An Other Trio

An Other Triofor Violin, Viola, and Throat-singing Trumpet

PETER JAMES LEARN

An Other TrioThis work was composed for and premiered by members of University of Miami's Other Music Ensemble,

Philippe Brunet, Abby Young, and Marcela Fernandez. It is dedicated to them.

PERFORMANCE NOTES:This work requires that the trumpet player throat-sing, with a fundamental range of B-flat to F below the bass clef staff and the ability

to produce the 4th through 9th partials. The trumpet player will also be asked to sing while playing. If any sung pitches fall outside the vocal range, they maybe transposed at the octave. Circular breathing is encouraged, but catch-breaths are acceptable.

Much of this work is in spatial/time-frame notation. These sections can be very free, although the general sequence of events ought to be maintained. Approximate desired timing between events is sometimes indicated. Sections that require improvisation or un-metered processes

are accompanied by notes in the score. Long note values last for duration of thick line following note. Triangle-shaped note-head indicates highest possible note on a given string. Glissandi are linear and last evenly for entire duration of line.

All performers read from the score. The third page of the second movement is different for each performer and they are included as loose sheets.

PROGRAM NOTEWhen I first spoke to Philippe about composing a work for him, I have to admit I was a little intimidated; I was contemplating composing for an instrument that I didn't play, had no experience writing for, and one with whose repertoire I had only the most passing acquaintance.

And your standard orchestration text doesn't have a “throat-singing” chapter! Thankfully, he was very friendly and helpful, patiently explaining the technical aspects of the techniques to me. Add to that a little bit of knowledge about acoustics (and some trial and error), and you have

this piece here. The first movement, a meditation on, well, meditation, attempts to juxtapose the devotional connotations of this sound world with those of the Western equivalent of Medieval chant. The idea of a freely moving line over a long static note immediately suggested the historical practice of melismatic organum to me; The notation of the partials over the fundamental even sort of looks like Medieval notation.

The second movement involves some throat-singing, but recontextualizes it within a framework fashioned from modern aleatoric (chance and performer choice) and minimalist practices. The final movement's title comes from both the “singing” nature of the sound-world possible using

this unique technique, and the rhythmic techniques at play here. Composing this work has been an absolutely fascinating experience for me as a musician and composer, and I want to especially thank Philippe for introducing me to this incredible palette of sounds that I've never

worked with before. I hope you enjoy hearing this work as much as I enjoyed composing it!

I – IntroitII – Disintegrations

III – Arias and Pendulums

Ca. 13 minutes (may vary due to aleatoric features)

Violin

Viola

Trumpet in C

Sung:

Ca. 5 seconds per tick

Meditative and ceremonial

0:05

gl. gl.

0:10

0:15

1"

1"

1"

2"

0:20

0:25

1"

2"

0:30

1"

2" 2" 0:35

2"1"

0:40

0:45

Vln.

Vla.

Trp.

0:50

ord.

2"

1"

1"

1"

0:55

ord.

(do not synch. to steady pulse in strings)

improvise dynamic envelopes

(rhythm very free, may include more or less notes, ad lib.)

Steady pulse

1:00

1:05

1"

1"

1:10

1:15

1:20

Trp. ord.

(sung)1"

1:25

1:30

(X)

s.v.

(X)

1:35

s.v.


An Other TrioPETER JAMES LEARN

© Peter Learn Music

3"

Trp. ord.Overtones sung, resonate through trp.

4"

s.v.

s.v.

2"

I - Introit

Vln.

Vla.

Trp.

1:40

Strings approx. aligned,some blurring is fine.

Trp.

sung gl.

1"

1:45

gl.

1"

1:50

1:55

gl.

1"

2:00 2:05

overtones sung, resonate through trp.

3"

2:10

3"

2:15

2:20

2:25

Vln.

Vla.

Trp.

2:30

2:35

2"

1"

2"

2:40

2:45

1"

2:50

Ca. 4"

Ca. 4"

Steady pulse

Trp. ord.

3:09

Vln.

Vla.

Trp.

3:12

3:15

3:18

3:21

3:24

3:27

(X)

(X)

3:30

overtones sung, resonate through trp.

2" 1"

Ca. 5 seconds per tick 3:35

3:40

3:45

3:50

Trp. ord.

(sung)

1"

1"

3:55

2"

gl.

4:00

4:05 4:10

2An Other Trio

Violin

Viola

Trumpet in C

Trp. ord.

sung:

Frenzied

Vln.

Vla.

Trp.

11

legato, articulate ad lib.

(catch breaths if unable to circular breathe)

Vln.

Vla.

Trp.

17

(X)

(X)

Ca. 25"

both strings begin locked in rhythm, then independently and asynchronously decel., sort of a "sloppy phase" effect, becoming contrapuntal.

Ca. 5"2"

Overtones sung, resonate through trp.

3II - Disintegrations

5" - 15"

Vln.

Vla.

Trp.

20

Vln.

Vla.

Trp.

27

legato, articulate ad lib.

(catch breaths if unable to circular breathe)

Vln.

Vla.

Trp.

