SYNAPSE>VALENTINE: REUNITING ACOUSTIC AND ELECTRONIC

Jeremy Castro Baguyos

Peabody Computer Music
Johns Hopkins University
1 E Mt. Vernon Place
Baltimore, MD 21202
ABSTRACT
Synapse>Valentine by Jacoob Druckman was conceived
as a single electroacoustic work. The first half, Synapse
is the electronic portion, and the second half, Valentine,
is the acoustic portion. Synapse is often omitted in
public performances. Beginning with a brief overview
of Druckmans career and works, this paper examines
the practice of omitting the electronic Synapse and
presents evidence that could discourage its omission in
future performances. The reasons that should compel a
performer to include Synapse with a performance of
Valentine consist of Druckmans published words, an
analysis of musical gestures shared by both Synapse and
Valentine, and historical precedents. The evidence can
be presented as a paper, but the evidence is more
effective if the paper is presented in tandem with a live
performance and demonstration. A performance would
be most useful in a demonstration of the points in
section 3.2. A performer can be supplied by the author.

1.

INTRODUCTION

Jacob Druckman (1928-1996) was already an American

composer rising to prominence even before winning the
Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1972 for his orchestral work,
Windows (1972). He was accepted by Copland for
summer study at the Berkshire Music Center
(Tanglewood) and entered Juilliard in 1949. As a
Fullbright Fellow, Druckman continued his studies at
cole Normale de Musique in Paris. He served on the
faculties of Juilliard, Bard College, Brooklyn College,
City University of New York, and Yale [1]. From 198286, Druckman was the composer-in-residence for the
New York Philharmonic. He was the recipient of
numerous awards such as the Guggenheim Fellowship
and election to the American Academy and Institute of
Arts and Letters, and he has received commissions from
the major orchestras in Boston, Chicago, Cleveland,
Philadelphia, New York, and France. In addition, he has
written numerous vocal works and chamber works. One
of the small chamber works is Valentine (1969). This
avant-garde bass solo requires techniques beyond the
traditional arco and pizzicato techniques of sound
production. It requires the bassist to "attack" the
instrument with all parts of the bow, all parts of the
timpani stick, percussive tapping with both hands on
different parts of the bass, and pizzicato harmonics. It
also requires the bassist to use vocalisms [4].

As an electronic composer, Druckman served as the

director of the electronic music studio at Yale and was
associated with the Columbia-Princeton Electronic
Music Center. His electroacoustic works include
Animus I (1966), Animus II (1968), Animus III (1969),
Animus IV (1977), Orison (1970), and Synapse (1971)
[1]. Synapse was the only all-electronic piece that
Druckman composed, and he wrote it to accompany
Valentine. Today, however, Valentine is usually
performed without Synapse. Though Jacob Druckman's
Synapse is the often omitted and forgotten electronic
prelude to Druckman's Valentine, the performance of
Synapse along with Valentine is still and always has
been an appropriate and effective pairing, and it should
be encouraged.

2. CURRENT PRACTICE
2.1 The Omission of Synapse
The omission of Synapse has been the normal practice in
the more visible performances of the pair of Druckman
works. Available recordings of Valentine are included
on the CD Works of Schubert, Gliere, Koussevitzky,
Perle, and Druckman as recorded by Lawrence Wolfe
for the Titanic Records label and on the CD Contrebasse
Et Voix as recorded by Joelle Leandre for ADDA. Both
recordings omit Synapse [7 ] [11]. A 1975 performance
by John Deak at the Great Hall of Cooper Union in New
York City also omits Synapse [8]. A more recent
performance by Deak in Denver also omits Synapse.
Other casual Internet searches would yield the same
results on other prominent performances.
An
electroacoustic and computer music program has even
omitted Synapse when presenting Valentine in their
recital series. In February 2003, a recital presented by
the Computer Music Department of the Peabody
Conservatory omitted Synapse. The only recording that
includes both Synapse and Valentine is the album
recorded by bassist Alvin Brehm for the Nonesuch label.
This record is currently out of print. When bassists and
computer music studios are presenting Valentine without
Synapse and recordings are released without the
electronic avant-propos, the practice of omitting Synapse
in a performance of Valentine becomes commonplace
and accepted.

