The Poorer Silence Now (2007)

Aaron Holloway-Nahum

The Poorer Silence Now (2007)

this piece was written for Sasha Calin and was premiered by her on her final recital at the Royal Academy of Music, 6 June 2007.

Aaron Holloway-Nahum aaronholloway1@hotmail.com

07876.504072

Duration: Approximately 8 minutes Performance Notes

• Often, rather than regular barlines, this piece uses dotted barlines to indicate phrase breaks and the composer's preferred moments for the oboist to breathe. Each of these pauses should be treated as out of time.

• (as in the 4th line of the first movement) is used to indicate a place in the

music—aside from the dotted barlines—where a short “catch breath” is permitted.

• This fermata is used, throughout the piece, to denote a duration "as long as possible." In this instance, where it occurs at the beginning of a phrase the oboist must aim for the longest duration that they can hold the note and still complete the phrase (to the next barline) in one breath.

• This fermata is used, throughout the piece, to denote a slight pause on

the indicated note or rest. It should feel a bit as if the piece is catching it's breath for a moment at each of these places.

• These noteheads (which occur for the first time in the last line of the first page of the first movement) are an affect that Sasha describes as a ‘half or quasi-note’ produced by articulating very strongly but blowing lightly.

• "Rolling Tone" (indicated by ) is described in by Libby Van Cleve in her

book "Oboe Unbound":"The rolling tone is possible in the lowest range of the Oboe and is produced by using extreme lip pressure to make a beating or rolling quality...It is easiest to produce a rolling tone by increasing the lip pressure after the note has begun...It is sometimes difficult to start a rolling tone precisely, but once it has been established, it is not hard to execute [dynamic changes]..." It has been my experience, in working with Sasha, that the rolling tone often breaks to the note an octave above (or even a fifth above that). I love this sound and so the oboist should make no attempt to prevent this from happening if their oboe wants it to!

• In the third movement, boxed numbers are utilized in the place of using

micro-tones. The oboist should find a number of different fingerings for the same note and use them where indicated. This will give the impression of micro-tonal changes (it is important, for this to work, that the oboist chose fingers that emphasize the microtonal differences!) without being fussy in a way that isn't really relevant to the music of the music.

Program Note

The Poorer Silence Now I – The Sudden Silence of the Concert Hall II – Sunset at Yalikavak III – Snow Falling in the Darkened House “Suns can go down and return. For us, when the brief light is spent, There is an unending night to be slept.” -Primo Levi (“Sunset at Fossoli”) “...And there is the silence of this morning which I have broken with my pen, a silence that had piled up all night like snow falling in the darkness of the house— the silence before I wrote a word and the poorer silence now.” -Billy Collins (“Silence”) I will forever be indebted to Sasha Calin who has—over the past three months—been constantly willing to give her time, energy, and incredible expertise to bring this composition to life. Before I began the piece I spent about a week constantly listening to a CD of Sasha’s playing. Now that the piece is finished, I can see that it is clearly a piece about what I imagine it might be like to play the oboe—and the incredible energy, joy, curiosity, and excitement that Sasha brought to the instrument and music in every one of our sessions.

fast and frantic

Mov. I - The Sudden Silence of the Concert HallThe Poorer Silence Now

for Sasha Calin

Aaron Holloway-NahumApril 2007

Oboe

f aggressivo, cresc.

(ff)

C

ffff

3

more slowly; distant, calm, and haunting

Ob.

ppp sub.

3

3

(use diaphragm to articulate notes under slurs)

pp

5

3 3 5

Ob.

distant and hollow

5

Eb

place lips just below heart of reed, very strong lip pressure (biting)

5

Ob.

deep

Eb

+LF

5

cresc. poco a poco (poss)

5 5 5

Ob.

cresc poco a poco

3

3

3

fmolto!

ff

3 3 5

much more slowly, almost out of time

Ob.

pp

slow, sighing (pitch bends)

gliss.

3

gliss.

sfz

sffz

C§

pp

+LF

extremely fast and pushing forward fiercely

Ob.

(pp sempre)

(poco)

p

9 77

Ob.

molto

f sempre

5

Ob.

ff

deep

Eb

p sub.

1

5

rubato, espressivo

f

3

Ob.

ff

rolling tone

fff

non vib.

p poss.

the upper octave (or Oct+5th)will develop out of the rolling tone naturally. Let it take over.

ffp

attacca

ppp

3 3 3

2

very slowly, singing sweetlymolto rubato sempre

Mov. II - Sunset at Yalikavak'Suns can go down and return.

For us, when the brief light is spent,There is an unending night to be slept.'

- Primo Levi

Oboe

sub. p

mf

p sub.

3

pp

mp sub.

3

p

(diaphragm articulates tenutos under slurs)gently

espressivo

mf

Ob.

f

pp

bold and exciting!

f

dissintegrating...

(pp poss.)

N.B.

7:4

Ob.

cantabile

p

fight against the weight of the low notes

espressivo

legato poss.

3

(p)

7:4

3 3 3

Ob.

long

pp (echoing)

3

ppp

explosive!

f

ffp

(w/breath)

fff

3 3

Ob.

pp

very fast

mf

A Tempo

poss.

ppp

(not too short or dry)

p

deep

+LF

pp

p

note: the oboist is urged to chose fingerings that give the greatest microtonal differences

Mov. III - Snow falling in the darkened house

very quickly molto rit.... A Tempo (quickly)

Oboe

ppp poss.

* 1

2

fp

3

ff pp sub.

F Vent

1

2

3

Ob.

3

77

7

= 80 steady and strict

Ob.

C

f

ff

breath accent

pp

3

ppp poss.

2

9

Ob.

non vib.

3

7 5 7

Ob.

pulse from diaphragm

mf

pp sub.

mf

C

pp sub.

norm vib.>

f

bold!3

5 5 5

Ob.

pp sub.

2

ppp poss.

p

1 3

mp

2

7

3 63 9

very fast, always pushing forward

Ob.

pp

non vib.

ff poss. p sub.

ppp poss. throughout

(norm)

5 77 7

Ob.

3

(more clearly)(non harm)

non vib.

f

p sub.

(harm)

5 7

Ob.

pp

ppp

1

p

mp

2

3

2

f pp sub.

9

rubato>

Ob.

non vib.1

p

(from diaphragm)

C

f

mf

pp poss.

7

5

= 80 (A Tempo) steadily

Ob.

3

f confident and bold

1

2

3

(diaphragm)mix the different fingerings...

3

ff

[in time]

5 5

Ob.

loose

EbF

ppp poss.

2

2

p

pp

dolce e cantabile

2

3

1

Ob.

2

ppp poss.

7

3 6

2