Description
Subside
(from choleric to phlegmatic and back again)
For ensemble and percussion
This work was written in February 2004 in response to a call for pieces on the theme of 'The Four Temperaments'. This was part of CoMA’s Open Score project, made possible with funds from the Esmée Fairbairn and PRS Foundations.
Programme note:
'Subside' outlines a slow mood change from controlled violent anger to tenderness, then a sudden flip back to anger again.
Technical notes:
Percussion is essential, with the choice of instruments left to the discretion of the player(s), using the directions in the one-page score as a guide. The percussionists play on the 2nd and 4th beats throughout the piece - accenting the 4th beat.
Other instrumentalists are divided between Parts 1 - 4. Parts are available in numerous transpositions - though it should be possible for instruments in C to read from the score.
The dynamic markings in the score apply to all the parts.
The size of the ensemble is not indicated, but ideally there should be enough players to allow for a reduction in the number of people playing two bars before letter D, and a further reduction to solo instruments six bars before letter E. However, this guidance can be ignored and the piece played by quite a small group; for example - violin, piano and percussion, or organ and percussion.
If flutes and violins play Part 1 - the flutes may play an octave higher than written until letter A, and the violins may play tremolando until letter A.
Keyboard players can play combinations of all parts. In addition, or alternatively, the keyboard players may double parts 3 and 4 an octave lower than written where indicated by the horizontal brackets, for example in the third and fourth bars.
The allocation of instruments to the parts is left to the discretion of the musical director / performers - but should take account of the dynamic markings and expression indications.
The last 2 bars of the piece are played 5 times in total.