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Instrumentation

SopranoVoice

DoubleBass

PianoSuggestedStageLayout

Celesta

1st

Percussionist(Ratchet,Tam-tam,FootPump)

2ndPercussionist(BassDrum,ThunderTube,FootPump)

Sampler

TechnicalRequirements

3xFootPumps

4xDictaphones(forfingercymbaltree)

8xFingerCymbals(forfingercymbaltree)

4xMiniImacspeakers(forspeakertree)

2xMicStands(forfingercymbaltreeandspeakertree)PA1xDoubleBasspick-up

1xProjectorandProjectorScreen

1xAudioCassetteTape

2xLaptops(1forvideo1foraudio)

SetupofTheFingerCymbalTreeandSpeakerTree

Thefingercymbaltreeconsistsofalineof4dictaphoneshangingupsidedownfromamicstandarrangedinaTshape.Theiroutercasingshouldberemovedsothatthepegs

usedtoholdandrotatethecassettetapeareopenlyfacingtowardstheground.Asmallflatdiskofaboutaninchinradiusshouldbemadeoutofsturdycardboardorplastic.

Thisisattachedtotherotatingpegofthe1stdictaphone(theoneontheleft)withblu-tackortapeandafingercymbalisattachedtoitviafishingwireorstrongstring.This

fingercymbalshouldhangoffthediskatabout2/3inchesbelowthedictaphone.Anotherfingercymbalshouldbeattachedtotheright-handsideofthedictaphonesothatit

stationaryhangs.Twosmallringsshouldbeattachedatdifferentpointsdownthewire/stringsothatwhenthefingercymbalhangsfromthehighestringitislikelytobe

struckbytheoppositerotatingfingercymbal,whileonthelowerringitisnot(asmallfishinghookshouldbeattachedtothetopofeachfingercymbalsothattheycanbe

easilymovedandattachedtoeachring).Dictaphone1(onthefarleft)shouldbesetupsothatthefingercymbalsareliketohit,whiletheother3shouldbesetupsothatthey

hangfromthehigherrings,whichmeantheyareunlikelytohit.Anminijackcableshouldcomeoutofthe1stdictaphonesheadphonesocketandbeputthroughamax/msp

patchthatcanbothrecordthesoundofthefingercymbalscolliding(andwordsspokenintothedictaphonesmicrophone)aswellasamplifyingitandputtingitthrougha

delay.Theoutputofthispatchshouldgotothespeakertreewhichconsistsofanidenticalmicstandtothefingercymbaltreesetupupinthesamemannerexceptwith4mini

Imacspeakers(orsimilarspeakersofasmallsize)hangingfromtheTshapedbar.

DescriptionofaStruggle

Instrumentation

&setup

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Phonetics

Specificphoneticsthatappearthroughoutthepiecealwaysoccurin

squarebracketse.g.[].Whensingleunboxedlettersoccuroutofthe

contextofaphraseitisthenameofthatletterthatshouldbespoken

notitssound(e.g.thensinthe3rdSpeech).

Phrasesofthesopranosspeechthatareidenticaltosamplesofsleep

talkbeingusedinthepieceshouldbepronouncedinasimilarway

(e.g.Doef-a-fois).

Thelistofphoneticsfoundinthepieceareasfollows:

[]-easinpet

[aI]iasinhigh

[]aasinbalm[]aasinsurf

[o]-oasinhoe

[]-oasinpot[]ngasinsing

[h]hasinham

[g]gasingo

[i]iasinhappy

[]-ooasingood

[]aasinbad[s]sasinsoup

[z]zasinzip

[d]dasindo

V

ocalTechniques

-Gaspingbreathin.

-Pronouncethegivenletterfromthebackofthethroatandthenimmediatelycutoff

thesoundbytensingyourchestandstomach.

-Spokenfromthechestasifhavingbeenpunchedinthestomach(thisalsorequires

thetensingofthediaphragm).

-Thesingeristobreathininacroakingfashionwhilemakinganhsound

(unlessotherwiseindicated).

-Wordsaretobemouthedbutnotsaid.Emphasisshouldbemadeonthesounds

themouthmakesintheformingoftheappropriateshapes,thoughessentialthisismoreof

theatricaldevicethanamusicalone.

-Wordsshouldbewhispered.

-Noteshouldbehalf-sungasifonlyattemptingtosing.

-Inhalation

-Exhalation

OtherPoints

PausesLengthsofpausesareindicatedinsecondsabovethefermata.These

areonlysuggestivebuttheirlengthsshouldbetakenintoconsideratione.g.a5

secpausesisactuallyafairlysubstantialgapbetweeneventsandthisgapshould

reallybefelt(ultimatelyitisbettertooverestimatethepausethen

underestimateit).

CuesCuesinthescoreareindicatedwithaabovethetopstaff.Theseareagainonlysuggestivebutifusedshouldbeindicatedbywhoeverisplayingthe

samples.

FootPumpThefootpumpshouldbeplayedwitheitherfoot.Thesymbolfor

pushingthepumpdownandreleasingitis.

