query -after Paul Mannfor solo piano (2021)
kurt rohde ripley dog face publishing ©2021
2 PERFORMANCE NOTES
The poem Query by Paul Mann informed the process of this piece.
I knew a language I'd never heard & answered in it & nothing I said was true
The tempo undulates from measure to measure and is based on the opening metronome marking of Q = 60. All other tempi, indicated by the specific metornome markings, follow a simple additive and subtractive mteric modulation process of a subdivision based on 7: -the quarter note rate gets faster by adding a single (or 2 or 3...) septuplet 16th to the central quarter value, or -the quarter note rate gets elongated by removing a single (or 2 or 3...) septuplet 16th to the central quarter value. The quarter pulsation sounds throught the piece. The meter changes are arranged in a mirroring sequence. They are not attached to the tempo changes. The top line temolo in the piano is a distilled retrograde of the piece of the music from beginning to end/right to left. Top part is a fast, fluttering, gossamer temolo throughout, and is always the the softest line. The rate of the pulsing quarter notes in the middle part gently flows and ebbs. These pulsations remain perfectly even within each measure, alternating R & L hands in order to play top & bottom parts. The bottom part is the most free. These grace notes are placed along the way, like small, rounded stones gently tossed into a pond.
3
query -after Paul Mann4
for solo piano (2021) Already in motion, imperceptably flowing and ebbing q = 60 [text**]
q = 47
q = 52.5
5 /4
4 4
q = 52.5
2 4
q = 60
4 4
2 4 a language
know I
5 &4
, œæ æ
4 4
˙æ æ
˙ 2 ææ 4
, b˙ ææ
b œæ æ
4 4 bbœœ œœ œœ œœ
n œœ
4 4
˙ ææ
2 4
pppp
5 & 4 bbœœ
Piano
œœ
œœ
œœ
4 4 bbœœ
œœ
œœ
œœ
2 4 bbœœ
œœ
œœ
œœ
œœ
2 4
œœ
pp
{
? 45
j nœ pp
j œ
4 4
bœ J
2 4
4 4
2 4
nœ
bœ
bœ
°
q = 52.5
6
2 /4
q = 47
5 4
I never
2 &4
q = 60
q = 52.5
4 4
and answered in
bœ ææ
˙æ æ
˙ 5æ 4æ
,
(pppp)
{
? 42
œœ
3 4
5 4 œœ
4 4
#˙ ææ
œœ
˙ ææ
3 4
it
#œ ææ
and
,æ ˙æ
4 #œ 4 ææ
3 4
(pppp)
4 4 œœ
4 4
heard
4 4
2 &4
q = 52.5
3 4
œœ
œœ
?
œœ
n œœ
œœ
mf
sub. pp œ J
5 4 j bœ poco f
œœ
#œ 3 #œ 4
œœ
3 4
j #œ
œœ
#œ œ 4 #œ #œ 4
œœ ##œœ
3 4
œœ
j
#œ J j œ
4 4
œJ
3 4
sub. pp nœ
** - Text part is meant as a guide for performance. Pianist is free to recite text in while playing piano part, or to not & use it as a guide. The spoken execution of text part is left to the discretion of the speaker. Rhythmic placement for the text should reflect the direct, searching quality of the text; duration is left to the discretion of the performer. Use a mic if speech is used.
5
q = 47
q = 42
q = 47
q = 52.5
q = 60
11
3 /4
5 4
4 4
nothing
I
3 æ & 4 ˙æ
2 4
said
was
b˙ æ
5 æ 4 ˙æ
4 4 true
2 4
œ ææ
(pppp)
? 43 #nœœ
œœ nœœ
5 4 œœ
œœ
œœ
(pppp)
b-œœ
œœ
4 bœœ 4
œœ
sub. f
{
#œ J
j nœ
? 43
5 4 #œj
œœ
bœœ
pp
sub. ppp
j œ
4 4
j œsub. f
q = 70
b œœ ææ
b˙ 4 œ ææ 4 ææ
,
4 ˙æ 4
2 bœ 4b œ
4 nbœœ 4
œœ
2 4
œœ
œœ
j bœ
4 4
j œ
j œ
pp
q = 52.5
q = 60
q = 47
16
2 4
/ bn ˙˙ ææ
bb œœ æ & æ
bœ ?b œ
œœ
4 4 # œœ , æ æ
2 4
œœ
œœ
bœ 2 bœ 4
pp
{
?
5 4
# ˙˙ 4 ææ 4
œœ
bœ 4b œ 4
##œœ ææ œœ
œœ
œœ
5 4
,√ ˙ ææ
˙˙ ææ
bœ 5b œ 4
œœ
√ ˙˙™™
piu pp
2 4 bœbœ
ppp
4 4
5 4
œ
piu pp nœ ppp
b œœ