Rainscape for Violoncello
The Rainscape solo pieces have been developed to provide the musician with the necessary tools to accompany the “Rainscape 2019” kinetic sound sculpture made by Anna Godzina. The main goal of the composition is to explore the alliance between the audible sounds of the sculptures and the human musician’s ever-changing perception.
The violoncello piece focuses on the research of various (en)harmonic sound components, irregularities in pitch and rhythmic patterns produced by the kinetic sculpture, providing musical constructs with nuances, tensions, repetitions and melodic properties transcribed into a score.
The performer is presented with a linear score which must be played from the beginning till the end. Some longer measure-groupings within the score may be interpreted as non-linear, which can permit live playing, listening and responding to structures heard from the machines at the same time.
The main resonant frequency of the corresponding machine is C#. In order to enhance the resonating qualities of the instrument the piece is recommended to be performed with scordatura [retuning the instrument].
The performer may aim at slight variations which would not interfere with the gestural profile of the bar-groupings. Together with the machine sounds, the piece should give the impression of a continuum or dialogue between instruments. The performer may choose between different options for transitioning if the score is used in a non-linear manner:
• short rest (filled with the drone on c#)
• “breathing” or caesura
• immediate playing of another module
• playing of transitional modules
• repeatedly playing any structures containing 16th notes from the score
Notations:
A gradual transition between one technique to the other
less finger pressure in left hand for a slightly distorted sound
left hand finger pizz.
Feather beams – tremolo to be played in accel. or rit.
Slapping sound obtained by hitting the tailpiece with the wood of the bow.
The main transition material: variations on the continuous lower C# drone.
Examples of variations are suggested but the performer may choose any other as long as the sound is continuous.
