Musgrave ORFEO III

OnDemand

Musgrave, Thea Orfeo III

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Score begins on the next page.

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Thea Musgrave ORFEO III an improvisation on a theme for solo flute and string quintet (1993)

NOVELLO

Scenario I

Orfeo Laments Orfeo stands alone on the banks of the river Styx and grieves for Euridice. He hears a distant echo of her voice and he listens. Then it disappears. Orfeo in despair pleads with Charon to ferry him across the river so that he may search for her.

II

Orfeo crosses the river Styx Charon consents to listen to his plea. The waves of the river begin to ripple and then surge up and part and Orfeo can cross over to the other side.

III

Orfeo calms the Furies Orfeo is confronted by the Furies and eloquently he pleads with them. They gradually quieten as they listen. He is allowed to proceed, but on one condition.….he must not look at Euridice until he has returned from the Underworld.

IV

Orfeo searches amongst the Shades Orfeo searches for Euridice amongst the Shades. He hears her approaching…he steps towards her, then turns away and shields his eyes.

V

Orfeo hears Euridice’s pleas Orfeo hears Euridice pleading with him to turn and look at her….he cannot resist and he turns. Euridice vanishes forever.

VI

Orfeo is attacked by the Bacchantes Orfeo is at once violently attacked by the Bacchantes. He makes a last desperate plea, but he finds himself back on the banks of the river Styx, alone and desolate.

Performance Notes Synchronization In many sections the solo flute should play with considerable rubato independently of the conductor. A cue line has been given so that the tempo and rubato can be adjusted for approximate synchronization. However where there are arrows or bar lines, the synchronization must be exact. represents the downbeat to an unmeasured bar: here the music should continue in the same tempo (unless otherwise marked), though with rubato.

In the flute part, if the arrow is ABOVE the line then the flute responds to the conductor/strings, if the arrow is BELOW then the conductor/strings respond to the flute.

Accidentals Accidentals in unmeasured bars apply only to the note they precede, except where one note or a pair of notes is immediately repeated.

Balance The balance of the Gluck quotes of Euridice (‘Che faro’ and ‘The dance of the blessed spirits’) with the rest of the players is crucial: though the themes must, obviously, be clearly audible, they are intended as memory elements and therefore should not be played too loudly. They should be clear yet “dreamlike”.

ORFEO III Thea Musgrave

I Orfeo Laments  



Solo Flute

[Orfeo stands on the banks of the River Styx grieving for Euridice]



p

  



 



Andante lamentoso (Tempo I°) q = c.54

Violin

   

Viola

Contrabass



  Vln.

 

Vla.



Vc.

Cb.

   

    

Fl.





 

con sord.

pizz. con sord.

 

p

 pp

 

ppp

 



 



   

        p

 



 

p



      

sf ppp

    

    



            sf ppp

This edition © 2008 Novello & Company Ltd.

  



   



ord.

 





mp

1

ord.



  

  

ord.

p

      

½ sul pont.

 

 

  gliss.     gliss.

  ppp 

     

sfz ppp



pp

     

½ sul pont.

 



½ sul pont.

sf ppp

  

ppp

[ ]   

  

p

con sord.

 

con sord.

  gliss.

pp

  



 



  ppp 

con sord.

  

ppp

  

Violoncello



  gliss.

ppp





 

ord.

ppp

p





pp

         

  

p

Fl.

 



         3

mp

Vln.

Vla.

Vc.

    

  



   





  

 

ppp

ord.   

   

 

  

 



 cresc.

 



 

p



    come sopra    

     

ord.

    

mf

p

   

  

   



  

mf

ppp

Cb.



5

   

  Improvise with G# tremolo, trill  harmonic, sul pont.   ppp

    



  





 





arco

sfpp



Fl.

 

 

3

     

6 Tempo II°      Vln.

   p

pp

    

ord.

 

 



    

rit.







pp

mp

      ppp sempre

Vla.

           

 

½ sul pont.

Vc.

ppp

      Cb.  



 

gliss.

ppp

sul G





  

gliss.



  

pizz.

p

  

Fl.

          mf

3

11 [Charon consents to listen to Orfeo’s plea]



 

lunga



rit.

II 15 Tempo            Vln.

 gl  sffz ff 

 

iss.

 







pp

dim.

 

lunga

 

lunga

   

 pp sul C  *   gliss      .    sffz ff

p

dim.

    gliss.     sffz ff dim. ppp pp sul A          lunga * gliss. sul D  sul G   sul C Vc.   sffz ff dim. pp dim. a   *  sul Ggliss.  lunga       sul D   sul A    Cb.    sul E

Vla.





sffz ff





dim.

 Fl.



pp

II Orfeo crosses the River Styx  



[All is silent and Charon listens]

   



16   Vc.    

   

niente

 Fl.

 

     



mf



 rit.



     

 

più mosso





  Cb.     niente 

 

  

pp

p

Fl.

lunga

   

pp

* Highest possible note

  



   

 

 

17  



p

più mosso



rit.

        mf

 

  p

14

Fl.





    

   

          

  

  

mp

     







 mf

    



  

Vc.

Cb.

 

accel.



 





 



cresc.



  

 



3

3

       

 *)            

[The waves of the river surge up ...

  

    

3

cresc.

cresc.

  



Fl.



ord.

3

3

p

Vla.

[]     

3                                3 p 3 cresc. senza sord.

