Howcanacontemporarycomposerusefilmtoenhancemusic?

PhilDavison

Scores,Audio-VisualMaterialsandExegesisSubmittedinfulfilmentoftherequirementsofthedegreeof

DoctorofMusicalArtsUniversityofOtago,

Dunedin,NewZealand

Volume2:ScoresandAudio-VisualMaterials

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INTRODUCTIONThisdocumentispresentedtoclarifyandcontextualizetheresearchthatconstitutesthisDMAportfolio.Theresearchispresentedintwovolumes.Volume1describesthetheoreticalbackgroundandconceptsthatunderpintheresearch,aswellasdescribingthecreativeprojects.Volume2(thisdocument)containsscoresthatwereusedinthecreationofsomeoftheworksreferredtointhisdocumentandaudio-visualmaterials.

ThisdocumentcontainsscoresforTwentyNocturnesandtwopiecesfromtheconclusiontoDealin’withtheDevil,(scoredforgospelsinger,stringquintetandgospelchoir):WheretheseaMeetstheSkyandLittleBitofHeaven.

TherearenoscoresforBoilerPointortheothermusicinDealin’withtheDevilsincethesepieceswerecreatedwithoutnotation.

TheaudioandvideofilesthatrelatetothesescoresaresuppliedasdiscsandareduplicatedonaUSBflashdriveandasonlinelinks.

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TableofContents

Introduction ii

TableofContents iii

Audio-visualMaterials iii

USBFlashDrive iv

1. TwentyNocturnes 1

1.1. PerformanceNotes 22. TwentyNocturnes(draftversion) 283. GospelConcertScores 57

3.1. WheretheSeaMeetstheSky 58

3.2. LittleBitofHeaven 61

Audio-VisualMaterials

AudioCDs

PhilDavison:TwentyNocturnes(firstiteration)

Dr.Marigaux:SnakeOil

Dr.Marigaux:SonofDust

Dr.Marigaux:Grit

DVDs

BoilerPoint/TwentyNocturnes(seconditeration)

Dealin’withtheDevil

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Audio-VisualMaterialsonUSBFlashDriveAccompanyingthisdocumentisaUSBFlashDrivethatcontainsalloftheaudioandvideofilesreferredto.TheaudioandvideofilesfromtheCDsandDVDsmentionedaboveareduplicatedonthisdrive.

Thefolderstructureispresentedbelow

audio_only(folder)

o grit(foldercontainingaudiofiles)

o sonof_dust(foldercontainingaudiofiles)

o snake_oil(foldercontainingaudiofiles)

o twenty_nocturnes-1st_iteration(foldercontainingaudiofiles)

examples(folder)

o chapter_5-2.2(folder)

1st_midnight.mp3

2nd_midnight.mp3

1st_night_in_hospital.mp3

2nd_hospital_at_night.mp3

o chapter_5-4-3d(folder)

hieronymous.mp4

o chapter_5-5-3a(folder)

hazel_marigaux_draft.mp4

o chapter_5-5-4(folder)

dust.mp4

planting_skip_james.mp4

o chapter_5-4-6b(folder)

why.mp4

films(folder)

o boiler_point.mov

o dealin_with_the_devil.m4v

o twenty_nocturnes.mov

pdf(folder)

o pd_exegesis_vol1.pdf

o pd_exegesis_vol2.pdf(thisdocument)

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1. TwentyNocturnesThispieceispresentedintwoiterations.

Thefirstiterationcomesfromatwo-dayrecordingsessioninMaramahallwhereIcomposedandrecordedthepieces.IsatatthepianoexperimentinguntilIfoundaninterestingideaandthenrecordedmyperformance.ThisprocessisdiscussedindetailinVolume1(5.2.1).Thisiterationpresentedasanaudio-onlyCD,andhasnoscores.

SubsequentlyInotatedtheseperformancestomaketheseconditeration.Thenotationprocessinvolvedconsiderablerevisionandre-composition.TheresultingscoreswerethenrecordedbypianistTomMcGrath.ThisprocessisdescribedindetailinVolume1(5.2.2)TheresultingrecordingswerethenusedinthefilmTwentyNocturnes.

Thescoresinthisdocumentwerethescoresusedtomaketherecordingsheardinthefilm(seconditeration),nottheaudio-onlyCD(firstiteration).

Thepiecescanbeperformedlive,withorwithoutvideo.Notesareprovidedbelowonhowthevideoshouldbeprojected.Howeverforthepurposesofthisportfolio,thefilmTwentyNocturnesontheUSBdriveandonDVDshouldberegardedasthedocumentofthework.

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1.1. PerformanceNotes

PhilDavison

TwentyNocturnesForAmplifiedPiano

Thesepiecesrequireaveryexpressiveplayer.Alltheexpressionanddynamicindicationsshouldbetakenasexamplesonly.Theperformerneedstopenetratetotheemotionalheartofthepieces,andthentheycanplaythepiecesastheyfeelthem.Ifyouneedthedynamicindicationswrittendownyouareprobablynottheidealperformerforthesepieces.Ifyoupenetratetotheheartofthepiece,mistakesareimpossible.

Thepieces,especiallythosewithoutbarlines,needtoberegardedasZenkoans,oraspuzzles.Thereisnosinglecorrectsolution.Dynamicandexpressionmarks,andevennotedurationsareintendedascluestohelptheperformersolvethepuzzle,notasrulesthatmustbefollowed.Thedynamicmark“sim.”meansthattherearenomorecluesprovidedandtheperformermustfindtheirownsolutions.

