Third Assignment

Due: November 3, 1997

Name:___________________________

1. Consider yourself the leader of a small (3-8) group of performers dedicated exclusively to music written after 1950. Choose from John Cage's book Notations (on reserve) or from the School of Music library a "graphic" score (i.e. a score that looks more like a drawing and uses little or NO traditional notation -- e.g. Sydney Wallace Stegall Dappled Fields, Carl Fernbach-Flarsheim's untitled piece, or A. Logothetis Ichnologia, all reproduced in Notations). Describe how you would perform it, what would each member of the ensemble play and do during the piece. Attach a copy of the score.

   Do not forget to mention: how long the performance should last, what instrumentations will be used, and how would you read the score.

   JUSTIFY ALL YOUR DECISIONS. Explain

   • WHYyou interpret the symbols on the page the way you do
   • WHYyou read the score the way you do
   • WHYyou follow a certain path through the score instead of others

   In addition to the information provided by Cage's book, here are some other composers who wrote scores in non-traditional notation:

   • Sylvano Bussotti
   • Mauricio Kagel
   • Robert Moran
   • Phil Winsor
   • Kenneth Gaburo
   • Yehuda Yannay
   You can find out more by consulting:
   • Source Magazine of the Avantgarde
   • Al Blatter - Intrsumentation (examples of new notation and extended techniques for each instrument)
   • E. Karkoschka - Das Schriftbild der Neuen Musik
   • H. A. Rissatti - New Music Vocabulary
   • David Cope - New Directions in Music

   Each student should choose a different score. If two or more are working on the same score, their interpretation and performance instructions should be significantly different. No assignments that "share" ideas - only individual, original work will be considered.

   60 points

2. Write a brief description on the back of the preceding page of how would you interpret the following notation symbols and explain why:

   20 points

3. Based on the scores presented in class or available on reserve, draw a notation symbol for each of the following instrumental or vocal effects:
   • Strings: strike a string with the fingetip between bridge and the tailpiece.

   • Woodwinds: woodwind "pizzicato" - attack a note and imediately stop the air with the tip of the tongue

   • Voice: mouth click

   • Brass: play a long sound while humming a glissando between two other different sounds.

   • Percussion: strike around the edge of the instrument then move in a very slow circular motion

     20 points