3.2. Shared Musical Gestures

2.2 Reasons For The Omission of Synapse
There are several reasons that account for the practice of
omitting Synapse when performing Valentine. The most
vexing reason is that Synapse is available only on rental
from Boosey & Hawkes Inc in New York City [1]. On
the other hand, the performance parts for Valentine can
be purchased from MCA Music.
This creates
inconvenience and additional expense for the performer
and concert promoters. Another deterrent to the pairing
of the works is the inherent disconnection between the
two works due to the different dates of composition.
Valentine was written in 1969 after a request from
Bertram Turetzky and was premiered in the same year
by Alvin Brehm. On the other hand, Synapse was
released in 1971 with a commission from Nonesuch
Records [1]. A perusal of the catalog of Druckman's
principal publisher, Boosey, and a similar perusal of the
list of Druckman's works in The New Grove Dictionary
of Music would seem to indicate that Synapse and
Valentine are indeed two completely separate works. In
these sources, Synapse and Valentine are each listed in
different categories. In summary, the works were
completed in different years, they are classified in
different categories, they were commissioned by
different sources, and the performance parts are obtained
from different companies through different methods of
procurement.

3. REASONS FOR REUNIFICATION

3.1. In Druckmans Words
Despite the practices of omitting Synapse and the
reasons for omission, there are compelling reasons for
playing Synapse and Valentine as a pair. The most
compelling reason lies in Druckman's own words. In an
interview for High Fidelity/Musical America, Druckman
stated, "I see Synapse and Valentine as an indivisible
pair of works." He elaborated by stating further, "To me
they have the same gesture, the same stance, the same
sense of irony. Neither is very respectable. I don't want
them performed separately" [2].
In an interview
published a decade later, Druckman reiterated the
relationship. In response to a question about his
preference for live performers with tape over completely
electronic compositions, Druckman stated, "The only
straight electronic work I've ever done was for a
Nonesuch record. It's a piece called Synapse, and it was
done as a prelude to Valentine" [2]. Part of the tradition
of Western Art Music is the modern performer's
consideration of the composer's intent in the
interpretation of a work. According to Druckman's own
words, Synapse and Valentine are paired as one
electroacoustic work.

3.2.1 Smaller Musical Gestures

Druckman regarded Synapse and Valentine as an
indivisible pair of works in that they have the same
gesture, the same stance, the same sense of irony. The
shared musical gestures that unify Synapse and
Valentine are the following: 1) slow and deliberate
glissandi that end on an indefinite pitch, 2) fast and
rhythmical cells of ghost notes, 3) exhaling gestures,
4) and the use of sounds that emulate the flute. The first
presentation of the most obvious gesture, the glissandi,
begins its realization in Synapse at 2:20 (2 minutes and
20 seconds). From this point to timing point 4:10 (4
minutes and 10 seconds), the listener is bombarded with
multiple recurrences of slow and deliberate glissandi that
end on an indefinite pitch. The glissandi return once
again at timing point 8:02 (8 minutes and 2 seconds) and
continue for approximately 22 seconds to timing point
8:24 (8 minutes and 24 seconds). Valentine has similar
glissandi at timing points :22 sec, :26 , :29 , :38 , :53 ,
and at 1:35. The second and relatively subtle gesture of
fast and rhythmical cells of ghost notes occur near the
beginning of Synapse at timing point :15 and continue
for approximately 25 seconds to :40. The second
occurrence of these fast, rhythmical cells of ghost
notes occur at the same time as the first presentation of
the glissandi. In this section of combined gestures from
timing point 2:20 to 4:10, the glissandi and ghost
notes dovetail and form a very agitated and
heterogeneous sonic tapestry. In Valentine, most of the
fast, rhythmical cells of ghost notes occur at the
beginning from :20 to 1:40. Almost all of these figures
are performed with the timpani stick and they are an
acoustic performers presentation of the same figures
that were realized in Synapse. Like Synapse, the fast,
rhythmical ghost notes are situated within a very
agitated and heterogeneous texture. In Valentine, the
ghost notes are intermingled with a variety of double
bass sonorities created with a variety of extended
techniques. Another small musical gesture shared by
both Synapse and Valentine is the sighing gesture. In
Synapse, the sighing gestures can be heard at 1:30, 7:35,
and 8:34. On the Nonesuch recording, bassist Alvin
Brehm forcefully exhales during Synapse at timing point
1:30 to accentuate the sighing gesture. In Valentine, the
sighing gesture occurs several times. They occur at
2:49, 3:00, 3:24, 5:35, 6:40, 8:13, and 8:47. Most are
executed with richochet col legno after a short dramatic
pause that emulates inhalation. In some cases, vocalisms
are used to audiblize the inhalation and exhalation that
accentuate a sighing motive. The final gesture is the
RCA Mark IIs emulation of flute sounds in Valentine,
and the matching emulation of flute sounds in Valentine
with double bass harmonics. The sounds occur in the
slower and more subdued middle section of Synapse
from 4:29 to 6:00. The same sounds are emulated in
Valentine from 2:00 to 2:35 and from 8:30 to the end.

