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Farbenmusik

for solo piano

Winner
Chappell White Memorial Award
Honorable Mention
NACUSA Young Composer's Competition

Duration - approx. 8 min.

Program Notes:

Farbenmusik is a series of works that explore coloristic possibilities for solo instruments.

Farbenmusik for solo piano is the first in the series.  In the piece attempts were made to explore extremes in register, timbre and density.  The piece is set up in a sort of arch form, with the emotional high point somewhere around the golden mean section.  Extended techniques are used to enhance the coloristic possibilities of the instrument.  In this way the piece is also a sort of etude of timbre.  The use of the German title is meant to evoke a correlation to the Second Viennese School and their use of texture and timbre.

Enjoy.

                                                                                                -Ryan Jesperson
                                                                                                     4/13/2008

Performance Notes:

Accidentals apply throughout the measure, in the octave of occurrence, in the usual tradition. 

Tuplets are always written to represent a higher ratio.  So, for example, 7 sixteenth notes will always be written in place of 4 sixteenth notes, not 8 sixteenth notes.

When directed to “hit the side of the piano with open hand” the performer should do so not for the percussive sound, but to get the strings inside to vibrate.

When directed to “mute strings inside piano” the performer should attempt to use his/her hand to mute just the range of strings needed, creating a “pizzicato”-esque sound.

When directed to “touch first harmonic inside piano” the performer should attempt to lightly touch the node halfway up the string (producing a note an octave above), although, if this proves difficult, any harmonic capable of being produced will suffice.

When directed to “roll fingers on piano lid” the performer should rapidly tap all five fingers on any wooden surface above the keys of the piano.

When directed to “use finger to gliss strings” the performer should reach in the piano and attempt to gliss the notated range.  Ranges are approximate, so if the piano construction does not allow a direct gliss to occur, then the performer has the ability to alter the range or notes, but not direction or approximate duration.

To perform the cluster chord, the performer is welcome to utilize his/her palms or forearm to get the desired range.

When directed to “stomp feet on ground” the performer should attempt to make a deep sound rather than a high sound, something like a bass drum if possible.  For this reason it might be best that female performers do not wear heels for the performance, although, if a sufficient sound can be produced, then the performer is welcome to wear any shoes of his/her choosing.

The performer is encouraged to create “characters” for the different sections, and is free to employ rubato or other stylistic decisions in order to create these “characters”. 

Due to use of both the una corda pedal and the sostenuto pedal (as well as the necessity of reaching inside the instrument), this piece can only be performed on a grand piano.

Farbenmusik was premiered by Kari Johnson at the CMS Great Plains Conference on April 4th, 2009. The revised version of Farbenmusik was premiered by Amanda Arrington in February of 2010 at the 2010 Nebraska at Kearney New Music Festival and was also performed at UMKC, the UCM New Music Festival, and a NACUSA East Coast Chapter concert in New York City.