Flute 1 Curves Tan Clarke Performance Notes; (Programme notes can be found in the back of the score.) (Che piece was conceived on an open-holed flute, At the time of writing a closed-hole fingering version has not been fully explored. Many of the quarter-tone fingerings have closed-hole altematives although they are not necessarily shown in this edition.) Diamond note-heads signify the use of alternative fingerings which are shown above the note or will have bee indicated at some point earlier in that movement. Quarter-tone notes are not given a diamond note-head even though their fingering is given. ‘The accidentals with respect to quarter-sharps or quarter-flats carry through the bar as with standard accidentals e.g. flte 2 - Ist movement bar 5, and flute 2 & 3 ~ Ist movement in bar 59. ‘The quarter-tone fingerings are usually given at least once in each part. ‘Two fingering choices are sometimes given and shown on top of each-other. There may be additional possibilities that are nt shown which ean be used if similar ‘musical result is obtained. ‘The quarter-iones should be treated musically as if they are normal melodie notes that are part ofthe line of the phrase. Allow the fingerings to do most, if not ll, of the work in terms of pitch, For exazaple the ‘st movement theme should fee! like along flowing line with clear articulation and not be over shaped with each 16th figure Note-hends are usually consequential ie, they happen as a result of the given fingerings or are easily achieved using them. Bar 15 of the 1st flute, Ist movtis an exception where the flautist will have to first close the sing and then hole of the A key in one fluid movement to give the impression of a bend. In the 1st movement a note-bend is heard but not usually notated outside the 6/16 bars such as in bar 23 of the Lst movt of flute 1. These bends are part of the flavour of the music and the bend signs are not shown in order to simplify the look of the score. ‘The colour fingerings used mainly in the second movement require voicing sympathetically e.g. the vowel shapes and embouchute will need to be malleable. ‘The object is to bring out colour contrasts that are in past led by these fingerings*. Some of the fingerings emphasise and lead to a hollow bamboo-like tone whilst others emphasise a darker ‘more reedyledgy quality as the music intensifies, The notation B.T. and R.T. more explicitly refer to these colours; for ‘want of a better explanation they are abreviations of ‘Bamboo Tone’ and ‘Reed Tone’ respectively. Note that some notes have different fingerings indicated at different points to facilitate these. It is important to adjust intonation so that the ‘harmonies blend. ‘The quality of the seemingly imperfect fingerings can be nurtured into something haunting, singing and expressive. Actively shape the reed of air with the embouchure using versions of the ‘ooh’ (B.T.) and ‘awe (R.T.) vowel shapes and do not drop airspeed or loosen the aperture; they are active and not passive colours, The vibrato needs to be used in a way that enhances these changes... often by being more sublle, sympathetic and of a shape that enhances the fabric of the colours and blend of the voices. At times litle or no vibrato at all is applicable and at other times @ fully expressive vibrato. The idea is to paint, shade and express beyond the normal palette of three flautists with the piano reacting and enhancing through its touch. ‘The bracketed notes in the third movement are not strictly necessary but are there to make performance easier, The combination of the flute parts gives rise o the impression af a continuous texture of L6ths without overly accenting ot shaping the swapping 4 note groups... the 1ths run continuously through these groups almost like a ripple. ‘The bracketed note should be ghosted, Again each player variously takes the thematic lead line or overlaps briefly as part of ‘a bigger phrase in a mosaic fashion, The main theme and mosaic melody can of course be more actively harizontally ‘shaped through the course of the phrase, ‘The mosaic theme is always the main focus when it comes, whereas the initial ‘theme is sometimes in the foreground and sometimes needs to accompany whilst keeping up the high momentum of the movement. “Articulation: please observe that nites marked with tenutos under slur/phrase markings are to be legato tongue. Particularly in the outer movements, each of the three flute parts weaves withthe other parts so that from moment to "moment parts swap roles from the main melodie to supporting or complimentary textures. ‘The piano compliments, interacts and at times takes centre stage. Everyone is part of the fabric. ‘in flute 2 and 3 the low Cs and Ds in the 2nd movement are not given an alternative fingering when part L or 2 may have a colour fingering. This is because there is not an obvious fingering option but the note maybe voiced so its colour Pe ee ee a a teCurves Tan Clarke Magical & weven (J =c.84) Jan 2011 998809 Ay, Be safeere ~~ Flute 1 o mf 2 3 aS ~ = Peo, —= eoSeepg S980Ne eoseney, “sedcene, SY Kleinia xbiopPp (accompany) te tg © © a tempo _fleible, talkative legato articulation ‘pote rit QQ =——La I tempo Serene eo EG pea og 98, o - ————————————————— poco rit.