description of a struggle full score
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Instrumentation
SopranoVoice
DoubleBass
PianoSuggestedStageLayout
Celesta
1st
Percussionist(Ratchet,Tam-tam,FootPump)
2ndPercussionist(BassDrum,ThunderTube,FootPump)
Sampler
TechnicalRequirements
3xFootPumps
4xDictaphones(forfingercymbaltree)
8xFingerCymbals(forfingercymbaltree)
4xMiniImacspeakers(forspeakertree)
2xMicStands(forfingercymbaltreeandspeakertree)PA1xDoubleBasspick-up
1xProjectorandProjectorScreen
1xAudioCassetteTape
2xLaptops(1forvideo1foraudio)
SetupofTheFingerCymbalTreeandSpeakerTree
Thefingercymbaltreeconsistsofalineof4dictaphoneshangingupsidedownfromamicstandarrangedinaTshape.Theiroutercasingshouldberemovedsothatthepegs
usedtoholdandrotatethecassettetapeareopenlyfacingtowardstheground.Asmallflatdiskofaboutaninchinradiusshouldbemadeoutofsturdycardboardorplastic.
Thisisattachedtotherotatingpegofthe1stdictaphone(theoneontheleft)withblu-tackortapeandafingercymbalisattachedtoitviafishingwireorstrongstring.This
fingercymbalshouldhangoffthediskatabout2/3inchesbelowthedictaphone.Anotherfingercymbalshouldbeattachedtotheright-handsideofthedictaphonesothatit
stationaryhangs.Twosmallringsshouldbeattachedatdifferentpointsdownthewire/stringsothatwhenthefingercymbalhangsfromthehighestringitislikelytobe
struckbytheoppositerotatingfingercymbal,whileonthelowerringitisnot(asmallfishinghookshouldbeattachedtothetopofeachfingercymbalsothattheycanbe
easilymovedandattachedtoeachring).Dictaphone1(onthefarleft)shouldbesetupsothatthefingercymbalsareliketohit,whiletheother3shouldbesetupsothatthey
hangfromthehigherrings,whichmeantheyareunlikelytohit.Anminijackcableshouldcomeoutofthe1stdictaphonesheadphonesocketandbeputthroughamax/msp
patchthatcanbothrecordthesoundofthefingercymbalscolliding(andwordsspokenintothedictaphonesmicrophone)aswellasamplifyingitandputtingitthrougha
delay.Theoutputofthispatchshouldgotothespeakertreewhichconsistsofanidenticalmicstandtothefingercymbaltreesetupupinthesamemannerexceptwith4mini
Imacspeakers(orsimilarspeakersofasmallsize)hangingfromtheTshapedbar.
DescriptionofaStruggle
Instrumentation
&setup
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Phonetics
Specificphoneticsthatappearthroughoutthepiecealwaysoccurin
squarebracketse.g.[].Whensingleunboxedlettersoccuroutofthe
contextofaphraseitisthenameofthatletterthatshouldbespoken
notitssound(e.g.thensinthe3rdSpeech).
Phrasesofthesopranosspeechthatareidenticaltosamplesofsleep
talkbeingusedinthepieceshouldbepronouncedinasimilarway
(e.g.Doef-a-fois).
Thelistofphoneticsfoundinthepieceareasfollows:
[]-easinpet
[aI]iasinhigh
[]aasinbalm[]aasinsurf
[o]-oasinhoe
[]-oasinpot[]ngasinsing
[h]hasinham
[g]gasingo
[i]iasinhappy
[]-ooasingood
[]aasinbad[s]sasinsoup
[z]zasinzip
[d]dasindo
V
ocalTechniques
-Gaspingbreathin.
-Pronouncethegivenletterfromthebackofthethroatandthenimmediatelycutoff
thesoundbytensingyourchestandstomach.
-Spokenfromthechestasifhavingbeenpunchedinthestomach(thisalsorequires
thetensingofthediaphragm).
-Thesingeristobreathininacroakingfashionwhilemakinganhsound
(unlessotherwiseindicated).
-Wordsaretobemouthedbutnotsaid.Emphasisshouldbemadeonthesounds
themouthmakesintheformingoftheappropriateshapes,thoughessentialthisismoreof
theatricaldevicethanamusicalone.
-Wordsshouldbewhispered.
-Noteshouldbehalf-sungasifonlyattemptingtosing.
-Inhalation
-Exhalation
OtherPoints
PausesLengthsofpausesareindicatedinsecondsabovethefermata.These
areonlysuggestivebuttheirlengthsshouldbetakenintoconsideratione.g.a5
secpausesisactuallyafairlysubstantialgapbetweeneventsandthisgapshould
reallybefelt(ultimatelyitisbettertooverestimatethepausethen
underestimateit).
CuesCuesinthescoreareindicatedwithaabovethetopstaff.Theseareagainonlysuggestivebutifusedshouldbeindicatedbywhoeverisplayingthe
samples.
FootPumpThefootpumpshouldbeplayedwitheitherfoot.Thesymbolfor
pushingthepumpdownandreleasingitis.
