Tyler Futrell
STABAT MATER
Tyler Futrell STABAT MATER
for
Two Voices, Chamber Strings and Harpsichord (2021)
Duration: c. 30 min.
with support from Kulturrådet
Copyright © 2023 Edition Wilhelm Hansen A/S, Copenhagen
Music engraving in Finale
Publisher’s editor: Katrine Gregersen Dal
Edition Wilhelm Hansen, A/S Bornholmsgade 1A 1266 København K Denmark
www.wisemusicclassical.com
1. Prelude: Crossbeam, nails
2. Stabat Mater dolorosa
Stabat Mater dolorosa iuxta crucem lacrimosa dum pendebat Filius
Cuius animam gementem contristatam et dolentem pertransivit gladius
3. Interlude: Pierced
4. O quam tristis
O quam tristis et afflicta fuit illa benedicta Mater Unigeniti
5. Quae moerebat et dolebat
Quae moerebat et dolebat et tremebat cum videbat nati poenas incliti
6. Quis est homo
Quis est homo qui non fleret Matri Christi si videret in tanto supplicio?
Quis non posset contristari Matrem Christi contemplari dolentum cum filio?
Vidit suum dulcem natum moriendo desolatum dum emisit spiritum
7. Eja Mater
Eia Mater, fons amoris, me sentire vim doloris fac ut tecum lugeam
Sancta Mater, istud agas, crucifixi fige plagas cordi meo valide
Tui nati vulnerati tam dignati pro me pati poenas mecum divide
8. Fac me vere tecum flere
Fac me vere tecum flere crucifixo condolere donec ego vixero
Iuxta crucem tecum stare -
The grieving Mother stood weeping beside the cross where her Son was hanging.
Through her weeping soul, compassionate and grieving, a sword passed.
O how sad and afflicted was that blessed Mother of the Onlybegotten!
Who mourned and grieved and trembled, looking at the torment of her glorious Child.
Who is the person who would not weep seeing the Mother of Christ in such agony?
Who would not be able to feel compassion on beholding Christ’s Mother suffering with her Son?
She saw her sweet offspring dying, forsaken, while He gave up his spirit.
O Mother, fountain of love, make me feel the power of sorrow, that I may grieve with you.
Holy Mother, grant that the wounds of the Crucified drive deep into my heart.
That of your wounded Son, who so deigned to suffer for me, I may share the pain.
Let me sincerely weep with you, bemoan the Crucified, for as long as I live.
To stand beside the cross with youFac ut portem Christi mortem -Grant that I may bear the death of Christ -
9. Fac me plagis vulnerari
Fac me plagis vulnerari -
Let me be wounded with his woundsInflammatus et accensus - Inflame and set on fire -
10. Lullaby (from Lament świętokrzyski - Lament of the Holy Cross, anonymous)
Synku miły i wybrany, rozdziel z matką swoją rany.
A wszakom cię, Synku miły, w swem sercu nosiła,
Przemow k'matce, bych się ucieszyła, Bo już jidziesz ode mnie, moja nadzieja miła.
11. Quando corpus morietur
Quando corpus morietur fac ut animae donetur paradisi gloria. Amen.
My son, my chosen and beloved, Share your wounds with your mother. And because, dear son, I have always carried you in my heart,
Speak to your mother, to make her happy, Although you are already leaving me, my cherished hope.
When my body dies, grant that to my soul is given the glory of paradise. Amen.
Microtones 1/4 tones (50 cents): I i μ ˜ and 1/6 tones (31 cents): J j K k L l
Conductor
SWEEP (L-R or R-L): strings are de-synchronized and should ignore the notated rhythm. Make a sweeping gesture at a moderate speed across the ensemble (left to right or right to left, as indicated) - the musicians should perform their sound as the hand passes them. Try to create a clear spatial gesture, without going too slow.
Letter K
m. 142 transition
The tempo, dynamics, and singing style need to be controlled carefully, to avoid tiring of hearing the repeated high A in the soprano. Feel free to deviate from what is notated.
Very important that the bow slide emerge out of the previous note - that is, smooth transition from held note to bow slide. Bow slide should probably start while previous note is still being held. Same goes for the end of the piece, and mm. 283/5 (although this is coming from overpressure).
Strings
ST / SP Sul tasto / sul ponticello
Viol clef
Used for some extended techniques, to help make clear where on the instrument actions are taking place.
Dry R “dry” ricochet: muffle the strings with left hand, and bounce the bow on the string in one place, with enough force to silence the strike quickly (3-4 bounces). 3rd and 4th string (simultaneously). A very heavy stroke.
WB Pizz. “Woodblock” pizz. An extremely high, dry pizz. on the first string.
Bow sl.
