the future is finite for wind quintet and double bass (2021-22) by Kurt Rohde

the future is finite for wind quintet and double bass (2021-22)

Comissioned for the 75th. Anniversary of the Chamber Music Conference, dedicated to and in honor of their pursuit of communal musicking & bringing beauty to life

1 - you have to start slow before you can go fast Plinth I 2 - Are you aware? What are you aware of? Plinth II 3 - Language is the Instrument of Thought Plinth III 4 - Language is the History of Thought Plinth IV - Now, Now... 5 - don't worry; you can always begin again

"In the morning, as her consciousness streamed in with the sun, a vision came to her, unbidden but not unwelcome: of the ends of things, the time between now and then, the world without her."

from "Wayward" by Dana Spiotta

PROGRAM NOTES (draft) What did you do when the world seemed to stop? We all did something. Even doing what we felt was nothing was something. The pandemic, which is now endemic, seemed to catch people by surprise. From the beginning, it felt to me that the pandemic was more than a virus that took over everything. It was a metaphor for our state of being (special thanks to Susan Sontag for her "Ilness As Metaphor," a book I re-read during the pandemic), reflecting all the thing everyone has grievances about. And there are a lot of people with a lot of grievances, many of them valid, with some more important than we were willing to realize. What I did when the world stopped was stop: Permission to not have to do, and really consider what was in front of me, in my future. The way I see my future is an anologue for the way I know my past; it feels fixed, clear in some places, opaque in others, altogether invisible for much of the rest, and in total beyond my control. My past is a metaphor for my vision of my future. And it is finite. The things that I am constantly consumed with when I make work return to me over and over and over, no matter how hard I try to rid myself of their infectious nature; they feel like a contagion to me, and I am pretty sure that at this point I will not fully recover from them. There is no vaccine or relief. These things are: how I remember my memories (Toni Morrison calls this rememory); the mechanisms of failure that inhabits the most mundane of tasks is filled with a potential for collapse;how little I have to say about my future; the only thing that I canbe present for is the present; hope. I like to think about how I make things. I like to think about how others make things, especially by those who are not musicians. I think about how the ways others do what they do (which is not what I do) can allow me of approaching new ways for me making work. It is important for me to understand as much as I can that is part of my creative acts...and then to say "fuck it - just fuck it all!" and do it. In many ways, my creative work is a metaphor for my lived life; trying really hard, preparing very intensively, allowing so much to come to bear, and hoping. I read Dana Spiotta's "Wayward" in the Summer 2021. It captures the experience of middle age, of being in the middle of somewhere unremarkable, of confronting the unremarkableness of one's life, the scary emptiness of one's future, and how the hope that keeps us (me) going in grounded in relationships, filled with grievances, and failure, and potential, and unforeseen joys, all things that makes what remains of my future something to look forward to. the future is finite is my first piece predominantly for woodwinds; I do not compose for winds mostly because I am not asked to do so. It was a delight and honor to have been asked to do this commission. I asked Don Crockett if I could add a double bass, and gratefully, he allowed it. This work, which alsts approximately 22 minutes, is designed with the following in mind: -using phrases that are the tite of the movements which obliquely connect with the music, but are meant as something to thing about that is both specific and abstracted, -movements that use canonic technique to build and assemble an affect & effect, -movements I call "plinths" that slowly build upon one another throughout the piece to create music that is central to the "point" of it all, -placing the players in locations throughout the concert space so that they have to communicate as best they can with one another in order to try to play together, ultimately making them come together onstage to play as one. I have no idea if any of this will work, but I hope it does make something happen.

PERFORMANCE NOTES 1 - you have to start slow before you can go fast Ensemble players stationed onstage; beginning is noisy and airy and explosive with slowly emerging patterns followed by canons in pairs (flute & bass/oboe & clarinet/bassoon & horn) Plinth I Two Trios; flute & oboe & clarinet/bassoon & horn & bass 2 - Are you aware? What are you aware of? solo bass establishes simple harmonic progression that is the foundaiton for the movement & parts of the rest of the piece; canons are distorted in nature, and are shared among bassoon & horn/flute & oboe & clarinet Plinth II begins with unison bendings among flute, clarinet & bassoon, interspersed with chorale from Plinth I, now extended; followed by improvisation solo horn, slowly moving to station in concert space 3 - Language is the Instrument of Thought unison winds, except for horn, who brings back horn call solo; end with solo flute as player moves to station in concert space Plinth III begins with solo bass, adding solo flute; the chorale from Plinth II returns, more elaborate, and ends with clarinet moving to station in concert space 4 - Langage is the History of Thought duo with oboe and bassoon; ending with oboe moving to station in concert space Plinth IV: Now, now... bass, flute, oboe, clarinet and horn play a line that is meant to be in unison, but given the distances it become heterophonic; end with solo bassoon, who moves to station in concert space; it might end up being a twisted "call & response" of sorts 5 - Don't worry; you can always begin again all the players are now at their stations in the concert space, surrounding the audience; they play a round that is meant to be genrated by distanced listening and reacting

