!

"#$%&' )*+"'#,
for baritone saxophone and live electronics



2014


Jason Charney
!"#$

Foreign Masonry takes its title from Jorge Luis Borges short story "The Aleph,"
about a man who discovers the titular singularity under an acquaintance's cellar
stairs in which he can experience the entire universe at once. At the very end of the
story, he talks about instances of other Alephs that may exist in the world:

The Faithful who gather at the mosque of Amr, in Cairo, are acquainted with the
fact that the entire universe lies inside one of the stone pillars that ring its central
court...No one, of course, can actually see it, but those who lay an ear against the
surface tell that after some short while they perceive its busy hum...The mosque
dates from the seventh century; the pillars come from other temples of pre-Islamic
religions, since, as ibn-Khaldun has written: In nations founded by nomads, the aid
of foreigners is essential in all concerning masonry.
Jorge Luis Borges, The Aleph (1945)

The mysterious column and its inner cosmos are imagined in several different ways:
as the long, closed tube of the instrument formed by fingering the lowest note on
the instrument, the harmonic series on this note (from which a majority of the
pieces pitches are derived), and the "alif" character, the vertical first letter of the
Arabic alphabet that shares a lineage with the storys title. Many of the contours of
melodies in the piece were loosely traced from Arabic orthography, translations of a
few phrases from Borges' story.


&$'()&$*$!#+

This piece requires a microphone and a computer with audio interface running the
Foreign Masonry software (available for download at
jasoncharney.com/foreignmasonry). A condenser is ideal, but should be high-SPL
tolerant if placed near the bell of the instrument since much of the piece is played
with all keys depressed. The performer also needs a USB footpedal (set to trigger
spacebar), or an MIDI pedal set to CC #64 to advance cues. The output is stereo.

Setting up attack detection
Certain sound files and effects are triggered by detection of attacks of a certain
amplitude. To set these levels, first set an acceptable input level. Open the
amplitude detection window from the main patch, then drag down the
corresponding slider and play the indicated technique until the indicator below
blinks. Each slider should be set at the highest possible position for which the
technique will still trigger the blink.

More information about effects and setup can be found within the software.

!"#$#%"!
Please contact composer with questions or to notify of performances. 2014
Jason Charney. All rights reserved.
jasoncharney@gmail.com | jasoncharney.com
1
reverb Press footpedal to advance electronics. Boxed number indicates current cue.
Bisbigliando. Speed up/slow down according to the frequency of the graphic.
Air. Blow through the instrument with smoothly changing air speed according to indicated dynamic.
Key clicks. Increase/decrease speed and density randomly, but do not align with air
swells. Maximum density should always be key clicks as quickly as possible.
>
j
Resonant key click. Slap down all keys emphatically so the low A pitch resonates.
>

j
Open tongue slap. Finger indicated note and tongue slap, with very little resonant pitch.
> >

Air accent. Accent in rhythm without tonguing.

Multiphonic. Finger a low A and play a multiphonic,
changing its fullness depending on the shape
indicated. Peaks indicate as rich of a tone as
possible, and troughs indicate the fundamental
note alone. This fullness is indepent of dynamic.
!
o Finger low A, and play an extremely high partial on the edge of the range of the instrument.
Not necessarily the same partial each time.
o
o

#
Finger low A and play a natural harmonic on the specified pitch. Lines between
notes indicate glissando.
2"
Fixed media cue/effect lasts for indicated duration. This supercedes any metric
marking.
Note: the graphics displayed on the electronics staff do not necessarily correspond to
every discrete event in the electronics, but simply serve as orientation for the performer.
Baritone Saxophone
Electronics
Sax.
Elec.
Sax.
Elec.
Sax.
Elec.
&
&
&
&
f
p sub.
f p
Turbulent, veiled q = 80
f p mf p f
ff ff ff ff
Free Tempo - ad lib.
ff mp sub.
pp
mf f mp
pp
mf mf pp
unpitched
tongue
slaps
**
>
*
3
0
Init.
No output
*Key clicks. Increase/decrease speed and density randomly, but do not align with air swells.
Maximum should always be as quickly as possible.
1
reverb
2
cue2
**air. Blow through the instrument with with smoothly changing speed.
Do not engage reed.
resonant
key
click
>
Align key clicks/air.
> >
3
cue3

repeat ad lib with variable swells of

air and key click density

24"

4
Slap Tongue. Freely vary length of tone after each attack, always tapering

move smoothly from full tone to air

,
dramatic rall.
U
-
>
,

j
j

j


j

!"#$%&' )*+"'#,
Jason Charney

bisbig.
mf
5
resonator fades in
cue5
cue4
slap tongue triggers punctuations
Sax.
Elec.
Sax.
Elec.
Sax.
Elec.
Sax.
Elec.
Sax.
Elec.
&
&
&
&
&
2
2"
6
cue6, resonator model changes
cue8drone (fade in)
bass drum
8 7
cue8
resonator fades out
cue7
9
cue9
p p f
o
p
n
p f
o
p p f p f p
B n n B n

p-f f-ff p-f f-ff f ff

5-6x, accel. and cresc.
.
n n B n
f p f fp f p
Deliberate q=80
4
4
5
4
4
4
3
8
5
4
>
air accents
>> > > >
- - -
^
natural harmonic on low A
^
>
o
o
o o
o
o
-
3 5
3
n

