An aural score for interpreters
This piece is for four interpreters, divided into two groups of two. Interpreters are instructed to perform with eyes closed, as no instrument or visual score is required. All interpreters wear headphones, through which the recorded score instructions are given, though specific instructions vary for each group. The instructions were chosen such that the interpreters should have no prior acquaintance with them. The aim was to write a piece involving alternate notation and improvisation for several interpreters, that should be musically non-specific, but focus only on specific result in terms of texture, process, sound world, density etc.
A score is an intentional document written for people, not for sounds. In this sense a score should transcribe the composer's intentions into a performable form. I was interested how subjectivity could be emphasised in the score by reducing the degree of conscious direction in interpretation.
For this reason I imposed a requirement interpreters should have no training or fore-knowledge of the piece to perform it. I chose clapping and humming as the only sound sources in the piece, sound sources that anybody can produce. My second requirement to reduce conscious direction was that the interpreters should perform with the eyes closed, and thus I chose to have an audio score, distributing spoken rather than written instructions by headphones whilst maintaining separation between score and performed soundscape.
The interpreters are given the opportunity to respond to instructions within a wide margin of choice, and further instructions develop from the differences between these choices. The two groups receive slightly different instructions to encourage these differences. Free choice may be an obstacle to interpreters, thus I have arranged instructions grow steadily in complexity, offer easy alternatives, and incorporate mistakes.
At certain points a metronome is provided to each group, at different but related tempi. The interpreters are indicated to listen to the other performers, and make use of their imagination. A three-part macrostructure follows from the sequence of the instructions, over the duration of around six minutes.
This piece was first performed at Goldsmiths College University of London in early 2003. The interpreters had no fore-knowledge regarding the piece. One interpreter commented that the aural nature of the instructions had the tendency to relax them and permit freer expression.
Recorded interpretation: January 2005, Cachagua, Chile.
Compressed 96kbps MP3.
Interpreters: Francisca Lizana, Rosario Lizana, Matias Sanfuentes, Vesna Stancic.
Printed transcript of the recorded score
Downloadable PDF. Please do not download and read beforehand if you intend to interpret this piece.