Studies I and II For soprano and electronics
February 2019
Shu-Yu Lin
Program note These two studies are sound experiments. They are inspired by the poem “Requiem for Beauty” by Gao Xingjian. The text used in the studies consisted of selected lines from the translated version, by Gilber C. F. Fong, of the poem, except the line ‘gao su wo men!’, which is a transliteration of the Chinese original text ‘
’, which means ‘tell us’ in English. There is no literal reason for
choosing certain lines from the poem. I select them mainly for their potentials to be used as part of the music. Extended vocal techniques, electronics and theatrical elements complement each other. Vocal techniques allow me to explore the sound of the text and use them flexibly. For example, they can be used to go through a few lines very quickly, or elongate a syllable. These elements work with electronics, which is also able to shorten and extend the duration of a sound. The piano plays clusters and is used as ‘reverberation box’, with one speaker aiming into the piano. Electronics diffuses for immersive experience through 8 speakers, with 2 placing on the left and the right of the stage and 6 surrounding the audience. The theatrical elements further reinforce the dramatic nuance. For example, soprano walks to positions in the hall to sing beside the speaker. Multicolor flashlight provides visuals of the movements of the mouth while soprano sings. The three forces, voice, electronics and theatrical elements work together to bring out my interpretation of the poem.
Explanatory notes Soprano
inhale exhale
spoken
speaking-singing (Sprechstimme) singing-speaking (more voiced than Sprechstimme)
Whisper
Shouting
murmur/ mouth nearly closed
unvoiced
half-voiced
voiced
Step on button 3 to modify diffused voice to tenor
Step on button 3 again to stop voice modification
P1 refers to position 1 in the hall. P2 refers to position 2 etc. STAGE refers to original position on stage.
Piano
Electronics
Press button 1 on synthesizer to allow soprano voice project into piano through speaker. Press button 1 on the synthesizer again to stop the speaker projects sound into the piano
Press button 1 on midi controller
Link to script: https://github.com/shuyulin/studiesIandII Technical specification Studies I: Akai APC mini Akai MPK mini 1 dynamic microphone 1 condenser microphone 9 speakers Laptop computer running SuperCollider Programming environment Audio interface with at least 9 outs and 1 ins Studies II: Akai APC mini Akai MPK mini Akai LPD 8 ActitionN 4 button midi foot pedal 1 dynamic microphone 1 condenser microphone 9 speakers Laptop computer running SuperCollider Programming environment Audio interface with at least 9 outs and 1 ins Props Multicolor flashlight, contains blue, yellow, red and white lights
Stage plan P1 refers to position 1 in the hall. P2 refers to position 2 etc. stage refers to original position on stage.
STAGE piano soprano mic 2 sp 9
speaker 1
stage
mic 1
sp 3
sp 4
electronics P1
P6
sp 5
sp 6
AUDIENCE
P5
sp 7 P4
sp 2
P2
sp 8 P3
Studies- I Shu-Yu Lin
F
q = 60
4 &4 r
choppy
Soprano
...
The Street is bright and illuminated, Heavy traffic, vehicles in an unending stream,
4 &4
Piano
1
?4 4>
r
norm.
r
...
...
But there's no sense of humanity, This jungle of concrete and steel,
!
!
!
!
1 ~recStart
Electronics
1 [ ~bar1 (by pianist)
&r
3
S
...
Countless glass panes,
peo - ple
... dark a ----- by --
A city built with money, Standing tall within the
!
!
?
!
!
3
(~recStart)
Elec.
signs of
3
&
3
Pno.
Yet no
‚ ‚ ‚
r
(~bar1 by pno)
2
"
5
S
&
‚
----------------------------- ss
&
!
?
!
5
Pno.
·
to whisper
b n œœ
F b œœ
Œ
Ó
b œœ
# œœ
# n œœ
n b œœ
b œœ
# n œœ
5
(~recStart) (~bar1 by pno)
Elec.
S
&
7
Pno.
& ?
b n œœ b œœ
b œœ # n œœ
7
(~bar1 by pno)
Elec.
6 4
!
7
# œœ b œœ
n b œœ # n œœ
46 6 4
4 4
! b n œœ
b œœ
b œœ # n œœ
# œœ n b œœ
"
b œœ # n œœ
Œ
Œ
Œ
Πrelease
44 &
4 4
3
F r Ñ
4 &4
9
S
r Ñ
...