J

n

n
#

n



p
mfp
f p
5
4
4
4
5
4
2
4
o o
o
multiphonic
o o
o
o
> > > > > > >
3
o
o
3 3 3
3

n
J

#



j

j
n
n

bisbig.
p
fp

> >
*
*Incorporate occasional resonant key clicks
> >
Sax.
Elec.
Sax.
Elec.
Sax.
Elec.
Sax.
Elec.
Sax.
Elec.
&
&
&
&
&
3
p
echoing f ff p
p
mf
Timid, a bit slower q = 76
poco
p
mf
f
2
4
4
4
3
4
4
4
3
4
3
4
4
4
2
4
2
4
4
4

>
3
o
o
o
> > >
5"

2"
.
3
3
3
3
.
^
.
^
. . . . . . .
.
. . . . . . .
o o
>
o
o
o o
o
3
o
.
o
3
5
3
5
3 3
3
5
o
o o
.
o
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3
6 5 3
5
5
3 3
-
3
. . . .
o o
>
o
o
o o
o
3
o
.
o
o
o o
o
3
o
.
o
.
o
*
-
o
. . . .
-
o
. .
5 3
3
5
3
5
3
3 3
12 aleph (grain delay) accents
cue11drone fades a bit
-
o
. . . . .
-
o
-
o
-
o
-
o
. . . . .
-
o
. . . . .
5
3 3
6

j

j




n

B

n B n

B

B
j

J

J

n

J


#

B

n

n B n n

B

n B n B




J

J

n

J

J

#

#
B B n

B

n

#
B B

n

#
B

B



B n B

*exaggerate dynamics of notes marked tenuto

to trigger harmonization
10
cue10
11
cue11
cue11drone

Sax.
Elec.
Sax.
Elec.
Sax.
Elec.
Sax.
Elec.
Sax.
Elec.
Sax.
Elec.
&
&
&
&
&
&
4
p
mf
f p sub. mf f
f fp mf fp f
Focused, violent q = 84
fp mf f
p sub.
f
fp f
fmp poco p
5
4
4
4
4
4
3
4
3
4
4
4
5
4
4
4
3
4
4
4
2
4
5
4
-
o
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
-
o
. . . . .
-
o
. . . . .
5
6 7 6 5 6
-
o
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
.
o
. . . -
>
o
5 6 6 7 5 5
- . . -
3
,
5 5
3
.
3 3 3 3
5
5
5

3
3
3
o
o o
o
>
5 5
.

n B n B n

n

n B n
#
B

B

B n

B


#

B

n

B



n



n B n

B n

J
n


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n


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n
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n
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j
B


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n

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n
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B
j
B
j

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j


n

n
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n

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B
J
n
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B
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n
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B
j
B

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B
j
B

n
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B n n
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B n

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B
J
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B
J
n n
n
j

n
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B
j

cue13drone (crossfade)
aleph at pitch (fade in) 13
14
aleph: add chorusing

J
Sax.
Elec.
Sax.
Elec.
Sax.
Elec.
Sax.
Elec.
Sax.
Elec.
&
&
&
&
&
5
mp f
mp
f
f p f
f lyrical, with joy and wonder mp f mf
Free Tempo
mp dolce f
p ff
f grittier, with anticipation p mf
5
4
4
4
5
4
5
4
4
4
o
o o
-
o
3
,
.
o
o o
o
3
o
o
.
o o
3
>
3 5
o
.
o
.
o
o
o
o o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
,
o
o
o
, o
o
o
o
o
-
o
-
o
-
o
,
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
,
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
-
,
o o
o
o
,
molto vib.
o
,
norm.
o
o
o
,
molto vib.
o ,

J
#
n
j


J
n

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n
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n
j

B
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n B n n

#
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1

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o

1
1
1
1
1
11
*
*unspecified extremely high harmonic. not the same in every instance. aleph: 8vb
cue15drone (crossfade)
15 16
aleph: 8vb,
+5th
17
aleph: 8vb
18
aleph: 8vb, -4th
cue18
19 aleph: 8vb
cue19drone (crossfade)
!
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Sax.
Elec.
Sax.
Elec.
Sax.
Elec.
Sax.
Elec.
Sax.
Elec.
&
&
&
&
&
6
ff
f
resolute
f wild, ecstatic
ff

sempre, with bewilderment
fff
q = 70
mf
(vib.)
o
o o o o >
o
molto vib.
norm.
o o
o
,
- - -
,
o
o
,
, , (don't go too high)
o
4"
,
,
13"
U
15"
U
>
U 3
#

! !

o o
transform to single high partial
unbridled, almost
out of control
fff
o o
,
,
,
,
*breathe as needed, but always taper off multiphonic
to the fundamental before breathing.
*
13"
o o o
27
cue27
26
cue26,
cue26drone
28
cue28
30
29
cue30 (crossfade)
freeze spectrum
of multiphonic
31
freeze tremolo speeds
cue32
only reverb 32
audio
off 33
cue23
24
aleph: 8vb, +3rd
cue24
25
aleph: 8vb, +3rd,
+7th
cue25
23
20
aleph: 8vb
cue20 (crossfade)
21
aleph: 8vb, +3rd
cue22 (crossfade)
22
aleph: 8vb
cue28drone (crossfade) cue28drone2 (crossfade)
aleph: 8vb
cue29 (crossfade)

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