These shared gestures between Synapse and Valentine

allow Druckman to create an indivisible pair of works.
3.2.2 Larger Musical Gestures
On a larger scale, the smaller gestures combine to
delineate an overall form. The shared gestures between
both works combine in similar ways. The result is the
validation of the indivisibility of Synapse and Valentine
through similar forms. Both Synapse and Valentine
begin with a very active and almost agitated
heterogeneous texture. In Synapse, the RCA Mark II is
programmed to realize a multitude of sounds from :00 to
4:10. This would include the glissandi bombardment
and the ghost notes. In Valentine, the bassist is
instructed to create a variety of sounds with, vocalisms,
timpani stick sounds, treating every part of the bass as a
source of percussive sound, and other extended
techniques.
For each work, this agitated and
heterogeneous section would constitute the First section
(Section I). In Synapse, the timing of section one is
from 0:00 to 4:10. Section one in Synapse can be further
divided into two separate sections The first of the two
sections (Section Ia) is without the glissandi and runs
from 0:00 to 2:20. The second of the two sections
(Section Ib) is with the glissandi and runs from 2:20 to
4:10. In Valentine, Section I runs from 0:00 to 1:25.
Section II of Synapse runs from 4:10 to 6:00 and Section
II of Valentine runs from 1:30 to 5:00. Both share the
same characteristics. Both have a sparse texture and
have less musical activity than Section I. There is more
homogeneity of sound. In Valentine, most of the sound
is produced with traditional techniques such as arco.
Synapse, also is more subdued and does not exploit the
full range of sounds that a synthesizer can produce. For
both Synapse and Valentine, instead of constant
disjunctive melodies with pointillist dynamics, there is a
more gradual and subdued allusion to melodies with less
leaps and more flow. There are, however, occasional
but shocking interruptions to the quiet texture.
Eventually, the interjections become more frequent. The
increased frequency coincides with the increase of
musical activity and intensity that is obviously headed
somewhere else. This transition material makes up
Section III for both works. For Synapse, Section III runs
from 6:00 to 7:38. For Valentine, Section III runs from
5:00 to 7:00. Section III eventually resolves to Section
IV. For Synapse, Section IV begins at 7:38 and goes to
the end of the piece. For Valentine, Section IV begins at
7:00 and goes to the end of the piece. For both Synapse
and Valentine, Section IV contains longer sections of
steady and rhythmic ostinatos. Superimposed over these
ostinatos are gestures that hark back to the earlier
heterogeneous textures of Section I. Eventually, the end
of Section IV for both works lessens in musical activity
and both works fade to a quiet ending. Both Synapse
and Valentine share similar forms. Each has four
sections with each section sharing the same musical
characteristics. In addition to the smaller gestures and