The gracefulness of movements,
No more will we see the azure sky, Even the immense see has been polluted,
4 & 4 # # wwww F b ww 4 b www &4
9
Pno.
...
wwww
wwwww
release
9
(~bar1 by pno)
Elec.
11
S
&
f
œ¿.
The blithe
œ
¿.
s -------- pi ----------------------- ri --------- t
& # www F
11
Pno.
œ
mouth normal speaking shape
& b www
, F Kr . . .
mouth shape exaggerated
The look that stirred our hearts, The exquisite image that capured our souls, All have become as distant as memories,
j œœœ
‰
1 off when soprano breath
j œœœ
‰
11
(~bar1 by pno)
Elec.
]
Œ
Ó
Œ
Ó
4
S
eyes wide open, lean backward, dramatic
S F 13 œ & > ¿ ¿ ¿
"F
Li ------ sten
j œ & # # œœ ‰ > S j œ & # œœ ‰ œ >
13
Pno.
Beauty
hold breath
Œ
7
is no more just like
o p F to whis per ·
tha ----------------------------------------
Œ
Ó
!
Œ
Ó
!
13
2 off
2 ~bar13
Elec.
15
S
"
& ‚
Œ
--------------- t
& Ó.
15
Pno.
b b œœ p b œœ
& Ó. 15
4 ~bar15GrainRec1
Elec.
Ó
3 off
˙˙ .. ˙˙ ..
3 ~bar14Left ~bar14Right
!
b œœ b œœ
5
!
17
S
&
17
Pno.
& &
˙˙ ..
! # œœ
˙˙ ..
F n b œœœ
˙˙ ..
# # œœœ
" œ
˙˙˙ ...
17
(~bar15GrainRec1)
Elec.
19
S
&
19
Pno.
& &
˙˙˙ ... ˙.
!
b œœ
F # œœœ
˙˙ .. Ó. ˙˙˙ ... Ó.
!
œœ b œ b b œœœ
19
(~bar15GrainRec1)
Elec.
4 off
6
!
21
S
&
21
Pno.
&
˙˙ .. œ
˙ & w
Œ
j œ Ó Ó
ƒ F bœ > ‰
How
could
ƒ F œ >
that
be
1
œ J
‰
Œ
Ó
Elec.
S
& ·.
"
Œ
----------------------------------------- le
& Ó.
Œ
& Ó.
Œ
23
Pno.
23
Elec.
release
p
‚
po ------ ssi --------- b ----------------
!
21
23
ƒ F bœ >
Studies- II Shu-Yu Lin
o p
q = 60
4 &4
Soprano
f
‰
œ fl gao su
j #œ
4 & 4 # # œœ S> ? 4 >œœ 4
Piano
p
to half voiced
wo
f n œ¿ fl men
‰
!
‰
Œ
Ó
!
‰
Œ
Ó
!
lift at the same time when soprano pronounce 'men'
1 ~recStart
Electronics
2 ~bar1Sop ~bar1Sop2
ƒ # >¬ . b3
!
3
S
& &Ó
Œ
?Ó
Œ
3
Pno.
n # # œ>œ œ
–
˘–
te ------------------------------------------------ ll us
b œœ ® œ ® ‰ œ. # n n œœ. œ p . ® b œœœ ® ® ‰
‰
S # # œœœ ‰ >
Œ
Ó
Œ
Ó
3
Elec.
~bar1Sop ~bar1Sop2
3 ~recStart2 2 off
4 ~bar4SopButton4 5 [ ~bar4forSopB3
]
2
!
!
&
!
!
?
!
!
b3 off
5
S
&
5
Pno.
?
5
6 ~bar5GrainRec2
Elec.
(~bar4SopButton4)
4 off
S
& ?Ó
Œ
?Ó
Œ
7
Pno.
f j
!
7
7
# # # www
His
œœœ ® # n b œœœ ® ‰ . . F ® œ.
® ®
‰
& &
... face
" www
7 ~bar8Sop
Elec.
(~bar5GrainRec2)
6 off
beaming
with
... a
j
smi ---
3
p
9
S
&
9
Pno.
