Score

Ian Mikyska

Romanzas Cortas en una Lengua Privada

for viola and violoncello

2

Performance notes

General Notes

The piece should be performed in a room with as little lighting as possible. Thevoices of the performers should be amplified; the amplification of the instrumentscould prove necessary in larger spaces, at the discretion of the performers.

The notation for each instrument is split into three parts: the voice, the instrument,and the body of the instrument.

The staff of the instrument functions as normal. The staff for voice consists of one. Allwords and syllables are to be spoken as if in Spanish. The staff for the body of theinstrument indicates in which way to play on it; details are given below.

All dynamics are written relative to the technique at hand; i.e. a mezzoforte bowingon the body of the instrument should be at about 50% of the possible maximumvolume of the given technique.

All text is to be spoken whispered; dynamics are, again, relative.

The third movement is written in time-space as opposed to metrical notation. Eachbar represents five seconds. Occasionally, vertical dotted lines are used assynchronisation points.

Body of the instrument

The notes on the lines can also be struck with the wooden part of the bow (col legnobattuto). The notes in the spaces are to be played either by stroking the instrumentwith the palm and fingers (arco) or by striking it with the fingers (fin.) or knuckles(knu.)

3

Notation

quarter-tone sharp and quarter-tone flat

c.l.b. – col legno battuto, striking with the wooden part of the bow

c.l.t. – col legno tratto, bowing with the wooden part of the bow

s.p. – sul ponticello, close to the bridge

s.t. – sul tasto, further away from the bridge

scrape – harsh tone with a scraping sound; sometimes referred to as scratch tone

ord. – ordinario, play normally

on fingerboard – bow or pluck on the fingerboard, behind the fingers of the left hand

ric. – ricochet, bounce the bow on the strings, rhythm is either graphically orstandartly notated

jeté – thrown bow

card – (only cello) play with a medium hardness piece of card (a softer business card,for example). Hold it between thumb and forefinger, about a 5 to 10 millimetresaway from the corner, and pluck with said corner

square noteheads in instrument parts – play on the strings indicated by thenoteheads and place the palm of the hand over the strings so that no tone isproduced; the sound should be soft and balanced; if dynamics indicate highervolume (mezzoforte or forte) do not be afraid to make a harsher, scrapingsound.

triangular noteheads in instrument parts – play the highest ordinarily-fingerednote possible

Fourth harmonics are notated as usual, harmonics on open strings are indicated by adiamond notehead on the stopped note and an indication of which string (I, II, etc.)

Voice

Viola

Body

Voice

Cello

Body

pizz.

= 60

s.p.

IV

IV

on fingerboard

pizz, s.p.

arco

III

IV

arco

Romanzas Cortas en Una Lengua PrivadaIan Mikyska

Score

para viola y violoncello

I. Whispers One

Vla.

Bo.

crossfade crossfade

crossfade

5

c.l.t.

III

c.l.t.

( )

IV

arco

card

Vla.

Bo.

9

c.l.b.

( )

s.p. flaut.

IV

arco

(card)

IIIIV

3 3

c.l.b.s.p.

( ) ( )arco

IV IIIIV

arco

5

Bo.

Vc.

Bo.

Vc.

Vla.

Vc.

13

c.l.b. arco

arco

III

IIIIV

arco

IIIIV

Vla.

Vc.

17

3

card

arco

IIIII

3

card

IIIIV

arco

IIIII

IIIIV

Vla.

Vc.

22

3

c.l.b.s.p.

IIIII

arco

IIIIV

IIIII

3

card

IIIIV

arco

IIIII

IIIIV

6

Bo.

Bo.

Vla.

Vc.crossfade

crossfadecro

ssfad

e

crossfade

IIIIV

IIIII

Pa s [s]

sió [ó]

on fingerboard

IIIIV

(n)

III

ord.

IIIIV

(slide acrosstop strings)

- -

-

Bo.

Vc.

crossf

ade

IIIIV

Pa [a]

sio [n]

IIIII

IIIII

sió

(n)

IIIII

su su

IIIII

!!

- -

-

-

7

Vo.

Bo.

Vo.

Bo.

Vla.

Vo.

Vo.

Vla.

su su

su

sul C

IIIIV

!

3 3

su su su

3 3

3 3 3

su su su su

3

33

c.l.b.

card

arco

IIIIV

IIIII !

-

-

Vo.

Vla.

Bo.

Vo.

Vc.

41 rro

rro

3

card

(fundamental tone should startsounding about halfway through)

arco

(no tone)

arco

III

8

Vo.

Vc.

Vo.

Bo.

Bo.

Vla.

Vc.

45

= 180

arco

arco

Vla.

Vc.

49

IIIIIIIV

IVIII

s.p.

Vla.

Vc.

51

s.p.

Vla.

Bo.

54

arco knu.

9

Vc.

II. Gestures One

Bo.

Vc.

57

knu.

IV

arco

II

c.l.b.arco

III

arco c.l.b.

Bo.

Vc.

c.l.t.

I

arcoric.

IVII III I

3

Vla.

Vc.

65

jeté

arco

3

c.l.b.

arco

3

knu.

10

Vla.

Bo.

Bo.

arco

3

3

fin.

Bartók pizz.

3

do lor [r] [r]

arco

- -

Vla.

Vo.

crossfade

ri ri

( )

on fingerboard

rí o

3

[r] do lor

s.p.

s.p.

c.l.t.

- -

-

11

Vc.

Vla.

