Dmitri Kourliandski

Broken memory for piano, violin and cello

2005

Comments Piano

Place glass with flat base on strings (see pic.). While slowly rotating the glass move it extremely slow down and up strings. Accidental pitches and glissandi appear. Time by time reinforce movement with violin (better ¼ or 1/8) bow. Bow is placed between string and sounding board in given place (see pic.).

Glass

Bow

Don’t let the sound be regular and loud all the time. Try to follow approximate sonogram of sound intensity given in score. Let appear accidental tinkling and quasi pizzicato.

Pedal is always pressed!

Strings’ figures

bowing on a side of bridge (unstable sound) – if needed place instrument on your knees. Length of note depends on bow movement!

bowing on stringholder (find pitch, unstable sound).

[violin] – bowing under strings. Bow touches underside G and E strings and the bridge. Strings are muted with left hand. Unstable sound.

[cello] – place the bow between fingerboard and body. Bowing on fingerboard underside (find pitch, unstable sound).

bowing on peg (find pitch, unstable sound).

bowing on strings in peg area (unstable sound). FB___B

[violin] – LH: left hand – half presses all strings, slow glissando up/down; BOW: wide slow circle movement from bridge to fingerboard, from punta d’arco to tallone and back, crossing all strings (swing imitation).

distance between staff lines corresponds to strings (from low to high). Find multiphonics on shown string(s). Slow bowing in indicated direction. Gradually change bow pressure (without speeding-up or slowing down) so that in the middle sound becomes discrete. All beginnings and endings of notes almost inaudible.

U - different fermatas (short, normal, long)

Orientation: First line: Violin solo. Slowly and carefully play figure by figure. The length of each figure depends on the speed of bowing. Take as long pauses between figures as you need for changing instrument or bow position. At the end of line violinist gives sign to other musicians to start the next line. Second line: Piano and cello start playing (it is not necessary to start simultaneously). At the end of line violinist gives sign to other musicians to start the next line. NB! If cellists finishes the line before the violinist’s sign – he should continue playing same line backwards until the violinist’s sign. After the sign cellists finishes the last note he already started to play and after small pause begins the next line. If violinist gives the sign before the end of cellist’s figure – cellist has to finish the last note he already started to play and after small pause begin the next line. Third line: Violin starts new figure. Please make the crescendo gradually. Cellist gives other musicians the sign when the line finishes. Fourth line: Violin starts decrescendo. Cellist gives other musicians the sign when the line finishes. Fifth and sixth lines: Violinist gives other musicians signs where to stop playing (first – to pianist, then to cellist).анных местах скрипач дает знак о завершении партии пианисту, а затем – виолончелисту. NB! If cellists finishes the line before the violinist’s sign – he should continue playing same line backwards until the violinist’s sign. After the sign cellists finishes the last note he already started to play. If violinist gives the sign before the end of cellist’s figure – cellist has to finish the last note he already started to play.