Phonetics&
techniques
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CopyrightNickJonesMay2009London
AsDescriptionofaStruggleisopentointerpretationthewayinwhichitisstagedcanvaryfromperformancetoperformance.Variationsmayoccurnotonlyintheactualperformancebutalsointhewaythepieceispresented.Thismayincludevariationssuchasamplifyingthewholeensemble(notjustthebass),applyingspecificcostumesor
positionstoplayers,workingbeyondthestereofieldofsound,reinterpretingtheendingetc.
Thereare,however,recommendedwaysinwhichtoenhancetheperformanceofthepiecewhichincludes(mostimportantly)thedistributionoftheselectedsleeptalk
samplestoappropriateplayerswithintheensemble(e.g.thesopranoandthedoublebassist)priortorehearsals,thusgivingthemtheopportunitytohearwhattheyare
sometimesimitatingandtogiveanidentitytoacharacterthattheyoftenrespondtoandinteractwith.
Noteson
Performance
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Appendices
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werneriferdidiI
oderondwerifffero
diIifIonderwwerond
IIIwderwownderwon
werernIwderiiffI
oowoonernndder
ififderIderIwoifnerdI
Ideronderiffferon
widnonferderwnder
odernderifIderidIiI
nerwerwderonderdiId
erdifIonerfiInder
W1
Asemi-improvisedrapusingagivenphraseassourcematerial.The
phraseshouldneverbespokeninfullbutcan
behintedattocreatemomentsofnear-claritywithinthe
otherwiseunintelligible.
Thegridoppositeactsasastimulusandsuggestivecombinationofsounds.Theycanbereadhorizontally,vertically,randomlyornotatall;
ineithercasetheactualphraseitselfshouldalwaysconsciouslybein
theperformersmind.Ultimatelythedesiredeffectishopelesslytryingto
articulatesomethingofimportance.
Rhythmsarechosenfreelythoughshouldappearalmostlikeaconstant
flowofverbaldiarrhea.
Thelikenesstorapshouldbeinthedelivery,(e.g.strong,arrogant,
violentetc.)andmaytakeupasimilarstyleofphrasingthatisatthe
discretionoftheperformer.
Therapcaneitherbeperformedacappellaorwithachoiceof
backingtrack(e.g.hip-hop,soundscapeetc.)Thedescriptivewordsbelowaregivenwithinthecontextofthe
DescriptionofaStruggleandarethereasasourceoftheatricalstimuli.
Theatrics
Aggressive,relentless,uncontrollable.
Thereshouldbethesensationofanendlessstutterthatneverresolves
itselfandthatthisdisabilitytocoherentlyspeakisincreasingthe
frustrationandviolenceofthecharacter.
Phrase:
wd/f Thelettersshowninthegridshouldbepronouncedastheywouldwithintheactualword.SmallireferstoiasinifanddidwhileabigIreferstoIasinIwonder.)
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dIiinwinawithnaithnaaddwinathn
Iiainnaawithwi
winathnthnadiId
ithithnnaaddda
thnawthnwthinadd
idiiIdIwwthna
nawithnaddiIthth
aAadIwinathnad
diiIthnawinthA
dadadIiinwithna
awithnainainAddi
W2
InthesamemannerasWordlessRapNo.1.Emphasisonthedifferences
betweenthepronunciationsofcertainvowelsoundsmaybeemployed
(e.g.Ianda(seeopposite)),aswellasgreatercoherencewiththe
wordwithandin.
Extraemphasiscanalsobeappliedonstutteringoverthedsandas.
Theatrics
Withgreaterusesofgaspsandchestpressurealmostasifchoking
overthewords.
Phrase:
etn Thelettersshowninthegridshouldbepronouncedas
theywouldwithintheactualword.Smallireferstoias
inwithinwhileabigIreferstoIasindie.
BigAreferstoaasinbaywhileasmallareferstoaasinapple.
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DeamDreamDDeamandandc
reamandccananaaPpurePP
ifIifImymmdrdreeama
nndcaaancanPPifIpure
ifIcanIpureIfymmIdr
PureififImydredreeamaa
acancanpurepureifIImya
canIifIdreamIureifI
PPpureifIdrdreamIieamd
aancanIPifIuremIfy
dreamcandreammIpureiImy
andancanpureimydreamcanI
W3
Textremainsambiguousthoughshortburstsofwholewords(apartfrom
dream)maybeused.
Theorderofthecutupwordsshouldconstantlybechangingsothatit
isneverquiteclearwhatthephraseactuallyis.Examplesinclude:
IfI;mI(my);canI;pureifI(purify)Dream.Andcanpurifymy,dream.
AndcandreamifIpureif-I
Theatrics
Withalargersenseofdesperationintryingtosay
somethingbutfailingtodoso.Almostlikehastily
solvingapuzzlebyseeingwhichbitsfitandwhich
dont.
Coughingoverthewordsshouldbeincludedtothe
mixofstutteringandchoking.
Phrase:
f BigIandlittleistillholdthesamemeaningasinthe
previousraps.
SingleDsandPsareincapitalstoemphasistheirplosivenature
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