Rückstoß / Rückschlag

[Recoil / Rebound ]

für einen Streichinstrumentalisten / Perkussionisten

und einer mit Bogen gespielten Springdrum

für
Manuel Alcaraz Clemente

(2019/20)

DJT
 Rückstoß / Rückschlag
[Recoil / Rebound ]
(2019/20)
DJT
für einen Streichinstrumentalisten / Perkussionisten und einer mit
Bogen gespielten Springdrum
Allgemeine Anweisungen
— Für die Aufführung dieses Stücks werde von Franz Schmuck ein spezielles
Instrument gebaut. Trotzdem kann eine herkömmliche Springdrum 15x15cm
Remo Instrument verwendet werden. Es können auch andere herkömmliche
Optionen in Betracht gezogen werden. Bei Bedarf kann sind auch ein
“Waldteufel” oder ein “Löwengebrüll” akzeptabel.
— Die Klangfarbe ist zwar ein strukturelles Elemente dieses Stücks, kann
aber als sekundärer Aspekt angesehen werden. Der Fokus einer Aufführung
sollte auf den Parametern Gestik, Energie und Körperlichkeit gelegt werden.
— Bei einem großen und trockenen Konzertsaal wird eine minimale
Verstärkung empfohlen, d.h. ein Kondensator-Mikrofon und ein Paar (Stereo)
Aktivverstärker, um eine größere Resonanz zu erziehen. Im Extremfall kann
ein geringfügig eingestellter digitaler Nachhall in Betracht gezogen werden.
Andernfalls ist keine elektronische Verarbeitung des verstärkten Signals
erforderlich.
for a string instrumentalist / percussionist and a Spring drum played
with a bow.

General instructions
— For the performance of this piece a special instrument was built by Franz
Schmuck. Nevertheless, a conventional Remo Spring drum 15x15cm
instrument can be used.
Other conventional options may be considered such as a "Waldteufel" or a
“Lion’s roar" are also acceptable.
— The timbre is a structural element of this piece, but can be considered as a
secondary aspect. The focus of a performance should be on the parameters
of gestures, energy and physicality.
— For a large and concert hall or a hall with very dry acoustics, a soft degree
of amplification might be considered: a condenser microphone and a pair of
(stereo) active speakers in order to achieve a bigger resonance.
In extreme cases, a slightly adjusted digital reverberation can also be
considered. Otherwise, no electronic processing of the amplified signal is
required.
 Über die Aufführung
— Der Körper der Springdrum wird mit den Knien des Interpreten gehalten.
Die Sprungfeder soll von der linken Hand am oberen Ende gehalten werden.
Eine Schutzvorrichtung für die linke Hand ist ratsam, um Fingerschmerzen zu
vermieden. Ein Paar Schutzhandschuhe oder ein Stück Staff können
verwendet werden.
— Der Interpret benötigt auch einen Bogen für Violine oder Viola und ein
Gitarrenplektrum, vorzugsweise aus Metall und von mittlerer bis großer Dicke
(0,5mm oder dicker).
About the performance
— The body of Spring drum is to be held in between the knees of the
performer. The spring should be held by the left hand at its top. A left hand
guard is advisable to avoid finger pain. A pair of protective gloves or a piece of
staff can also be used.
— The performer also needs a violin or viola bow and a guitar pick,
preferably made of metal and of medium to large thickness (0.5mm or
thicker).

Performance notes and glossary of techniques (English)

— The notation of Rückstoß/Rückschlag is mainly graphic in nature. There are some basic elements, in terms of playing techniques, that must be considered (and
deciphered) in order to tackle the interpretation of the piece.

• Relative position of the bow towards the spring. This is indicated with the relative position of the line or stroke in the staff. Closer to the lower part of the
staff means playing closer to the skin of the Spring Drum (Sul ponticello); closer to the upper part of the staff means playing further away from the skin of the
Spring Drum (Sul tasto).

• The transitions between one contact point of the bow and the next must be carefully observed, for they show a differentiated gestural result. Broadly
speaking, we can consider three different types of trajectories: linear (constant progression towards the next contact point), exponential (progressively
faster transition to the next contact point) and logarithmic (progressively slower transition to the next contact point).

• Degree of bow pressure / bow speed. A thicker, darker graphic implies a higher degree of bow pressure and a slower bow speed. On the contrary, a
transition towards a slimmer line with lesser density of black means a reduction in both pressure together with an increase in bow speed. The shape of the
curves of these transitions must also be carefully observed.

• Degree of spring tension. It is indicated with text on the upper part of the staff and it is constituted by 4 degrees of tension, always relative to the previous
state —eventually, all of them being relative to the tension degree picked by the performer at the beginning of the piece—. The 4 degrees are, increasingly,
Very Loose (VL), Loose (L), Tense (T) and Very Tense (VT). They can appear in gradual linear transitions (corresponding to durations written rhythmically in
the staff below) or in rhythmified patterns, with rhythms indicated on top of the abbreviations (in other words, the abbreviations VL/L/T/VT work as noteheads
in the case of rhythmified patterns). A tension vibrato can also appear, represented through the use of a transitional linear graphic that indicates the speed
and approximate duration of the vibrato.
— The following graphic illustrates how these elements interact between each other in a specific instance of the score (bars 30 to 32):

Other specific notational issues

- Bow techniques are usually indicated with text on the staff and for the
complete duration of each individual application, i.e. staccato, sautillé, jeté, col
legno batutto/col legno tratto, tremolo etc. Transitions between one and another,
if need be, are indicated with a dotted arrow.
Col legno rimbalzato stands for placing the wood of the bow against the spring
whilst executing left hand pizzicati as fast as possible in order to make the wood
of the bow bounce. The bow must then be displaced in a vertical motion (that
being, parallel to the spring) in order to create an effect of partial filtering.

Left hand pizzicato (L.H. Pizz.) is notated with a cross on top of the notes. It
must be executed on the end of the spring (when performing with the Franz
Schmuck custom instrument) except on the case of the col legno rimbalzato, in
which it must be executed inmediately below the point where the left hand is
holding the spring. This is a subtile difference that doesn’t apply to regular spring
drums.
In the case of right hand pizzicato (R.H. Pizz.), it must be executed in the
relative part of the spring that appears indicate on the staff.
The distinction between the two is always notated with text on each specific
instance.
The last additional finger technique is indicated with Fingertips and implies
scratching the corrugated surface of the spring in a specific direction with the
skin of the fingertips, rendering a metallic sound with a quasi glissando in pitch.
Playing with the metallic wire is indicated both with text and with a letter “M” on
the stem of the durations affected by the technique. A slow scratching in a
specific direction with this technique is also described as flanger, due to its
resemblance to the sound quality rendered by a flanger guitar pedal.

In a similar way, when playing with the spring against the rim of the spring drum,
the stems will display a letter “S”. The indications of degree of tension and
transitions still apply to this technique. The graphic goes under the staff only in
the instances where this technique is deployed. The further away from the lower
line of the staff implies a bigger amount of tension on the spring.

Hitting the skin of the spring drum with the metallic end of the bow is
represented with an arrow note head that points down. The stem crosses the
lower line of the staff.