Position Inf Dcoll

Position, influence for soprano and sound sculpture

David Coll

Performance Notes

general:

This piece is an elaborate speech given at a podium. The situation is that the singer is a figure who is in a position where she desires to influence the public, yet there is no message. The text alternates between direct statements (the first of which is a quote of Charles De Gaulle in response to Mai ‘68) and the fragmentation of these statements. Each of the statements is a new tactic to win over the hearts and minds of the audience. Each section that follows is a fragmentation of increasing desperation, leading to declamatory singing. The sound of white noise at the end of the piece is a reduction of the singers speech to total unintelligibility.The notation, when it is a single-line staff (not a five-line staff), is exclusively focused on the range of ones speaking voice. Before there is a tempo and a meter, each system is to last between eight and twelve seconds, approximately. The aspect of the electronics imposes no time constraints upon the singer.

÷

clefs:

This is a clef that represents the range of the speaking voice. The When five œ range will change, depending on the dynamics- as well as the staves appear, inflection/state of the vocal apparatus (as indicated by the this is always & brackets, described below). What is crucial to understand, is the treble clef that the range of this clef will not exceed more than a sixth, and more often less than this. Furthermore, in the case of unvoiced consonants, this clef functions like a range of mouth-shape, from the front of the mouth to the back (i to u, essentially).

noteheads: !

brackets: shout

exhale

94

inhale

1fij arrive at highest note

possible under given circumstances. Exhaled.

-

lowest note possible under given circumstances. Exhaled.

The following brackets appear in many of the phrases, above the noteheads. Although some are descriptions of sounds/techniques and others are more dramatic, they should all be understood essentially as if they are italics in a play: indications that support the actions. closed throat (c.t.)

nasal

breathy (br.)

whistle tone

plosives

uvular 'flutter'

text:

The text, when in quotes, is in french. When it is not, it is to be pronounced according to the international phonetic alphabet. The letters used are as follows, with english and/or french examples:

i (feast, soliste)

I (soloist)

a (va)

ø (eux)

remaining symbols: R voiced

W unvoiced

e (frapper)

ɛ (net, tête)

ə (up)

u (too, fou)

unstable, between voiced and unvoiced. Most often with ‘closed throat’ brackets.

æ (cat)

o (know, eau)

this vertical bar means to hit the podium forcefullyas well as one hand hitting the trigger that is placed there.

the electronics: the setup consists of a sound sculpture that functions as the primary

speaker system for sounds coming from the soprano and a computer. The soprano wears two microphones: a hypercardioid headset microphone and a laryngophone. The specifics of this setup are detailed in the technical schema (not supplied with the score).

Position, influence

David Coll

for soprano with sound sculpture

dedicated to Mikhail Malt and Donatienne Michel-Dansac

÷ ÷

Event 0

Ev.1

Soprano Offstage

Ev.2

U

Soprano enters stage, greeting the audience as if a politician, waving, smiling, etc. Once at podium, wait for applause to end, then:

Soft Rumble from Sculpture

Ev.3

U

Put on Laryngophone, look for thumbs up from sound engineer or composer. Once thumbs up is given, proceed.

shout ff

'Je ne me retirerai pas'

. Each system lasts app. 8-12 seconds, and not necessarily in an evenly distributed fashion

÷

94p 94 94 94 94

closed throat (c.t.)

94

!

mp

W

‘je’

c.t.

nasal mp

!

!

R

R

ø

c.t. f

!

R R R

ø

94 94

pp

i—e—a— ø

a

!

R

ø

+breathy

pp

94

ø

!

mp

W əR iR

hə

W

R

i——e——a——

ø

p

!

W W R W W WI IW hɛW Wi

ə ø i æ ə I

W

R

!

breathy

æ

mf

mf

pp

9 ! 4 ! ! 94 ! 9 94f 4! ! ! !

ææ 94 !

"panting"

!

mf

ø ————————————————— hə

÷ ÷

! 94

mp

br.

br.

94 !

f

p

W R

hɛ e

f

94

br.

!! p

W WW

hɛ a a

f

c.t.

94 p !

W W

hɛ ø

2

÷

br.

br.

f

f

94

94

W

÷

94

fff 1fij

94

mp

ppp

W R

ø

hɛ ə

hɛ

÷ ÷

c.t.

mf

t

!

