Peter Seabourne. Steps. Volume 2 An second anthology of music for piano. Studies of Invention

Transcription

1 Peter Seabourne Stes Volume 2 An second anthology o music or iano Studies o Invention Book I I II III IV V Book II VI VII VIII IX X Book III XI XII XIII XIV XV Flying Machines Sixty Beggars Old Man with Water Studies Study o a Woman s Hands The Kite o the Cradle Tank Polishing Ierections in Glass A Moth to the Light Persectives o Disaearance La Scaigliata The Existence o Nothingness The Iossibility o Peretual Motion Lenses or Looking at the Moon Study o a Deluge This is the Way Birds Descend The ieces in this collection were written as a cycle; however, erormers are ree to lay individual books, or indeed to select as they chose rom among them. They were insired by a visit to Vinci, birthlace o Leonardo. Though titled ater his designs, studies, aintings and writings, they are not intended as musical evocations or 'translations'; rather as imaginings o the internal joys, rustrations, insirations and dreams that might have accoanied his creative rocesses. This, the second volume in a series, orms art o an ongoing roject that is oen ended. It is dedicated to the young ianist whose laying rekindled my coositional sark, and to whom I will always be deely indebted.

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3 1 Piano 9 1 Surging q.=60-66 Studies o Invention Book I I. Flying Machines molto :6 Peter Seabourne August February 2007 molto

4 rd Ped. simile [B ]

5 Ped come rima :2h :2h 29

6 4 [D] 1 [B] [B] rd Ped. rd Ped. rd Ped. :6 :6 [D]

7 48 7 :6 :6 :6 :6 :6 :6 :6 62 rather enigmatic :6 :6 :6 :6 70

8 [R.H.] [R.H.] 84 [R.H.] [R.H.] :6 :6

9 :2h :2h 10

10 rd Ped. 117 accel. 119

11 9 II. Sixty Beggars Piano Melancholy q =

12 rubato will be necessary to allow or the sread chords. These should be started on the beat, delaying the melodic line or the minimum time ossible. [B] intense [A]

13 11 2 molto [B] 26 7:8 [Db] oco cresc. 28 cresc. oco a oco 1

14 12 In this system each stave's accidentals are indeendent viz. there are no 'reminders' between staves 4 smudged less than the to stave 8 : ( ) 44

15 1 III. Old Man with Water Studies Piano Maestoso e = 12 molto legato (non troo) * 9 * Phrasing is not coied between staves where identical, to avoid clutter. It should be in broad swees and not over ussily subdivided into irregular beat grous: the eect intended is o a slightly ierectly moving large object, not o "danciness". A certain amount o rubato will be required to allow or the aster moving inner arts. Thus absolute teo and rhythmic accuracy are to be subordinate to the sense o massiveness and melodic line.

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17 27 0 [B, C#] cresc. oco a oco cresc. oco a oco iù cresc. iù cresc. It is realised that it will not always be ossible hysically to hold the melody notes in this assage, ingers being required or the aster inner arts. However, this 'iction' is maintained to indicate the line. massive 1 6

18 The melodic line should be maintained as much as ossible, even though reeated notes are required

19 dim oco a......oco 17 67

20 oco molto molto (i ossible)

21 non dim.

22 20 IV. Study o a Woman's Hands Piano Gently, sily q = The texture in this iece should not be too dry - a certain 'generosity' in the edalling is intended. This is let to the layer, but maintaining melodic lines should be aramount.

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24 22 18 oco oco non troo as much with weight as with loudness non troo rd Ped. [D#] oco iù oco iù rd Ped.

25 treble notes not areggiated

26 24 molto molto 9

27 2 V. The Kite o the Cradle With great energy and assion q=88 oco oco

28 26 12 () d - i - m - i - n - u - e - n - d - o (subito meno)

29

30 subito 46 49

31 1 8 7:6 subito subito 29 61

32 [light edal] [accidentals simile] 7

33 [Bb] (m) dim. ma non troo 88

34 [ ] delicate - leeting

35 Book II VI. Tank Piano Dry, truculent - somewhat 'snatched' q = 92 exaggerated crescendos 8 10 rd Ped.

36 una corda oco rd Ped. sere 21 tre corde 2 subdued but with weight sere molto oco sere 2, oco oco

37 Tumultous (with as little rubato as ossible) cresc. oco a oco molto,

38 [loco] 49

39 7 VII. Polishing Ierections in Glass Piano Mesmeric, luminous, subdued q.=60 cantabile * simile legatissimo ("baignées de edales") 6 11 meno 1 oco iù * The RH art should be like one line with the to note sustained, but dominant; not like two searate voices. LH hrasing is not marked as it will ollow the RH.. Pedaling should be very generous, with a glassy sound quality.