ONSTAGE PLACEMENT OF PLAYERS Horn

Bassoon

Bass

Oboe

Flute

Clarinet

(stage) __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Audience | | | | \|/

CONCERT SPACE STATION PLACEMENT OF PLAYERS Bass

(stage) ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Bassoon

Audience | | | | \|/

Oboe

Horn

Clarinet

Flute

ABBREVIATIONS GENERAL ord. = in the ordinary manner nv = non vibrato

FOR WINDS ob = overblown; for flute only - player should try to produce maximum overtones on written fundamental; uses square notehead pizz. = pizzicato; for flute only; uses diamond notehead tongue ram = for flute only; sometimes extar "air" sound is asked for; uses X notehead stems without noteheads = whistle tones; for flute only air = blowing through the instrument in a manner that creates the volume and flexibility of a rishing air sound; these passages are unpitched; uses X notehead o • = indicates timbral trill; player should use the easiest, most effective fingering to creating a shimmering, oscillating effect on the written passages; microtonal inflections are allowed diamond noteheads = 1/2 air; player should play written notes using a lot of air into the mouthpiece/reed while also allowing much of the air to escape, creating a feeble, airy color to the written pitches XXX = indicates distortion of sound; this may be executed at the discretion of the player, using vibrato, pitch, air speed & volume -The flute, oboe, clarinet/bass clarinet and bassoon each have a single multiphonic they must play throughout the piece. The fingering for these multiphonic are given in the score & parts.

FOR BASS op = over pressure; uses square notehead sp = sul ponitcello msp = molto sul ponticello mst = molto sul tasto X notehead = cover strings with fingers/hand with slightly more pressure than is used for for harmonics; this will result in a "white noise" that has indeterminate pitch content XXX = indicates distortion of sound; this may be executed at the discretion of the player, using bow pressure, placement & speed, and/or left-hand placement or pressure

-Score is in C. -Unpitched clef is used for passages where pitch content is indeterminate; in these passages, players should still observe the register and contour indicated in their respective part. -Bass part is written using the usual octave transpositions regardless of clef. -Downward arrows between staves indicate that theplayers should coordinate the beginning of such sections. Coordination after beginning is loose and rhythmically not strict between the instrumental parts. -Microtonal accidentals are used in the typical manner. -Bending of pitched material, for winds in particular, has be written in manner that uses the most idiomatic practie for the individual instruments.

the future is finite for wind quintet and double bass (2020-2021)

SCORE IN C

1. you have to start slow before you can go fast

All players begin onstage. As the piece progresses, they will move to stations becoming situated throughout the performance space per diagram in performance notes; bass player remains onstage throughout. These stations should surround the audience. Players should have space to move freely as they will be moving from these starting positions onstage eventually ending up in the concer space. Once they are at their stations, players should have clear sightlines of one another so that they may visually coordinate with each other to play together. As the piece progresses, playing exactly together is not the point. Instead, listening, reacting, searching and finding one another is the goal. When "needed," playing together traditionally will be indicated in the score once that moment arrives....and departs again.

Clarion, as chaos towards calm towards entropy h = 54 - 60

ob Flute

ord.

° 2≈ & 2 6 ™™

tongue ram - air

≈ /

)

>v¿

fff

>v¿

6 ™™

)

fff

>v¿

multiphonic air

nœ ™ bœœ ™™

air 3

2 /2Ó

Oboe

¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ‰ > p

˙ ˙˙

/Œ

pp p

¯ï _ï Bb ïï C ï

multiphonic

B˙ bbB˙˙˙

? 22 Ó

Bass Clarinet in Bb

w w w w

pp R

air

ï ïï _ï ï ïï

multiphonic: 10

thwaping

2 Bassoon ¢ / 2 Y ™ >

‰

fff

¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿

¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ Œ

˙˙˙ # & ˙ #˙

pp pp

air

thwaping Horn in F

2 /2Y

ord.