Bow slide: slide the bow down the fingerboard, perpendicular to it. The upside-down viol clef is a guide for where the bow should be on the fingerboard. Sometimes, as in measure 142 or just before the end, a smooth transition (without a break) to the bow slide is desirable. In this case, the bow should start the slide during the dim., while the held note is still audible.
shudder sl. “shudder” slide: muffle strings with left hand, bounce the bow forcefully down the string, continue the gesture with a bow slide.. Played on 3rd and 4th string (simultaneously). Bow is not drawn.
splinter (grind) (If time, best performed on the back of the instrument, but can also be performed on the waist or the on the strings near the bridge.) While pressing the bow against the instrument, twist the bow so that the wood crosses the hair. Moderate/high pressure. Sound is like wood splintering.
“Mahler” port. A portamento often found in Mahler performances, where the slide connection between notes is not as loud as the notes themselves, and does not necessarily take place over the full duration indicated (this is different from normal glissando where the slide is as loud as the notes, and should last for the full duration).
OP Overpressure (“scratch” tone): use greater-than-normal bow pressure to create an effect towards white noise (not a creaking door sound). Usually used as the end of a transition from ordinary playing. In that case, the tone should become rougher and rougher - but try to avoid the bow stopping and starting (this happens with too much pressure too quickly - the exception is in the transition to “creak”).
creak (Coming from OP.) Draw the bow with increased pressure, similar to the stopping/starting effect not wanted in OP, however much slower, reducing the sound to single clicks or creaks, less than 1 per second per player
(though the rhythm is not controllable). 4th string. Do not imitate notated the dots above the staff, they are just a reminder of the technique (every player should be different).
Hum (Hum only, or hum and play.) Hum or hum while playing. Hum the small notes. If there are no small notes, hum the same notes as you play. Octaves can be transposed to match voice type. If someone has a bass voice, they can take the low octave, even though not written. If too difficult to hum and play different things, just hum the same as you play.
Nebenstimme: indicating the player has the secondary voice (used when it’s especially important, or not obvious).
Scoop (Cello solo only.) An expressive detail: begin the note slightly below and slide up into it.
Singers
Multiphon.(Soprano only.) Multiphonic: sing a multiphonic of your choosing related in some way to the notated note. The voice should sound scratchy, tired, like a quiet scream. Similar effect to overpressure in the strings, or a vocal “fry scream”. Breathing in while singing is another alternative solution.
Positions/ArmsMezzo: Two positions are required to sing from. Position 1 is normal, i.e. beside the ensemble (although Sop. and Mezzo should be farther away from each other than usual); position 2 is separated in space - for example down the aisle, behind most of the audience.
Scoop An expressive detail: begin the note slightly below and slide up into it.
Sop. optional At “H” the soprano is optional, primarily in case of fatigue - either for the Soprano or the audience - however can be removed for purely interpretive reasons.
Duration: ca. 30 min
STABAT MATER
1. Prelude: Crossbeam, Nails
Tyler Futrell
sweep (R-L) (Vln-Vla: Vlc/Cb. excluded)
(grind)
splinter (grind)
splinter (grind)
bow on
(beside 1st string) bow on waist/c-bout (beside 1st string) bow on
(beside 1st string)
senza vib. senza vib. senza vib. \ non-divisi non-divisi
Mezzo
Harps.
Vln. I
Vln. II
Vla.
Vlc.
Mezzo
Harps.
Vln. I
Vln. II
Vla.
Mezzo
Cb.
Harps.
Vln. I
Vln. II
Vla.
Vlc.
N.B. 2nd note sweeps in opposite direction
pauses, re-articulation between notes, not sustained - molto rit. such that by the end of the 2nd set of sweeps, the e ect is very audible.
* OP deteriorates into random single “creaks”: 1 per sec. (per player) - fermata ca. 30"
the creaking per player should be random, infrequent, such that the total rhyhtmic e ect is like that of popcorn popping when it starts slowing down. It should not sound like creaking doors or a stable of pigs! The music disintegrates.
continue sporadic “creaking”, less and less frequent (should be pitchless)
continue sporadic “creaking”, less and less frequent (should be pitchless)
continue sporadic “creaking”, less and less frequent (should be pitchless)
continue sporadic “creaking”, less and less frequent (should be pitchless)
continue sporadic “creaking”, less and less frequent (should be pitchless)
continue sporadic “creaking”, less and less frequent (should be pitchless)
continue sporadic “creaking”, less and less frequent (should be pitchless)
continue sporadic “creaking”, less and less frequent (should be pitchless)
continue sporadic “creaking”, less and less frequent (should be pitchless)
continue sporadic “creaking”, less and less frequent (should be pitchless)
Vln.
Vla.
www.wisemusicclassical.com
WH33670
ISBN 9788759826867
ISMN 9790661401025