40 8 19 meno both R.H. arts are within the quintulet :6 come rima :6 :6 :6 4 :6 :6 sub. :6 :6 :6 9 :6 :6 oco a oco iù :6

41 4 :6 oco oco rd Ped. 7 rd Ped. 6

42 40 VIII. A Moth to the Light Piano Nervous, anxious e = (m) subito 12 molto 17

43 sub. just enough to let chord emerge quietly rom the tumult sub. simile

44 molto 76 82

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46 oco 129 () () molto hrase 'bouncing o' the bass notes 1 :6

47 144 :6 oco :6 molto :6 sub. molto

48 iù legato 182 cresc. oco a oco molto 7:8 non rit. 7:8 staccato, i ossible

49 47 IX. Persectives o Disaearance Piano 4 Wistul q = 60 A minimum o edaling is marked to avoid ussiness. However, the sound intended is not dry but luminous, so the edal should be used generously oco

50 : (oco subito) rd Ped. rd Ped. This is merely suggested edaling - sustained and 'glossy, but not too over-resonant. The erormer is ree to alter it. The lower art is to be slightly more distant until bar 27 oco

51 2 oco agitato 49 rd Ped. rd Ped rd Ped. oco meno remaining intense molto :6

52 sub. () oco molto molto molto sub ten.

53 1 X. La Scaigliata Piano 4 Light - delicate - dancing q = 100 A slightly 'ussy', ointed use o dynamics is intended, with strong diminuendi or aired notes, but with hrased dynamics ollowing the dotted hairins above oco

54 molto molto molto oco molto molto

55 Agitato accented notes here not over attacked, just standing out rom trilets oco molto 44 oco oco

56 4 0 oco oco 4 9 oco iù 6 oco layul 66

57 69 72 molto 77 oco una corda lontano tre corde sub.

58 6 Book III XI. The Existence o Nothingness Andante - un oco esante q =

59 rd Ped. bars 22 & 24 A little rubato will be obviously be necessary to accommodate the sread chord. The to two (melody) notes should not be areggiated. (ancora) ochiss. oco oco to two notes not areggiated. Rubato come rima - but as little as ossible. 7

60 sub. soltanto un oco meno 7:8 molto oco meno

61 rd Ped.

62 60 71 selice 78

63 61 XII. The Iossibility o Peretual Motion Whirring - like a wonky tarantella! e = 168 legatiss

64

65 sub. 6 9

66 () molto molto iù molto 8 oco

67 6 6 molto sz sz sz sz [E] sz

68 66 79 non rit...

69 67 XIII. Lenses or Looking at the Moon Almost still - very slow q = 6 lontano * Piano * both notes una corda 8

70 68 11 lontano tre corde come rima 16 una corda 20 2

71 27 tre corde lontano una corda 7

72 70 XIV. Study o a Deluge Piano Massive q = 76 (tre corde) 4

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74 oco meno oco meno oco meno

75 Meno mosso q = oco oco 7

76 74 6 [R.H.] oco 9

77

78 76 always growing in tension 48 0 oco accel. 2 Teo rino q = 76

79 8 61 accel. () () with surging energy molto 77

80 78 6 molto 7:8 molto 69 molto Molto iù mosso q = 12 molto molto 7 l.v. l.v.

81 like a cadenza - with a certain reedom sere 79

82 80 97 Meno Mosso, Maestoso e.= Più mosso (Teo II) e. = 176 sub. molto cresc. 104 Meno Mosso e.= D and Db reminders are not used in these bars to avoid clutter

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84 82 XV. This the Way Birds Descend Piano Lontano q = 48 * (non tr.) (l.v.) L.H. iacere oignantly *bar 4 etc.:to avoid ussiness the trilled note is tied, it resuming as soon as the melody note has been struck and 'rung' a little, in the manner o Debussy etc. ** bar 14: the melody ties are 'aural'. However, there should be a clear sense o line. Phrase marks/slurs are not indicated or the raid broken chord inner arts to avoid ointless clutter - these ollow the melody hrasing. The eect is intended is o a gentle hovering develoing rom the trills and not something over articulated.

85 oco serioso

86

87 28 iù aassionato [C#] 1 2 ten. molto

88 86 4 (trem.) 6 7

89 1 12 lontano 9 rit. 87