motives providing a unification between Synapse and

Valentine, the gestures combine to delineate larger forms
which allow Druckman to create the pair of indivisible
works with the same gesture and stance.
3.3. Historical Precedent
3.3.1 G. Watkins Textbook
A performer can and should consider the composer's
wishes when making the musical decisions for the
interpretation of a work. In the continued spirit of
historically informed performance, the performer can
and should consider the historical view of a piece, as
well. A 20th Century Music History book by G. Watkins
contains a chapter devoted to the history of
electroacoustic music. Synapse and Valentine are
situated within the electroacoustic chapter. This chapter
discusses the relationship between Synapse and
Valentine by stating, "Valentine can be preceded by the
only electronic work Druckman ever wrote, a work
entitled Synapse, played to an empty stage with a
spotlight on the double-bass's chair, the houselights fall
and rise to see the chair occupied and Valentine (solo)
ensues" [10]. Though the Boosey catalog and New
Groves separate Synapse from Valentine, ASCAP lists
Synapse and Valentine as a unified work [9].
3.3.2 Nonesuch Recording
Another historical precedent is the recording on the
Nonesuch Label that features Alvin Brehm on double
bass. Druckman's Animus III is on side one, and
Druckman's Synapse and Valentine are on side two.
The Nonesuch Record Label pairs Synapse and
Valentine as one unified work by giving the inseparable
works one unified title. The full title on the historic
record is Synapse>Valentine for electronic tape and
contrabass, and the work occupies the entire 2nd side of
the LP recording. According to Druckman's words on
the record jacket, the relationship between acoustic and
electric is a sequential, horizontal, and linear
juxtaposition between the all-acoustic and the allelectric. Druckman states, "The electronic and the live
are juxtaposed but completely separate" [5]. This is the
polar opposite of the more standard practice of
combining acoustic and electric in the same soundspace
at the same time. Or as Druckman states of the Clarinet
and the electronics in his Animus III, "they are
inextricably combined."
In Animus III, the
juxtaposition of acoustic and electric is presented the
way most compositions that combine tape with
performer. The texture is dominated by the vertical and
simultaneous combination of acoustic and electric. The
Nonesuch recording situates Synapse>Valentine with
the electroacoustic tradition and presents it as a unified
electroacoustic work [5]. Unfortunately, the record
remains out of print and has not been re-released on
modern media formats. It can still be found, however,

in many academic libraries that have preserved their LP

collections.

4. CONCLUSIONS
Though Jacob Druckman's Synapse>Valentine was
conceived as a unified and single electroacoustic work,
Synapse is the often omitted and forgotten electronic
prelude to Druckman's Valentine. Many of the reasons
for its omission are usually related to the logistics of
public performance and publication, and these concerns
have overridden Druckman's vision for the works. Even
though the composer himself could make compromises
to his artistic vision, performers have an obligation to
seek out the composer's notion of his work in its ideal
and pristine state. The pairing also has advantages.
There is more variety of sound, and the pairing provides
cohesiveness. A performer increases his chances of
communicating the form of Synapse>Valentine if the
gestures in Synapse are properly mimicked in Valentine.
This, in turn, would measure the sections and delineate
the form. Ultimately, the reunification of the works in
public performance restores Druckman's artistic vision
of Synapse>Valentine to the composer's idealized and
pristine state, the works would not sound as random,
and the listener's experience would be enhanced.

5. REFERENCES
[1]

Boosey & Hawkes. 1981. Jacob Druckman, a

Complete Catalogue of His Works. New York:
Boosey.

[2]

Fleming, Shirley. 1972. Musician of the Month:

Jacob Druckman. High Fidelity and Musical
America, August, 4-5.

[3]

Gagne, Cole, and Tracy Caras.

1982.
Soundpieces: Interviews with American
Composers. Metuchen, NJ: The Scarecrow
Press, Inc.

[4]

Druckman, Jacob. 1970. Valentine for Solo

Contrabass. New York: MCA Music/MCA
Inc.

[5]

Druckman, Jacob. 1971. Liner note for Jacob

Druckman, Synapse ->Valentine. Nonesuch H71253.

[6]

Druckman, Jacob. Animus III and Synapse ->

Valentine.
Arthur Bloom/Alvin Brehm.
Nonesuch H-71253.

[7]

Leandre, Joelle, bassist. Contrebasse & Voix,

by various composers. ADDA 581043.

[8]

Porter, Andrew.
1978.
Music of Three
Seasons: 1974-77. New York: Farrar Strauss
Giroux.

[9]

Synapse. 2003. In ASCAP ACE online

database. Title Code no. 490309949. Available
from http://www.ascap.com/ace/search.

[10]

Watkins, G. 1988. Soundings: Music in the

20th Century. New York: Schirmer.

[11]

Wolfe, Lawrence, bassist. Works of Schubert,

Gliere, Koussevitzky, Perle, and Druckman.
Titanic 255.