Double Bass

¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ Œ p

¿¿

>≥6 6

¿¿

‰

multiphonic: 1234|2(B) D#

B>˙ ˜ ˙˙

ord. Fl.

ord. op

mst

¿¿

>≥6 ¿ ™™ 2 6 ¿™™ /2R

‰

Y™

tongue ram - air

° & œ

‰ /

tongue ram - air

≈ /

>v¿ >v¿

ord.

>v¿ >v¿ >v¿

n 6 ™™

)

>v¿

fff

>v¿

multiphonic air 3

Ob.

¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ Ó > p

‰

nœ ™ bœœ ™™

˙ ˙˙

3 3

/‰ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ >

pp p

B˙ bbB˙˙˙

? Ó B. Cl.

w w w w

w w w w ff multiphonic: 10

air Bsn.

<#>œœœ & ¢ œ <#> œ

‰ /

¿ ¿ ¿™ > >

¿ ¿

sub. p

¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ Œ

#˙˙˙ ™™™™ ˙ #˙ ™

ff 3

Hn.

r / ¿ ¿ ™™ >>

‰ ¿

-¿

¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ‰ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ‰

¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿

ord. mst

¿¿ Db.

¿¿

¿¿ ¿¿

¿¿

¿¿ J

¿¿ ™™

/ pp f

multiphonic: 1234|2(B) D# 7

B>˙ ˜˙ ˙

air

‰ Fl.

ord.

3 2 )™

≈

™ >v¿

>v¿ >v¿ >v¿ >v¿ >v¿ >v¿

b6 ™™ ff

2 Ó /2

fff

multiphonic air 3

3 3

Ob.

‰ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ‰ ¿ ¿ ¿ >

n˙ b˙˙

w 3 w 2 w

fff

˙ ˙˙ ˙

w™ 3 ™™ 2 w w™ w

Ó /

2 2

B. Cl.

œ ? œœ œ

Bœ bBœœ bœ

˙ ˙˙ ˙

2 2

fff pp multiphonic: 10

air

Œ Bsn.

Y™ >

¢/

air

w w ‰ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ & 23 #w w #w

fff

/Œ

2 2

fff

5 7

Œ Hn.

‰

¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ Œ

‰ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ Œ

3 2 ¿ >

¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿

^¿ ™™ ¿

Db.

‰

2 2

Y 3 >> 2 ¿ ¿ ‰ Y

/ ff

high bounce ord. - 1/2 clb ^

YY^ ™™

fff

msp

^¿ ¿

fff

2 2

rit.

= multiphonic: 1234|2(B) D#

B>˙ ™™ ˜ ˙˙ ™™™™

tongue ram - air Fl.

air

° 2 /2

tongue ram - air

‰ >v¿ >v¿ >v¿

tongue ram - air

‰

™ >v¿

>v¿

˙ ˙˙ Œ

>v¿ >v¿ >v¿ >v¿ >v¿ >v¿ >v¿

>v¿ >v¿

ff air 3

3 3

2 /2

Ob.

‰ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ ‰ ¿ ¿ ¿ >

j ¿ Y >

Œ™

Œ ¿

¿ Y

B. Cl.

˙ ? 22˙˙ ˙

sffz mf

p ff Clarinet in A To Cl. in A

∑

∑ &

, Bsn.

2 ¢/ 2

-¿

™ -Y

Y™

-¿

™ -Y

-¿

f 6

2 /2

Hn.

Db.

¿ ¿ ¿ ¿

2 /2

Œ Y

ord.

>≥6 ¿ ™ 6 ¿™

¿¿

mp mst

¿¿

¿¿ ¿¿ YY™™

¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿

Ó ff

= 14

air

U Œ

° Œ Fl.

Ob.

Ó™

‰Ó

‰

∑

Y™

/ ¿¿¿¿ >v >v >v >v

>v¿ >v¿ >v¿ >v¿ >v¿ >v¿ >v¿

/ Y™

>v¿

>v¿ Ó

12 4

U Y

∑

& pp

12 4

air

Ó Bsn.

¢ / -¿ -¿ -¿ -¿

Œ Ó

U ∑

12 4

U Y

12 4

mp mf 6 3

Ó Hn.

/ ¿ ¿ ¿ ¿ Y

∑

p high bounce - 1/2 clb Db.