3 sul tasto ord. 3  3 3 3                                       3

senza sord. sul tasto

Vln.

 3

23

  

 



 







[with conductor]

  

 

   



    







... and part. Orfeo crosses the river into the underworld.]   









fff

       *)     f

24

Vln.

Vla.

mf

cresc.

mf

cresc.

molto

sffz mf

ff

sffz mf

ff

sffz mf

ff

   

      molto

   

*)

mf

cresc.

molto

    

 

     

 

    *)

Vc.

   

*)        

 

   

mf

cresc.

molto

         Cb.    *)



sffz

molto mf cresc. sffz *) Improvise rushing scale passages over the whole range of instrument – 6, 7, 8 notes to a bow

 



18

 



Fl.

 

3

28

   

pizz.



 

pizz.





   



3

   





 



  



 

Vla.

         

3

3

p



Vc.

  

  



  





sim., ad lib. rhythms

cresc.

 

*)

p





 

*)

p

29 

   

cresc.

cresc.



Fl.

]  [  

gliss.                mf

Cb.



sim., ad lib. rhythms

3

3



3

           

  

mf

Vln.

 

 



ad lib.

 



 

  

3

cresc.

3

  mf

3

  

 



           pp sub. ff  arco   Vln.                          

arco

ff

Vla.

3

           ff

Vc.

    

sffz mf

   Cb.  

sffz mf

*) simile: slowly ascending

3

pp sub.

      

pp sub.

dim.

dim.

   

 

         

22 [in tempo!]



 

Fl.

33



  

  

f

            

 

Vla.

Vc.

 



arco

pizz., come sopra

ff arco

mf pizz., come sopra

         

Vln.



ff arco

3

      



      

  

         mf





pizz., ad lib. rhythm

     







   



    

mf

 



 

         ff



       

sim.



 arco            ff

Cb.

               

3

   

3

3



sim.

3



    

sim.

3

     

sim.

3

             ff



 

gliss.

5

sim.         3

3

 













cresc.

  

     

 

ff

ff



  

cresc.

         5

Vc.



mf

arco

Vla.

gliss.

mf cresc.

arco

Vln.

f

cresc.

sffz p

  

f

cresc.

  

   

f

cresc.

   

mf

 

   



Fl.

ff

   

3

ff



   

sffz p

Cb.



               3

3

 

         3

       3



        5

27 [The Furies allow Orfeo to proceed on his journey.]

3

Fl.

      

    

  

  

 



ppp

pp



  



  





Vln.



 Vla.

Vc.



3          

       







          

 





con sord.

 

  



pp







   

  actual pitch       

          

pizz.

pp

con sord.

3

        3

 p

     

 Cb.    



  

con sord.

  



pp sotto voce

con sord.



pp sotto voce

 actual pitch



pp *) clear and expressive, not too loud



3

  3    



  

   











     pp

pizz.



mp dolce 3

    

pp

   

*)

senza sord.

 

 

 

pp

Adagio espressivo q = c.42

pp sotto voce

Vc.

    

  





IV Orfeo searches amongst the Shades for Euridice

40

Vla.

  

niente



Vln.

 



           

  Cb.      

Fl.



niente

     3



                 p

pp



   

           



  

 

pp

 

32



Fl.

                               5

3

p

   

5

                   ad lib.

       



Vln.

 Vla.

Cb.







 



Fl.

 

p

 

 ord.

     

3



  

     

pizz.







     

 

Vc.

3

3

  







3





















  

Vc.

Cb.



  

3

         3

 

 

3









3



  

pp



p



 

f

cresc.

 



    



mf

Vla.

6

[Orfeo hears Euridice approach. He turns towards her, then decisively turns his back and shields his eyes.]

6

 

5



      

47                   Vln.

5

p staccato5

f

dim.

             3 3

  

        3

3

niente



3

                          

p

3

dim.

    













[ ... He takes his hand from his eyes – turns to look at her. Euridice vanishes forever.]

    



Fl.



   

lunga

 

c. 5''

sfffz fff

pp

fff

pp

     sfffz     

Vla.

   

sfffz

  Vln.

      

37



sfffz fff

pp

sfffz fff

pp

sfffz fff

pp

    

Vc.

    Cb. 



VI Orfeo is attacked by the Bacchantes 



Fl.

sfz

53

  Vln.



   

ad lib: molto agitato

Agitato molto

        



ff furioso



 

    

     sffz

senza vib.    

Vc.

Cb.





sfz





f *)



       





sffz ff senza vib.

   sim.



   

ff furioso

    sim.

 

dim.

sffz ff

dim.

 

3

ff mf

  ff sempre

sim.

ff furioso Vla.

 



*)



     



  ff sempre

*)







  ff sempre

*) Using notes between the pitches indicated, improvise similar motives of varying lengths with short gaps between them.

44

   

Fl.

  

60

Vln.





 

   

pp





  3

 

 

 



 



  

rit.



 

3

 

 

 

  



       

 

ord.

  



    









3

          

    

   

       

  

ppp

pp

   

 

dim. a niente

  

 



niente

Vla.

 

Vc.

    

 

 



3

 

pp

 

Cb.

 

pp

     





 [ord.]



   

         con sord.        Vln.

 



pp

   

Fl.

 

3

   

pp ½ sul pont.

Cb.

 



     

Vc.



p

½ sul pont.

Vla.



 