Phonetics&

techniques

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CopyrightNickJonesMay2009London

AsDescriptionofaStruggleisopentointerpretationthewayinwhichitisstagedcanvaryfromperformancetoperformance.Variationsmayoccurnotonlyintheactualperformancebutalsointhewaythepieceispresented.Thismayincludevariationssuchasamplifyingthewholeensemble(notjustthebass),applyingspecificcostumesor

positionstoplayers,workingbeyondthestereofieldofsound,reinterpretingtheendingetc.

Thereare,however,recommendedwaysinwhichtoenhancetheperformanceofthepiecewhichincludes(mostimportantly)thedistributionoftheselectedsleeptalk

samplestoappropriateplayerswithintheensemble(e.g.thesopranoandthedoublebassist)priortorehearsals,thusgivingthemtheopportunitytohearwhattheyare

sometimesimitatingandtogiveanidentitytoacharacterthattheyoftenrespondtoandinteractwith.

Noteson

Performance

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Appendices

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werneriferdidiI

oderondwerifffero

diIifIonderwwerond

IIIwderwownderwon

werernIwderiiffI

oowoonernndder

ififderIderIwoifnerdI

Ideronderiffferon

widnonferderwnder

odernderifIderidIiI

nerwerwderonderdiId

erdifIonerfiInder

W1

Asemi-improvisedrapusingagivenphraseassourcematerial.The

phraseshouldneverbespokeninfullbutcan

behintedattocreatemomentsofnear-claritywithinthe

otherwiseunintelligible.

Thegridoppositeactsasastimulusandsuggestivecombinationofsounds.Theycanbereadhorizontally,vertically,randomlyornotatall;

ineithercasetheactualphraseitselfshouldalwaysconsciouslybein

theperformersmind.Ultimatelythedesiredeffectishopelesslytryingto

articulatesomethingofimportance.

Rhythmsarechosenfreelythoughshouldappearalmostlikeaconstant

flowofverbaldiarrhea.

Thelikenesstorapshouldbeinthedelivery,(e.g.strong,arrogant,

violentetc.)andmaytakeupasimilarstyleofphrasingthatisatthe

discretionoftheperformer.

Therapcaneitherbeperformedacappellaorwithachoiceof

backingtrack(e.g.hip-hop,soundscapeetc.)Thedescriptivewordsbelowaregivenwithinthecontextofthe

DescriptionofaStruggleandarethereasasourceoftheatricalstimuli.

Theatrics

Aggressive,relentless,uncontrollable.

Thereshouldbethesensationofanendlessstutterthatneverresolves

itselfandthatthisdisabilitytocoherentlyspeakisincreasingthe

frustrationandviolenceofthecharacter.

Phrase:

wd/f Thelettersshowninthegridshouldbepronouncedastheywouldwithintheactualword.SmallireferstoiasinifanddidwhileabigIreferstoIasinIwonder.)

-Appendix1-

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dIiinwinawithnaithnaaddwinathn

Iiainnaawithwi

winathnthnadiId

ithithnnaaddda

thnawthnwthinadd

idiiIdIwwthna

nawithnaddiIthth

aAadIwinathnad

diiIthnawinthA

dadadIiinwithna

awithnainainAddi

W2

InthesamemannerasWordlessRapNo.1.Emphasisonthedifferences

betweenthepronunciationsofcertainvowelsoundsmaybeemployed

(e.g.Ianda(seeopposite)),aswellasgreatercoherencewiththe

wordwithandin.

Extraemphasiscanalsobeappliedonstutteringoverthedsandas.

Theatrics

Withgreaterusesofgaspsandchestpressurealmostasifchoking

overthewords.

Phrase:

etn Thelettersshowninthegridshouldbepronouncedas

theywouldwithintheactualword.Smallireferstoias

inwithinwhileabigIreferstoIasindie.

BigAreferstoaasinbaywhileasmallareferstoaasinapple.

-Appendix2-

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DeamDreamDDeamandandc

reamandccananaaPpurePP

ifIifImymmdrdreeama

nndcaaancanPPifIpure

ifIcanIpureIfymmIdr

PureififImydredreeamaa

acancanpurepureifIImya

canIifIdreamIureifI

PPpureifIdrdreamIieamd

aancanIPifIuremIfy

dreamcandreammIpureiImy

andancanpureimydreamcanI

W3

Textremainsambiguousthoughshortburstsofwholewords(apartfrom

dream)maybeused.

Theorderofthecutupwordsshouldconstantlybechangingsothatit

isneverquiteclearwhatthephraseactuallyis.Examplesinclude:

IfI;mI(my);canI;pureifI(purify)Dream.Andcanpurifymy,dream.

AndcandreamifIpureif-I

Theatrics

Withalargersenseofdesperationintryingtosay

somethingbutfailingtodoso.Almostlikehastily

solvingapuzzlebyseeingwhichbitsfitandwhich

dont.

Coughingoverthewordsshouldbeincludedtothe

mixofstutteringandchoking.

Phrase:

f BigIandlittleistillholdthesamemeaningasinthe

previousraps.

SingleDsandPsareincapitalstoemphasistheirplosivenature

-Appendix3-