/ Ó

mst

‰ ¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿ ‰ ‰ ¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿ Œ . . . . . >> . . . . >> f

Œ ¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿ ¿¿ ‰ Œ ‰ ¿¿ ¿¿ Œ . . >> >> mp

YY™™ mp

¿¿ YY

¿¿ U Œ o

& ‹

12 4

Patiently reactive, responding, receiving, transmitting h. = 42/ q = 126 [3 accordion mirror canons in pairs] nv 5

Fl.

° 12 &4

∑™

œ- œ œ œ œ- œ œ-

œ- ˙mp

pp air Bsn.

12 ¢/ 4

Ó™

Ó -¿ -¿ -¿ -¿ p

Y™

™ -Y

air Hn.

12 / 4

™ -Y

¿ -¿ -¿

p mst

msp

ord

mst oo

ooooo o œo œo œo œo œo œo œo œo œo œo œo œo œo œo œo œo œo œo œo -œo -œo -œo œ œ5 œ o o o œ 12 Ó™ &4 -œ œ 5 3 ‹

ooo 5 -œo œ œ œ Ó™ -œ œ

Db.

œo -œo -œo

œ œ

= fff 23 5 5

Fl.

° ¢& ˙ ™

Ó™ œ- œ œ œ œ- œ œ-

Ó™

˙™

œ- ˙-

#œ- œ œ œ œ- œ œ-

œ- ˙mp

+1 at before

∑™

Ú Hn.

Ó™

-¿ -¿ f

Db.

mst

ord

#wo

œo -œo -œo

IV sim

o o o o o 5 -œo œ œ œ Ó™ œ œ

& ‹

o #w

o o o œ œ- œ-

o o o o5 o o œ- œ- œ œ Ó™ œ

pp pp

= 25

-œ œœ œ œœ œ -

Fl.

° & <#>˙ ™

Ó™ #œ- œ œ œ œ- œ œ-

˙™

œ- ˙-

Ó™

œ ˙ - -

pp 5

softer than flute & bass; airy, ghostly MIGHT KEEP BS. CL. for this

Ú Cl.

Ó™

Ó œ ˙™

œ-

ppp +1 to after Bsn.

™ ¢/ Ó

™ -¿ -¿ -¿ -Y p

Hn.

/ Y™

¿ -¿ -¿ Œ

Ó™

Œ ¿ -¿ -¿ -Y p

o o o o o III Db.

o o o œ œ œ - -

o w & ‹ pp

o 5 œ œ œ œ Ó™ - œ œ

œo -œo -œo

-œo -œo œo œo œo œo Ó™ 5

= 27 5 5

Fl.

° & ˙™

œnœ œ œ œ œ œ -

Ó™

- œ ˙

˙™

œ œ œ œ -œ -œ œ-

Ó™

-œ -˙

pp mp

Ó Cl.

¢& œ- œ- œ- œ- œ œ œ œ

˙™

#œ

#œ # œ- œ- œ- œ- œ- œ œ œ œ

ppp

œo -œo -œo

-œo -œo œo œo o o

III

œo -œo -œo

Ó™ Db.

& ‹

œ œ 5

ooooo 5 -œo œ œ œ ™ Ó œ œ pp

9 5

Fl.

° & ˙™

œ œ œ- œ œ- œ œ-

Ó™

˙™

œ- œ ˙-

mp softer than flute & bass; airy, ghostly (match clarinet)

-œ œ -œ œ -œ œ œ

Ó™

Ú Ob.

œ œ œ- œ œ- œ-

Ó™ ˙-

œ-

-œ

-œ w

œ-

& 5

ppp 5

Œ Œ Cl.

& <#> ˙ ™

# œ-

œ-

œ- œ-

œ ˙™ œ- œ œ œ œ

œ-

œ- œ-

+2 to after

ppp 3

∑™ Bsn.

Ó™

¢/

-¿ -Y

-¿ -¿ p

Ó™

Ó -¿ -¿ -¿ -¿ -¿

+2 to before 3

Ó™ Hn.

∑™

Œ Ó™

™ -¿ -¿ -¿ -¿ -¿ Y

-Y

-¿ -¿

o oooo -œ œ œ Ó™ -

oooo -œo œ œ ™ Ó œ œ

II Db.

o w & ‹

-œo

œo

-œo

œo -œo œo -œo

# wo

pp œ

= 31

Fl.