Thatsaid,ingeneral,isolatedhighnotesaretobeplayedveryloudly.Theintentistomaketheotherstringsresonatesympathetically.Isolatedhighnotesplayedƒƒƒorevenƒƒƒƒ,withthesustainpedalhelddown,canhaveasurprisinglycalmeffect.

Manyofthepiecesindicatethatthesustainpedalshouldbehelddowntomaximizetheeffectofsympatheticresonance,andliftingthepedalsuddenlyduringthesepieceswillbeproblematic.Wheretherearenopedalindications(andevenwherethereareupanddownindications)theperformershouldregardthepedalasanexpressivetooltobeusedastheyseefit.

Inpieceswithoutbarlines,accidentalsareappliedtoeachnotealthoughcourtesynaturalsignsareusuallyprovidedtoavoidanyconfusion.

Thescoreswithoutbarlinesarelaidoutgraphically.Notesthatarepositionedclosetogetheronthepageshouldbeperformedcloselytogether.

Asfaraspossibleeachsystemcontainsasinglemusicalidea.

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AmplificationItisintendedthatthepianoisclose-mic’dandamplified.Theamplifiedsoundneedstobecompressedandenvelope-shapedtoremovealltheattack.Thepurposeofthisistoamplifythesympatheticresonanceonly.Theaudienceshouldheartheattackfromthepianoacoustically,withthesympatheticresonancesubtlyreinforced.Theoveralleffectoftheamplificationshouldbesubtle.

LiveperformancewithvideoThereisafilmversionofthesepieces.Eachpieceofmusicispairedwithavideoimagethatrelatestothemusiconanemotionallevel.Thevideoimagesarepreciselyeditedtotheaudiorecording.

Thesepiecescanbeperformedwithvideoprojectedonascreenaboveorbehindtheperformer.Thisrequiresaprojectionisttore-synchthevideobetweeneachpiecesothatthepianistcanfocusonthedeliveringthebestperformancewithoutworryingabouttheamountoftimetaken.

Theprojectionistneedstohaveavideofilepreparedthathasextendedvideoclips:eachvideoclipneedstobeatleastoneminutelongerthantheversioninthefilm.Theprojectionistshouldfollowthescore,andwhenthepianistreachestheendofeachpieceshouldadvancethefilmtothenexttitlecard,thusallowingthevideotoremaininsynchwiththemusicwithoutrequiringthepianisttoworryaboutprecisetiming.

Inthefilmversiontherearemanymusicalgesturesthatrelateexactlytoeventsonthescreen.Inaliveperformancethiswillnotbepossible.Itismoreimportantforthepianisttofocusonperformingthepieceswithasmuchempathyaspossiblethantoworryaboutsynchronizingmusicalgestureswiththevideo.Themainemphasisneedstobeonthepianistcommunicatingtheessenceofthemusictotheaudience:iftheperformerfindstheyareworryingaboutvideosynchronizationtheyshouldfocusonthemusic,andletsynchronicitytakecareofthesynchronization.

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1.2. TwentyNocturnes(draftversion)ThescoresthatfollowarethefirstdraftofthescoresfortheTwentyNocturnes,andarepresentedasformativeworkonly.

Ipreparingthescoresitseemedtomethatthescorescontainedtoomuchinformation,andthattheessenceofthesepieceswasbettercommunicatedtoaperformerwithminimalinformation.ThisdecisionisdiscussedindetailinVolume1(5.2.2).Thescoresbelowshowthefirstdraftofthescores,beforeIremovedasmuchperformanceinformationasIcould.

Notealsothatsomeofthetitleshavebeenchangedinresponsetothevideoimagerythatisintendedtosupportthemusic.ThisisdiscussedinVolume1(5.2.3).

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2. GospelConcertScoresThescoresbelowarethescoresfortwopiecespresentedinthegospelconcertneartheendofDealin’WiththeDevil(beginningat1:26:08and1:31:05).

Thescoresarewrittenforspecificperformers:AnnaBowenandCraigMonk(violin).AlanStarret(viola)PamelaSeccombe(cello)JohnDodd(uprightbass)andtheSoundsNor’EasterlychoirconductedbyClairAdams.TheviolinpartsarelabeledViolinAandViolinC(forAnnaandCraig)sincethepartswereneverconceivedasbeingforViolinsIandII,butratheraspartsfortwoindividuals.

Theleadvocalpartwaswrittenformyself,anddoesnotcontainmuchinformation.IusedthescorestoprovideareliablebackdropthatIcouldimproviseagainst.InperformanceIknewthatIcouldnotaffordtoreadfromapart,sincethiswouldleadtoastiltedperformance,andIknewthatIcouldprovideamoreenergeticperformanceifIwasapproachingthematerialinafreshmannerwitheachperformance.ThisisdiscussedinVolume1(5.3.5).

Itisnotintendedthatthesescoresaretobeusedbyotherperformersorthattheconcertberepeated.Thedocumentoftheperformanceisthefilm:thesescoresaretoolsusedtocapturetheperformanceonthefilmratherthanrepresentinganidealizedformofthemusic.

ThepiecesarediscussedindetailinVolume1(5.3.5dand5.3.5fe).

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2.1. WheretheSeaMeetstheSky

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2.2. LittleBitofHeaven

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