query -after Paul Mann- for solo piano (2021)

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