Vo.

Vo.

Vc.

Vo.

Vla.

Vc.

77

[r] í o

3 3

arcoon fingerboard

!

[r] í o

3

3

3

do lor do lor

IV II III I

pizz.

!

[r] [r]

[r] í o r í o r í o

IIIIV

!! !

arcos.p.

!! !

arcos.t.

- -

-

- -

Vo.

Vla.

Vo.

Vc.

crossfade

crossfade

80 `[r]

[r] í o r í o r í o

simile

simile

simile

simile

[r] [r]

[r] í o r í o r í o

-- - -

12

Vo.

Bo.

Bo.

Vla.

Vc.

crossfade

crossfade

83

| |IV| |

ord.

| || |

13

Vo.

Bo.

Vo.

Vc.

86 Pas

su su rro

[s]

[s] ión

IIIIV

!

flaut.

su su rro

pa sión

c.l.b.

!

- -

- - - -

Bo.

Vc.

Bo.

c.l.t.

pa sió

pas

arco

-

14

Vla.

Bo.

Vla.

Vo.

Vo.[s]

III. Whisper Two

Vo.

Bo.

Vo.

Vc.

92 pa sión

su su rro

[r] s s

flaut.

!

ric.

rí o rí o

[s] pasión

knu. fin.

Vo.

Vla.

Vo.

Vc.

95 su su rro

pa sió

arcos.p.

s su

III

arco

ric.

!

arco

s

rí o

- -

15

[ó]

Vla.

Bo.

Bo.

Vo.

Vla.

98 s

arco

III

( )

s.p.

Vc.

crossf

ade

[s]

scrape

[r] [r]

arco

16

Vc.

Vo.

Vla.

Bo.

Vo.

Vo.

Vla.

Vo.

Vc.

Bo.

104 su su su [s]

pa sión

s.p.

c.l.b.

rro

su su su su

( ) ( )

Vo.

Vo.

Bo.

107 s

s

fin.

[r]

17

Bo.

Bo.

Vc.

Vo.

Vla.

Vo.

Vc.

Bo.

110 [s] [r]

pa sión

arco

arco

su su rro [r] [r]

c.l.t.

IV

rí o pa sión rí o pa sión

[s]

III

!

- - -

Vo.

Vo.

113 [r] [s]

[s]

[r]

18

Bo.

Bo.

Bo.

Vc.

s.p.

[s]

fin.

Vo.

Vla.

Bo.

Vo.

Vc.

Bo.

119

knu.

19

Bo.

Bo.

Vo.

Vo.

Vla.

Bo.

Vc.

122 [s]

s.p.

c.l.t.

= 32

[r]

rí o pa

do

IIIIV

c.l.t.arco

!

( )

arco

-

20

IV. Gesture Two

Vo.

Vo.

Bo.

Vc.

125 sió (n)

IIIIV

sió (n)

pa

3

!

c.l.t.(arco)

c.l.b.arco

!

!

do lor

3 3

rí o rí o rí o

IIIII

!

on fingerboard

- -

21

Vla.

Vo.

Vo.

Vla.

Vo.

Vc.

128 3

su su rro pa

pa

s.p.

s.t.

sió (n)

sió (n)

su su su su su rro pa sión

do lor [r] rí o

scraperic.

III

c.l.t.

!

ord.

-

22

Bo.

Bo.

Vo.

Vla.

Bo.

Vo.

Vc.

Bo.

131 [r] [r] pa sión

do lor do lor

scrape

c.l.b.ric.

( )

arco

s.p.

arcoric.

rí os [s]

[r] [s]

ord.

s.t. s.p.

s.p.s.t.

su su su rro

3

rí o pa sión do lor

arco fin.

arcoord.

!

c.l.b.

23

Vo.

Vla.

Bo.

Vo.

Vc.

Bo.

crossfade

crossfade

134 rí o [s] [s] su rro

do lor pa sión

arco

( )(gliss.)

arco s.p.

( )

rí o su su [s]

su do lor su rro pas

s.p.

( )

sul C

arcosul C

do

[r]

24

Vo.

Vla.

Vo.

Vc.

Bo.

137 [s] [s]

rí o su su rro

IV III

c.l.t.

scrape

(c.l.t.)

do lor [r]

do lor [s]

arco arco

(c.l.t.)

[r]

[s] [r] [s]

s.p.

IIIIV

arco

25

Bo.

Vo.

Vla.

Vo.

Vc.

Bo.

140 [s]

[s] do

ord.

I

c.l.b.

[r]

arco

arco

26

Bo.

Vo.

Vo.

Vc.

crossfade

143 3

[r] [s]

[r] do lor

s.p.flaut.

sul C

[s]

3

ric.

3[r] rí os [r] [r]

3

do pas [s]

III

III

arco

ord.

[s]

27

Vla.

Bo.

Vo.

Vla.

Vo.

Vc.

147 [r] [s]

3

3do [r]

c.l.t.

3 3

arco

3 3

[s]

5

s.p.(arco)

28

Bo.

Bo.

Vo.

Vla.

Vo.

150 [d]

5

[p]

on fingerboard

[r]

[s]

3

flaut.

pa do rí o

29

Vc.

Vo.

Vla.

Bo.

Vc.

Bo.

crossfade

crossfade

153 [s]

s.p.

[s]

[s]

c.l.t.

30

Vo.

Vla.

Vc.

Bo.

156 [s]

(c.l.t.)

rit.

rit.

[s]

arco

31