a piano piece with variations for with or without a piano
The
piano piece is a set of variations for a piano that is not needed to
perform the work. The “theme” of the work bares resemblance to the
variations upon it, only because they are also in dream and breath like
harmonies. The first of the two variations “Caught Like a Thief” is for
two or more players sitting at a real or fictive piano, or anywhere
else. The piece is performed blindfolded and players proceed by creating
a scratch like sound as best they can and then repeating the action ad
lib on a different key (or surface) or continue on with the same key (or
same surface).“A Breath Sound That is Scratching” is the title of the
second and final variation. It is for one, two or even more players and
is presented as a foldout score that can be read from any direction,
upside down, or even backwards and upside down. To perform it, each
player lays the score down on the surface of a table or on a floor (on
the grass of a meadow, or on the forest floor) between all performers
sitting around it in a circle. The entire work is performed by
scratching fine, medium, and course grades if sandpaper with a guitar
pick following the score as one understands it.
Music for Pencils is a collection of eight pieces for lead pencils and related material. Each piece is designed with a unique sound spectrum in mind, whose sonic presentation is dependent on the number of pencils used in creating that sound spectrum. All of the instructions and notational information for a performance are printed directly onto the pencils, making the duality between an art object and a utilitarian object rather unclear.
Music for One Pencil: consists of a freely chosen text which is repeatedly rewritten and then erased until the pencil has become to small to write with, or to small to re-sharpen again. During performance particular attention is given to the sounds that are produced while writing or erasing the text and sharpening the pencil. The text used for the recording is a statement from Arnold Schoenberg “both ends of the pencil should be used in equal amounts.”
Music for Two Pencils: is a continuous action until no new sounds can be immediately found. A miniature percussion score for the left and right hands is provided and verbal instructions tells the performer to substitute an old sound for a new sound upon repeating the score.
Music for Three Pencils: is a rhythmic piece based on the idea of a seesaw. Three pencils are cut to form a total of five different sized lengths. The various lengths are ‘see-sawed’ on a table top in logical progression (from large to small for example), with one one pencil falling out of the logical order, creating a ‘mistake’. The pencils are seesawed for any duration with or without pauses in between.
Music for Four Pencils: entitled “aria”, the pencils form the actual score. Vowels are printed on three of the four pencils. A performance score is realized by placing the three pencils together and then rolling them a few turns until several of the vowels are visible. The fourth pencils is then placed in the mouth and repeatedly rattled against the teeth while shaping the indicated vowels with the mouth. A stream of sounds resembling a sung vocal melody results.
Music Five Pencils: uses the same technique of rolling pencils to realize provide a score. Instead of vowels there are dynamic indications printed on the pencils. Three of the pencils are used to realize the score and two of the five pencils are used to strike different surfaces and objects with the indicated dynamics. The distance between the dynamic indications printed on the pencils is indicative to the duration between each of the sounds made. ˜
Music for Six Pencils: is a rather complicated six voice cannon for six players. The instructions, which are given along with time brackets for each event, are as follows: With the pencil draw the following figures in any order: points, lines, circles, zigzags, eights. Change to a new figure at the indicated time divisions. One figure for each of the time divisions. Any player may begin. Each player thereafter takes his/her entrance from the previous voice at any figure change. Only one player per entrance. Use a stop watch. A multi-track recorder was used to realize the score on this recording.
Music for Seven Pencils: is a set of instructions to build a miniature xylophone out of seven pencils. The xylophone is then used to accompany oneself in singing a short song about Henry David Thoureau, who supposedly invented the pencil. A collage in sound best describes.
Music for Eight Pencils: is performed with a stop watch, or other relevant method of keeping time. To start, eight players divide up eight pencils and perform the indicated actions on a large table within a given a span of time. When two separate actions are indicated, the length of one action in relation to the other is free.