° & ˙™

- bœ œ œ œ œ œ

Ó™

- œœ˙

˙™

#-œ œ œ œ -œ œ -œ

˙ Œ Ó™ Ob.

-œ

-œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ - -

Ó™

-œ -œ #˙ ™

#-œ œ œ œ -œ œ -œ

˙ Ó™

& 5 5

ppp

5 5

œ œ Ó Cl. ¢& œ- œ œ

Ó œ

˙™

œ-

Ó œ

œ- œ- œ- œ- œ œ œ œ

˙™

ppp ppp

o o ooo -œ œ œ Ó™ pp n œ œ

III

œo -œo œo -œo

n wo Db.

& ‹ pp mp

o oœ -œo œo -œo œo -œo œo o œo Ó™ -œ œ

wo pp

= 33

Fl.

° & ˙™

-œ œ œ œ œ- œ- œ œ- œ ˙-

Ó™

œ œ #œ- œ œ- œ œ- œ œ-

Ó™

˙™

œ ˙-

pp pp mp

#-œ -œ œ ˙™

-œ œœ œ œœ œ œ œ œ - - -

˙ Œ

Ob.

Ó™

Œ ˙™

p 5

ppp 5

Ó Cl.

& ˙

œ- œ- œ- œp

œ- œ œ œ œ

ppp

˙™

ppp

œ-

œ œ Ó œ- œ œ ppp +3 to after

∑™

Ú Bsn.

Ó™

¢/

-¿ p +3 to before 3

∑™

Ú Hn.

™ -¿ -¿ -¿ -¿ -¿ -¿ -¿ -¿ -¿ Y f

II Db.

& ‹

#wo

œo -œo œo -œo

œo

o oooo -œ œ œ Ó™ œ œ pp

III

wo pp

oooo oœ -œo œo -œo œo -œo œo œ œ Ó™ mp œ œ pp

10 35

Fl.

° & <#>˙ ™

-œ œ œ œ œ- œ œ- œ œ- œ ˙-

Ó™

Ó™ ˙™

nœ-

œ- œ œ- œ œ- œ œ- œ™

Ob.

-œ œœ œ œœ œ œ

& Ó™

˙™

-œ œ -œ œ œ -œ œ -œ œ œ

-œ œ

Œ Ó™

Cl.

& Ó œ ˙™

œ-

œ œÓ œ- œ- œ œ- œ

Ó bœ

˙™

œ-

Bsn.

¢ / -¿ -¿ -¿ Y ™ ff

Ó™

Œ Hn.

Ó -¿ -¿ -¿ -¿ -¿ -¿ -¿ -¿ -¿

Ó™

/ -¿ -¿ -¿ -Y ff

o -œo œo -œo œo -œo œo -œ œo o o

œo

n wo

#wo

o o o œo œo -œ œ -œ

Ó™ Db.

& ‹

œo

-œo œo -œo œo Ó™

œ œ pp

= 37

Fl.

° & ˙™

-œ Ó™ #œ- œ œ- œ œ- œ œ-

˙™

œ œ- œ™

˙™

˙ Œ

Ob.

-œ œ -œ œ -œ œ ˙

Ó™

-œ œ -œ œ œ -œ œ -œ -œ œ ˙™ œ œ

Ó™

˙ Ó™

Cl.

¢& b œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Ó - - - -

Ó œ

˙™

œ œÓ œ- œ- œ- œ œ- œ œ- œ

Ó œ

I Io

o o o o o o o o œo œo -œ œ -œ œ -œ œ -œ œ ™ Ó

w Db.

& ‹

o o o o o o œo œo -œ œ -œ œo -œ œ -œ

n wo

Ó™

= 39

Fl.

° ˙™ &

-œ œ -œ œ -œ œ -œ œ ˙ Ó™

Ó™ nœ- œ œ- œ œ- œ œ- œ ˙

Ob.

- - - & œ- œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ

˙™

b -œ œ œ œ -œ ˙ Œ

œ- œ œ- œ œ- œ œ-

œ œÓ œ- œ

¢& ˙™

III wo

& ‹ p

-œ œ -œ œ -œ œ œ

˙™

-œ œ -œ œ -œ œ -œ œ

Ó p mf

o o o o o o o œo œo -œ œ -œ œ -œ œ -œ Ó™

Db.

Ó™

#œ ˙ ™ Cl.

o w p

o o o o o o o o o œ œ œ- œ œ- œ œ- œ œmf

Ó™