36

sub.

marc.

sub.

marc.

s.v.

(sing small notes if range is awkward)

1. Repeat figure, maintaining 16th-note pulse.2. Begin replacing single notes in the pattern with rests. Try not to have it be the same one from pattern to pattern. Do not add time, keep place in the pattern as if it were constantly running.3. Begin replacing multiple notes in pattern with rests. Try not to have it be the same ones from pattern to pattern. Maintain underlying 16th-note pulse.4. Play maximum of one note per pattern. Towards end of passage, sometimes replace all notes in pattern with rests. General effect of disintegrating pointillism is desired.

(X)

(X)

Ca. 30"

1. 2. 3. 4.

(e.g.) (e.g.) (e.g.)

Ca. 30"

1.

(e.g.) (e.g.)

2. 3.

molto secco

sporadic repeated notes, becoming sparser and sparser throughout

(e.g.)

4.

4An Other Trio

Violin

Viola

Trumpet in C

s.v. drone, occasionally accent bow change, ad lib.


Ethereal, cantando

0:05

Trp. ord.

arioso

4"

0:10

0:15

0:20

0:25

0:30

0:35

loco

(head cue this)

0:40

0:45

Vln.

Vla.

Trp.

0:50

(trem. bursts, ad lib.)

(trem. bursts, ad lib.)

0:55 1:00

1:05

II + III


4"

1"

1:10

1"

I + II

1:15

1:20

1:25

Vln.

Vla.

Trp.

1:30

IV

4"

1"

1:35

1:40

1:45

2"

1:50

1:55

1"

2:00

2"

2:05

2:10

2:15

2"

2:20

relax to fundamental:

2:25

3"

6

III - Arias and Pendulums

loco

Vln.

Vla.

Trp.

2:30

free, do not align to rhythm in strings

5"

Steady pulse

X

X

2:35

2:40

2:45

2"

1"

2:50

2"

3:00

1"

Vln.

Vla.

Trp.

3:05

3:10

1"

1"

3:15

3:20

3:25

ord.

al niente

(in time)

(X)

(X)

(X)

Vln.

Vla.

Trp.

3:45

full bows, change ad lib. occasional short and accented bursts of tremolo

full bows, change ad lib. occasional short and accented bursts of tremolo

(sing)

3"


3:50

etc. ad lib.

- - - - - - - - - - - - A - - D - - - - - - - - - - - - L - - I - - B - - - - - - - - - - - I - - - - - - - - - - - T - - U - - M - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

etc. ad lib.

- - - - - - A - - D - - - - - - - - - - - - L - - I - - B - - - - - - - - - - - I - - - - - - - - - - - T - - U - - M - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

gl. (5")

3:55

4:00


2"

3"

4:05

4:10

4:15

1"

4:20

2"

4:25

gl.

(half-step)

4:30

12"

- October 2013, Miami

4:35

al niente

al niente

gl. (III) 5"

al niente

7An Other Trio

Vln.

Vla.

Trp.

40

Overlapping long note values (2-7" per event), with antiphonal attacks (viola starts), on any of these pitches or chords, IN ANY ORDER, repeating and varying pattern of events for duration of the passage. Do not pause between events. Try to include all pitches/chords equally.

s.v.

5" of silent contemplation

s.v.5" of silent contemplation


Throat sing over D, ad lib.

(sixth overtone out of tune with C in strings)

Ad - - - - - - - - - - - - - - L - - - - i - - - - b - - - - - - - - i - - - - - - - - t - - - - u - - - - m ...

±

±

Ca. 45"

Ca. 4"

Ca. 5"

Ca. 5"

(viola decides when to stop)

(sixth overtone out of tune with B in strings, emphasize it for crunchiness)

±

Throat sing over C, ad lib.gradually relax to fundamental

Ca. 5"

Vln.

Trp.

41

Vla.:

41

Meccanico

Meccanico

Vln.:

Vln.

Trp.

47

47

(relative, match violin)

Vln.

Trp.

53

53

rit.

rit.

/

/

Molto Brutalea tempo


5An Other TrioTRUMPET PART

Vln.

Vla.

Trp.

40


s.v.






Ad - - - - - - - - - - - - - - L - - - - i - - - - b - - - - - - - - i - - - - - - - - t - - - - u - - - - m ...

±

±

Ca. 45"

Ca. 4"

Ca. 5"

Ca. 5"



±

Vla.

Trp.

41

Meccanico

Vln.:

Trp.:

Vla.

Trp.

47

Vla.

Trp.

53

marc.

rit.

/


5An Other TrioVIOLA PART

Vln.

Vla.

Trp.

40


s.v.






Ad - - - - - - - - - - - - - - L - - - - i - - - - b - - - - - - - - i - - - - - - - - t - - - - u - - - - m ...

±

±

Ca. 45"

Ca. 4"

Ca. 5"

Ca. 5"



±

Vln.

Vla.

41

Meccanico

Throat sing over C, ad lib.gradually relax to fundamental

Vln.

Vla.

47

Vln.

Vla.

53

marc.

rit.

/


5An Other TrioVIOLIN PART

An Other Trio

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