R

ø

c.t.

! !

mf

R R

! 94

ə

W

i

ff 1fij mf

breathy +c.t.

R

!

!

R

ng

94

W

e

!

RR

94 ! p

R

W

f

R

s

R W R W

re‘pas’ ‘je’ hɛ

94mp fp!

f

j

! 94

R W W

‘je’ ha ø

p

I

!

mp

mp f

whistle tone

94 94 ! !

mp f

ff 1fi

ø

mf

p

ə

94mp !

!

RWR

W W 94

mf

ə

R

‘re

!! p

c.t. mp

94

f

RR W

!

mf

R

ti rai’ hə

er

÷

slowly and articulate, confident f

!

W R R

br. f

mp

‘je—ne-me–’

ø

pp

mf

! !

W øR

hɛ ø

ff ! 94 f

rə‘pas’ə

p

pp

c.t.

WR

‘re ti’ n

Ev.4 breathy

mf

breathy

f

94

br.

94 !

p

c.t.

I

94

a eR

eø

whistle tone

s

i—e–hə ‘pas’

f

94 !

pp mp

R

ø iø

! ! ! !!mf ! ! 94 !

‘je—ne––me–———’ ə

mf

i

f

mp

I

9 94 94 4 94 ! 94

mp

mf

'Je ne me re ti rai pas'

p

3

÷ ÷

94f 94

c.t.

94

kɛ

c.t.

+breathy

÷

kə

94

!

W

R

kæ

R j

!

!

fff

R

a

94 94 94 94 !

R

ø

plosives

!!

!! &

mp

W

f

!

br.

! !

R kɛW o———e—–u—ɛ– R R R R

f

WW

WW

p s

j f

œ p

R

m

mf

c.t.

!

W

ə

94 !

+ br.

W sW

ha

c.t.

whistle tone

!

!

I

W

ɛ

pp

s

W

c.t.

br.

! p

mf p

ə

+br. c.t. mf pp

mf

R

u

!

!

W

Rj

sh

breathy

! ! ! ! ! ! 9 4 94

œ

f mp

mf

p

mf

fp

mf

W W Ri øR uR eR uR ɛR

R

n

I ɛ

fp

p

i

u

c.t.

pp

R

ə

p

f

R

9 ! 4!

mf

br.

kɛ kɛ kə hə ə

sh

shout

s

I

br.

!

pp

+breathy

mp

fp mp

i

!

c.t.

breathy

pp

mp

Ri

!

c.t.

!

pp

ng

f

u

mp

R

hə

pp

÷ ÷

94

94

W

kæ kɛ

!

pp

whistle tone

mf

!

R

i

94 94 ! p

c.t.

pp

WWR

s hə ø

!

fp

W

s

94 !

fp

c.t.

W R

fə u

4

÷

(c.t.)

! pp 94

fp

c.t.

p

W W

mp

p

W W WWW nR

sh hə

c.t.

œ

!! ! !! !

plosives

f

c.t.

p

! ! ! !

mp

W

R

j f psp

94

mf

mf

R øR uR oR

br.

R uR

ɛ

! p

!

R

e

i

ha

!

br. c.t.

Ev.5

÷

!!

œ

mp

! ! f

f mp

RW

c.t.

R

R R

‘je vous’ næ

pə s

f

pp

hæ

÷

-

œ

pp

R

kɛ

!

ffp

W

s

c.t.

!

!

pp

fp

W

R s

s

c.t.

! ! !

'Puis-je vous poser une question?'

ææ 94 !

mf

ff

!

W

c.t. mf

94

W

hə

sh

br.

!

c.t.

W

ə

fp

hə

"panting"

W

hə

!

pp

R

mf

p

R WR

s

slowly and articulate, confident. Pose question to someone in the audience

÷ ÷

94

br. +c.t.

s s

5

÷

c.t.

!

W

sh

p

94

W

ha

whistle tone pp

94

fp

f

W

pə

÷

÷

R

sh

÷

÷

! f

ff

94

c.t. fpp

94fp

R

ə

ə

!

! !

R

ø

R øR

ø

94 !

fp

W W

ɛ

c.t.

mp

I

trə f

!