[F]__ Slightly tower than original tempo 108 2 mp reflective rt. 2nd Movement Fairy aes ge oats rr NB. -colourhesture changes ofien alternate lat cra ek nereedeymecrbat [a] 2geeeee (vtat. Je 112) ee a sw JS wv - ‘molto [Diamond note eos indicate alemative fingering. Use fingerings ond lewels to explore colour changes. Cera notes have diferenngerings) ye BT- at RT as indicated eehemes 65, aedonne e: or sescere, ee 25, estense oe jer mp 8 mf ——=— Br. similar RT. JR. fingering switch godonpe, Aer a aN far. ox sub. nf —s mp nf godanne ogdonne, is-e>> poate ache té tele tf sompref ogseoex, era 26 sesenseis A eT 59 eh, Fie teieie ese aes P= firs BE ‘i ae nf <= fSee ee 9p en a Fy rR a ote == (‘0p pari) mp P a tempo ae eed He ey fee cE 7 ‘poco rit = >Slightly slower than original tempo aN 9 tee oy mp reflective dy2nd Movement [Blomond non heads dice ave grag Use gringo aie ts au chnge. Cota nes hove fren ering Jona aeinbecre Facade are change on wes where mare [Bi now ov howto one ote wate expression ferred ck more ey tone ol A] xB. -coiourtestare changes ofenaliemate 9@S@09.2 moo] «tame Plaintive (MM. d=c.112) —_pianooae, 3 15. o ‘nolo rit i a, eee fa. ef = champ SS SSS SSS SS m2 Fr ue tcwe eae We le tl Aa Pao‘Curves was initially premiered by Tan Clarke with fine musicians and close colleagues Philippa Davies and Sarah Newbold with Jaa Wallem Nelleke (plano) a the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, London in January 2011. Tewas te final piece in special ue faculty recital shared between these tre fants and Jan Willem. Many thanks ate du to both Sarah and Philippa see hei support and wach in encouraging Lan to bring this piece to life. T was writen with this conees as its fst performance ‘Rinna, The second performance was given by the same team at Cardiff's Millennium centre atthe Arcomis International Fate Teatival in 2012. As well as vehicle for making music with oders, it was written as a piece to explore the expressive tounl-world of three lies with piano. Ithas already béen played by Ian with many ollir esteemed players in many enjoysble performances, At the tine of writing, subsequent performances have taken place a leading flute courses and major ute events in Doth the UK, USA and Maastricht, Holland. 2012 will see Curves reccive its first NFA and BFS international convention. Performances in Las Vegas and Manchester respectively. Itis growing from its happy origins inthe GSMD flute faculty as & cece that explores the musical voice ofthe futo and brings together colleagues on stage, Itis hoped that wit ts fist publication ‘Curves’ will beable to cujoy this spit of adventare and shared music-making “Curves isa ttle thet emerged early on in the ereative process inspired by some of the thematic material suchas the opening motif, Itean be argued that music is best articulated by the experience of listening, similarly it can be said tha titles can serve as Imteresting handles that may ety some Useful, perhaps important, orientation or intrigue, By the time tis piece was completed, its working file had a last become a partial gateway tothe workd within the piece; cestainly the imaginations ofthe ttle, syaonymons with countess aspects ofthe natural wodd -not least the human form, end homaa cultural expressions from a 1 coethnutien lea toa limitless playground of feetings that this piece only partially explores. Another related thread that seen qeflow in the work was texture: an intrinsic and pertinent tool related to both these sensory images being the use of particular fspects of the extended language ofthe flute, hesitate to mention these as they are simply par of the ‘Curves! vocabulary and opel, in te end, jst en interesting means co a ore interesting end. However, these moans are unusual and rate if not ‘unique in this configuration Inthe frst movement the use of quarter tones across all three flute parts leads to an opening theme that may appear (0 curve. Interlocking small curves in close harmoay leed to what might be felt at imes to be a palpable texture and even ste. ATL ofthis {s bound up with emotional statos that dialogue with this sort of synaesthesia Inthe 2nd movement the piano sets anew cooler mosphere, Altemative ‘colour fingerings are employed alongside conventional ones to cahane the textural expression ofthe three flutes. ‘The intention isto say something in different texpresive sound-world thats both unusual, evocative and somehow familias. ‘This may be reminiscent in some ways of the caloure of world flotessin the end however, itis simply attempting to touch upon universal peimal expressions, both old and new, ‘present in the lute and possible in this combination, ‘After introducing a fast diving theme in epeating pars of 3/2 and 4/4, the flutes alternate and interlock in what is at times almost a inostic technique of carrying the melody, The piano at first contrasts the electric pace with an arcing walking melodic fine and then helps underpin and drive things forward, When tis acing line retums inthe middle section, the flutes bring back themes from the first two movements before a quasi recapitulation and a finishing flourish! Notes on the seore ‘There ae ieatieal performance notes on copies of each part. Because the pioce employs some ofthe wider language ofthe flute, inevitably things look alittle more compliested on the page than they often are in reality. Eyerything on the page is the notated Version of something that can happen naturally on te flte. This is important to bear in mind. ‘The piano part will be more Sraghtforweand and readily accessible to most advanced pianists than a east some of the lute parts willbe to most advanced fantists, Therefore if you are a flautist who initally struggles with some of the language ofthe piece then do not wary as you fav sharing the same process as many notable fat players who also traveled a Title outside their comfort 2one to play i. Not Sorpesingly they rose tothe challenge, though bezrin min this sometimes took a itl time and patience. Inthe end the piece fs rho! quite as difficult asi ray initially seem, ‘To begin with, peshaps the most elusive word wil be inthe mide movement lwhiere there is use of an expressive extended colour-world that steps beyond the usual expectations. {en Clarke - 2012 “This score was produced in part with the suppet ofthe research department of The Guildhall School of Musie & Drama, “The watermark feature on the cover isa photo of a Moebius Loop modelled in 3D plaster by Allon Cai and used by Kind pentission. ‘As ever my love and thanks go to my wife and our two beantiful gis. IMPORTANT NOTICE: The unauthorised copying of this publication i illegal Pease register public performance details with the venue who should have arrangements with “Phe Performing Rights Society’ at 29/33 Berners Succi, London WIP 4AA. ‘or equivalent society ia your country eg ASCAP in the USA All Rights Reserved