& &
œœœ
---------------- le
œœœ
walk to P1 get flash light ready, color red
Œ
Ó
!
Œ
Ó
!
Œ
Ó
!
?
release 9
8 ~bar9Gran
Elec.
8 off
(~bar8Sop)
7 off
P1 flash light on- red light face under chin
F flash light off # ‰ Ó # œ œ œ & > ¿ ¿ > bœ œ
walk to P2 get flash light ready- color blue
11
S
Don't un---- der -- stand
11
Pno.
& œ b # œœ S> ? œ œ >
‰
Œ
Œ
‰
Œ
&Œ
!
# œ>œ > # ‰ . # # œœ
!
S 6
‰.
!
# œœ # > 6
11
9 ~bar12Playback
Elec.
?
4 P2 flash light on- blue light right cheek toward P6 to create shadow
F ¿ & œ
13
S
œ¿
3
What are
you
3
j
tal ---------- king
j
3
p ‚
·.
A ------------- bou -------------------------------------------------------- t
13
Pno.
" flash light off Œ
& ww b ww F ? w ww
˙˙˙˙ ... .
œ
˙˙ .. ˙.
&‰ release
p #œ
13
9 off
Elec.
P3
15
S
&
& n # ˙˙ œ ‰ & œ Œ
15
Elec.
f
walk to P3 get flash light ready- color yellow
15
Pno.
flash light on- yellow light right cheeck toward P6
!
b œ n¿˙ œ
Do
n # œ‰œ
œ #œ ‰
nœ
œ
œ
‰ # # # ˙˙˙˙˙ ... # œ # œ œ . œ f ? # ˙˙ .. Œ ˙. 3
you
know
to spoke n
o
flash light off on 'that'
that
‰
Œ Œ
lift on 'that'
5 P4 flash light on- white light left cheeck toward P1
S
!
&
œ
Beau --------- ty
&
!
?
!
17
Pno.
f #œ
walk to P4 get flash light ready- color white
17
?
" ‚
‚
‚
‚
ha ----------------------------------- s
# # ww p
ww
17
10 ~panPianoWithSop
Elec.
19
S
o
& ·
P5 turn flash light to color red
d to voice
F œ
-------------------------------------- n
? Ó
19
Pno.
? Ó 19
(~panPianoWithSop)
Elec.
# # ˙˙˙
F # # ˙˙
‰
Œ
flash light off walk to P6 get flash light ready- color blue
!
www ww
walk to P5
‚
be ------------
6 P6
& ? ˙˙˙
Ó
? ˙˙
Ó
lift hands, L.H. damp C strings
21
Pno.
F
!
21
S
flash light on- blue light face under chin
&
œ >
œ >
œ >
p
œ >
œ
‚
‰
.
an --------- ni --------- hi -------- la ---------------------- te -------- d
œ+ p
œ+
œ+
œ+
Œ
œ+
!
‰
lift on '-d'
21
(~panPianoWithSop)
10 off
Elec.
23
S
& ?
23
Pno.
?
n # œœ œ
F
œ bœ
flash light off walk back to stage position
!
freeze, keep lighting
œ
&n
!
!
# œœ n œ #œ
œ #œ
‰ œ œ œ #œ #œ œ #œ p ww n # ww
23
Elec.
11 ~bar24Playback
?
7
S
& Ó. & # œœœ n œ Ó f ? ˙˙ ˙Ó
25
Pno.
p ‚
$ ‰ ‚ #œ #œ
stage
25
œ
Œ b˙ subito p b˙ Œ
#œ
‚
·
‚
˙˙˙
Ó
Te ----- ll u -------------------------------------------- s
# œœ
Œ Œ
˙ ˙
œ
&
Ó
" #œ
25
11 off
Elec.
27
S
&
27
Pno.
& &
freeze
‰
œ
w
˙.
!
! ? ?
Œ ‰ Œ
w
# ˙˙ ..
#œ "
‰
27
Elec.
12 ~bar27Playback
13 ~bar28Playback 12 off
&
œ
˙
&
8
29
S
&
#w & Π"
#˙.
29
Pno.
& ‰ Œ
œ
˙. ‰
!
œ
29
Elec.
13 off
relax
# ˙˙ ..
˙
˙. ˙.
! Œ Œ