 1: The thread has to be tight and it has to move in circle. The sonic result is a granulated, rattling sound [watch the video in the Explanatory-Files folder].
• Sound 2: The thread has slide on the skin of the instrument. The sonic result is a smooth sound [watch the video in the Explanatory-Files folder].
Bass Clarinet’s Preparation:
Multiphonics:
Cover the bell of the clarinet with a stiff sheet of paper — a laminated A4 sheet is suitable — fixed with a bulldog clip. The 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/
• flute’s multiphonics are taken from Carin Levine’s book — The Techniques of Flute Playing, published by Bärenreiter.
• clarinet’s multiphonics are taken from Heather Roche’s blog — www.heatherroche.net
Brass Section
Harmonica 48 holes: the suggested brand is Thomann Melodica 48C
In some parts of the piece, you will be required to cover the holes with fabric (silk is preferred) in order to get very high harmonics. You can watch the videos provided by the composer to understand how to prepare and play the harmonica.
Gauged Metal Sheet: this buzzing effect is created by placing a thin gauged metal sheet (but it could even be a can, or a CD, or a couple of CDs bound together. Every thin piece of metal will work) against the bell of the instrument. The metal should vibrate against the instrument when blown, adding a snare buzz to the sound.
Percussion 3
Tuning Vibraphone:
By applying weight on the keys, you can make the pitch go microtonally down. Just be careful to distribute the weight on both sides of the key, without putting it on the node, as otherwise you would damp its resonance.
Harp
Tuning & Preparation (NB: You can watch the video provided by the composer to understand how to use the bow hair):
E-Guitar with sustainer
Tuning:
Pedals: Reverb; Irregular Tremolo, Compressor, Over-Drive (Distortion)
Preparation:
sample pages for issuu for perusal only
In order to understand the preparation of harmonics and multi phonics, you can consult Caspar Johannes Walter’s research: https://www.casparjohanneswalter.de/texts/fraction_windowing Multiphonics and harmonics are prepared using a piece of blu-tack (or patafix) placed exactly on the part of the string which produces the desired partial(s).
Fishing Line 1: put some patafix on the nodes of the three strings (possibly all different) and put the fishing line in order to bow the strings (NB: first key, the fishing line passes below the strings; second key, the fishing line passes above the strings; third key, the fishing line passes below the strings. Do not put too much rosin, as the effect which is needed is an airy, harmonic-like sound.
Fishing Line 2: put together around 7–10 fishing lines and place them where described on the picture above. Use a lot of rosin, so that the strings produce a very granulated sound when stroked.
Tuning of the V string for the DB 1, 2, 3:
String Section
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
Double Basses
My music has always been an intimate investigation of the self. Sound has the power to reach depths which words cannot; it taught me who I was; and who I was becoming.
In 2020, I got sick, and I was forced to change. Instead of composition feeling like a sometimes difficult, but focused, process of investigation, I felt lost. I know that I cannot write the same music I used to, but I don’t know who I am yet or what my music will be.
sample pages for issuu for perusal only
where the dark earth bends is about everything and nothing. It gathers scraps from somewhere in my future, beyond the curve of what I know. Reaching out of sight, I’ve collected possibilities that might be mine, or might be someone else’s, digging for a harvest that makes no sense.
Maia, this is for you and all our sisters.
A very important thanks goes to Weston Olencki and Mattie Barbier, who co-wrote their solo parts and jumped on this train to nowhere with me without even asking questions.
sample pages for issuu for perusal only
sample pages for issuu for perusal only
sample pages for issuu for perusal only
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