Echo de Baudelaire for
Soprano and Bass Clarinet
Frederik Neyrinck
Text Fragment of « La Fin de la Journée », Ch. Baudelaire (…) La nuit voluptueuse monte, Apaisant tout, même la faim, Effaçant tout, même la honte, (Le Poète se dit) : « Enfin ! (…)
Over “Echo de Baudelaire” – About “Echo de Baudelaire” “Echo de Baudelaire” is een kort werk voor sopraan en basklarinet en kadert volledig in de ideologie van vorige “Echo’s”. Enerzijds toont de echo de vele, vaak subtiele kleurmogelijkheden van deze twee instrumenten. Anderzijds verwijst de titel “Echo” ook naar een weerklank van een ander, “groter” werk. Hier dien ik te verwijzen naar enerzijds de werken “Samsa – Impressionen” voor mezzo-sopraan en ensemble en “Gestalt I” voor fluit, hobo, klarinet, fagot, hoorn en piano. Het werk toont op vele vlakken een overgang van materiaal in drie stappen. Het gebruik van de tekst, afkomstig uit “Les Fleurs du Mal” van Charles Baudelaire past eveneens volledig in dit idee. Bij het begin wordt de tekst als het ware uitgerokken, waardoor je langzame klinkertransformaties krijgt van de aanwezige woorden. Daarna vinden we het spel met de fonemen nog steeds terug, alleen worden de combinaties grilliger en zijn de woorden zelf niet meer te achterhalen. Naar het einde toe ontstaan er combinaties van fonemen en (delen van) woorden, waardoor in de tekst als het ware een onbegrijpbare dialoog ontstaat, om zo uiteindelijk uit te monden in een wazig, onduidelijk einde, waarbij de stem en de tekst quasi een instrumentale functie gekregen hebben. “Echo de Baudelaire” is a short piece for soprano and bass clarinet and fits completely in the ideology of previous “Echo’s”. At one hand, this echo shows a lot of (subtle) color possibilities of this two instruments. At the other hand, the “Echo” refers also to other, “bigger” pieces. I consider here two pieces: “Samsa-Impressionen” for mezzo soprano and ensemble and “Gestalt I” for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, French horn and piano. The piece shows at many levels a transition of material in three steps. The use of the text, which is based on “Les Fleurs du Mal” of Charles Baudelaire fits also completely in this idea. At the beginning, the text and words are stretched a lot, and you receive very slow vowel transformations of the present words. Then, the use of the phonemes is still there, but the combinations are more capricious and it is impossible to discover the used words. Near the end, there arises a combinations of phonemes and (parts of) words, which leads to an incomprehensible dialogue. The end is very soft and unclear and the voice has reached an almost instrumental function.
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[email protected]
first performance: Gershwin Hotel, New York, 26 May 2011 by the ensemble NOISE -BRIDGE
dedicated to the musicians of the ensemble NOISE-BRIDGE (Christie Finn & Felix Behringer) and to the musicians of the ensemble Odysseia (Emilie De Voght & Dries Tack)
Notation General remarks Dynamics: Dynamics are always notated absolutely. For example, it means that pp by the soprano (also the whispering) is as loud as pp by the bass clarinet.
Crescendo from silence - Decrescendo to silence
gradual transition
Bass Clarinet Multiphonics Gebruikte bronnen/used sources: Rehfeldt, Ph. New Directions for Clarinet, The Scarecrow Press
Breaht Tone (B.T.) & Very Breath Tone (V.B.T.): play note and add breath.
There are two subdivisions: "(normal) breath tone" and "very breath tone". This two instructions can be played in other ways. "(Normal) breath tone" is obtained by a reduced lip-pressure, "very breathy" is obtained by breath, escaping through the corners of the mouth. It is important to know for the whole piece that playing with breath is always associated with the evolution of the musical phrasings. The amount of breath can vary to obtain a better coherence of the musical material.
Slap tongue
So called "timbral trill", "trille de sonorité" or sometimes also called "bisbigliando". Little differences concerning the intonation are possible and are even advised.
Normal trill
By trills and bisbigliandi sometimes appears "trillo calmo" or "bisbigliando calmo". This means that the trill/bisbigliando should be played on a natural, calm way, with a logical evolution in the given context or phrasing.
flz.
Normal Fluttertonguing
K.C. Key clicks
T.S.
Toneless sound. This notes are toneless sounds of blowing with prescribed fingerigs through which the degree of brightness of the air-sound is differentiated. (always with closed embouchure)
Soprano The voice is used in different ways: - sing - speak - whisper - whistle
con fiato: add air
whisper
speak
Fischio = whistle The whistle sounds at the end of the piece are notated in real pitch. Nevertheless, it is allowed to change the octave range when the given range is not possible.
[ɔ] (vo
-
[ɔ]
Text in brackets under the phonemes is just an assistance. With this text in your mind, the singing of the correct phonemes can facilitate.
[y] lup)
[y]
gradual transition of one vowel to the other
All the used phonemes are derived of the used textst. The words under the phonemes indicates sometimes how it should be pronounced. Here you find a little summary of the used phonemes.