R

ø

breathy

94

!

mf

fp

W

R

æ

hə

94

pp

ə

ææ 94 !

mp

W

hə

c.t.

6

÷

!

R

94

c.t.

c.t.

÷

mp

œ

W

ɛ

f

R

ɛ

!

R

hə

94

!

p

W

R

hə

dæ

œ p

R

cə

œ

mp

R

ɛ

a

94

!

br.

c.t.

R

R

ø

ppp

fp

ppp

W

hɛ

shouting ff

'pouvez-vous'

ff

œ

mp

R

œ

f

R

ɛ

ff

br.

94

mf

R

W

trə

dæ

c.t.

c.t. p

!

R

a

mf

pp

R

‘moi’

!

pu

kɛ

œ

mf

mp

c.t.

!

R

ng

a

W

R

vɛ

!

pp

94

94

mf

94

p

mf

R

mp

p

a

c.t.

œ

mf

c.t.

a

trə

mp

m

÷

W

R

94 94 +c.t.

pp

mf

ɛ

p

÷

94

pp

hə

÷

breathy

œ

p

mp

ə R

(exhaled)

f

÷

c.t.

7

+br. ff

mf

œ

ppp

c.t. mf

pp

f

!

! !

W

R

æ

R Wɛ

ɛ

ɛ

c.t.

÷

!

!

W

ø

fp

R

hə

ɛ

œf

R

e

e

R

c.t. !

mp

ff

mf

R R

sh

W

R

ɛ

94

f

!

!

!

ff

c.t.

! !

ff

ə R

RR

ø

ø ø

Ev.6

÷ ÷ ÷

(c.t.)

œ

ff

R

e

94f

W

hɛ

#œ

c.t.

ə R

shouting

fff

ff

R

ɛ

ff

'pouvez-vous être d'accord avec moi?'

Ev.7 #œ f

fricative

!

pp

W

R

ɛ

œ nœ œ

R

94

94mp æ

!

uvular 'flutter'

W

e––––––––––––––––––––––––––– kə

#œ nœ !

p

f——————————

œ

œfij

mf

#œ

R

e

ff

mf

R eR ɛR

ɛ

!

breathy f

R

ɛ

nœ

R

ɛ

9 nœ n4

œfi

mpj

f

R həR

ɛ

#œ

R

ɛ

8

÷

nœ

#œ

shout

94 !

mf

ff

!

R

R

shout

#œ ø

Ev.8 &

nœ

œfij

R

5 16

shout ff

'est-ce que je vous ai convaincu?'

a

28

! ! œ J

R R

ɛ hə

#œ

R

ø

38

Ev.9 3 œj 8 =72

! 94 ! 94 94 j #œ œ™ J œ a––––––––––––––– hɛ ø hɛ ø R R R RR

48

R

ff

R

‘vous’

5:4x

5 16

œ

R

#œ J

a–––––––––

48

œ ø R

ff

ø–––––––––––––––––––––––––

mf p

!

R

WR

f #œnœµ œ

ff

ɛ––––––––––––––––––– ‘que’

s

hə ‘je’

÷

÷

W

R

ɛ–––––––

÷

÷

!

œ n œ #œ œ

nœ

!

R

a

ff

! #œ

shout

R

4:3x

≈ ≈#œ nœ œ #œ R

3 16

œ

R

e–––––––––––––––––––––

hɛ

R

œ #œ nœ nœ 4:3x

28

38 94 94

œ 9 fij 4 9 9 n œ # œ # œ ! !4 œ #œ nœ 94 4 J e––––––––––––––––––––– hɛ hɛ hɛ R 5:4x R R R ɛ hə ɛ RR R 5:4x

5 16

ɛ–––––––––––––

!

#œ

R

æ

‘ai’

38

j #œ œ œJ ø––––––––––– R

œ J e R

! R

nœ

ə––––––

48 316

÷

3 16

4:3x

œ

38

Ev.10

! 94 ! hə ɛ hə R R R

'ce moment bénis'

Ev.11 piece ends with a low rumbling, and the sound of white noise. With the expression footpedal, move your foot up down while at the same time opening and closing your mouth, almost as if the sound source of the noise is your mouth. The sound will fade out in approximately one minute and the piece will be over.

9