[y]as “voluptueuse” [ø]as “voluptueuse” [u]as “tout” [ɔ]as “monte” [a] as “apaisant” [ɛ]as “apaisant” [i]as “nuit" (or ami) [ã] as “apaisant” [ε̃]as “faim” [t]as “tout” [s]as “voluptueuse” [z]as “apaisant” [p]as “voluptueuse” [m]as “même”
to the Ensemble NOISE-BRIDGE (Christie Finn and Felix Behringer) to the Odysseia Ensemble (Emilie De Voght and Dries Tack)
Echo de Baudelaire
SCORE IN C
music for soprano and bass clarinet based on an extract of the poem "la Fin de la Journée" of Ch. Baudelaire
Frederik Neyrinck (2011) version 110902
Tempo Lento (q = ca.54) whispered (like a sharp ricochet) p ff
Soprano
sing
whispered
p
3
[y]
[t].............. (t -
-
-
[ø] eu
(gradual transition)
u
-
-
-
-
-
mf
-
-
-
-
-
[z] se)
-
slap
slap slap 3
ff
ppp energico da lontano
R
R
Eb
F
F
F
Bass Clarinet in Bb
ff
3
-
-
out)
-
6
whispered ppp mf
3
9
ppp
7
f ppp
ff
sing
pp
[m] (m
-
-
-
-
7
p
f
pp
-
-
-
-
3
whispered ff
-
-
[t]........................ te)
-
-
ppp
9
ff
[t] (t
gliss. 3
[y] - u
5
ff
f sffz
ff
ffp
fff
[s]
[ø] eu)
-
3
f
-
whispered mf
flz. slap 3
[ɔ] on
sing ff
ppp
sffz
pp
slap 7
6
p
-
[t].................
mf
pp tenuto da lontano
ff
slap slap
ppp
9
[u]
[t].................. (t -
3
7
f ppp
sing pp tenuto da lontano
5
p
ff
9
R
Eb
(s
fff
-
2
sing con fiato p
3
7
p
sing ff mf gliss.
[u]
mf
ff
fff
p
ff
gliss.
[y]
whispered ff
3
5
ff
fff
flz.
ffp
fff
6
3
mf
ff
pp
3
fff
mf
6
slap
F# Eb
flz.
fffp
ffff
fff
p
[ε]
[s]
[a]
pp legato poss.
[t]
R
slap
ffp
5
mf
[t].........................
slap
slap
f
ppp possibile tenuto da molto lontano
f
3
3
7
p
sing
[ɔ]
ff
whispered p ff
p
ff
3
ffp
ff
p
mf gliss.
pp
slap gliss. 3
flz.
[t]..................
ff
mf
6
p
[ɔ]
[t]
slap
ppp tenuto da lontano
sing ppp
[t]..........................
sing whispered p ff
p
3
whispered ff
–ant ant)
-
ord. pp
3
[i]
3 fff suono distorto
cresc. molto
p
3
ppp
3
[o] (vo
-
-
-
-
[y] lup)
-
Bbtr
spoken p sotto voce
3
[ã]
spoken p
whispered pp mf
3
nuit
pp
sing
p
gliss.
spoken f
mf
3
-
fa
-
gliss.
whispered ppp tenuto da molto lontano
3
(trasformazione del rumore)
3
ppp, molto vago quasi rumore (imitatione delle voce)
sing
3
[m] (m
V.B.T.
ppp tenuto da molto lontano
Meno Mosso (q=ca.44) (non decresc.)
(trillo calmo, poco a poco più mosso)
[s]
[p]
çant
[z]
pp
3
ef
(non decresc.)
3
p
[p]
[s]
[ã]
rit. al Meno Mosso
pp
fff suono distorto
nuit
cresc. molto
pp
p
ppp
-
-
(non decresc.)
-
4
bocca chiusa pp
bocca chiusa pp
con fiato p
[ε] ê
-
-
3
-
[m] me)
-
9
3
9
pp
"pppp"
K.C.
p
ppp
"pppp"
3
B.T.
pp rumore
pppp
T.S. (sim.)
3
gliss.
3
3
T.S.
3
ppp
3
pp più indistinto
ppp vago
3
ppp
3
gliss.
3
p
V.B.T.
5
slap
p
pp
3
slap
3
3
whistle pppp
sing con (molto) fiato pp molto vago
ppp
p
p
ppp
5
ppp
p
p
pppp
B.T.
ppp
V.B.T.
slap
[ε]
p
5
sing con (molto) fiato p più vago
pp
V.B.T.
mf
ppp
p
mf
3
whistle pp
sing con fiato mf
ppp gliss.
p
T.S.
p
B.T.
[ε̃] (faim)
slap
pp
slap
3 pppp 5 5
(toneless sound of blowing)
3
(non decresc.)
ppp
p
–fin
B.T.
whistle ppp
T.S. (closed embouchure)
B.T.
K.C.
[a]
B.T.
B.T.
"pppp"
3
en–
faim la
sing con fiato ppp tenuto da molto lontano, ma vago e distorto
K.C.
ppp
3
B.T.
-
spoken (don't whisper, but articulate little to obtain a mormorando sound) p "immobile"
T.S.
3
pppp
ppp
3
–fin
pp
3
slap
p
3
mf
pppp
T.S.
pppp
ppp
3
