Juan Manuel Jaramillo Lleras

…all the women had to sing! Not only were their bodies
identical, identically worthless, not only were their
bodies mere resounding soulless mechanisms – the
women rejoiced over it!
for accordion
…all the women had to sing! Not only were their bodies identical,
identically worthless, not only were their bodies mere resounding soulless
mechanisms – the women rejoiced over it!
for accordion

Juan Manuel Jaramillo Lleras (b. 1994)

2017

The phrase that gives name to this work is taken from Milan Kundera’s novel ‘The unbearable
lightness of being’.

Approximate duration: 1 minute 30 seconds

 NOTES ON PERFORMANCE

The piece is to be performed on a chromatic button accordion with a free bass manual. The
notation used replaces any information on dynamics and articulation with a choreographic
diagram that describes the performer’s manipulation of the bellows. The traditional granf staff
representing right and left hands is maintained, and an additional space is used to indicate the
aperture of the bellows and therefore, the manipulation that the performer must execute.

Right and left hands indications:

Indicates that a right or left hand position (specific buttons, clusters,

air button, etc.) is to be maintained

Unspecified cluster on an approximate register, depending on staff

placement

w Unspecified cluster constructed over a specific bass note

Cluster gradually getting smaller (and vice versa)

Cluster glissando

Bellow movement indications:

Bellows fully closed

Bellows fully open

Indicates movement of the bellows

Immobile bellows with pressure applied in the direction of the arrow

On bellow movement :

A thick line within the bellow movement space indicates the state of the bellows, whether fully open,
fully closed or somewhere in between. This means that a continuous line represents movement
between the states of the bellow. Since time is represented horizontally and space is represented
vertically, the line’s slope represents pressure added to the bellows, and therefore dynamics or effort.
These are some examples of how to interpret certain choreographic actions.

A very slow, sustained
movement starting with
the bellows fully closed and
opening them at a constant
speed
Starting with the bellows fully
open and closing them exponentially
faster, starting with a slow sustained
movement and ending with a forceful
movement
A very fast and forceful The bellows are immobile in a fully
movement starting with open position, since no buttons are
the bellows fully closed pressed, and pressure is applied in
and quickly opening them the direction of the arrow
completely at constant
speed

On time :

The piece may be performed with or without a stopwatch. Actions are not strictly organized in time so
even when performing with a stopwatch, the relation between time and actions is an approximation.
When performing without a stopwatch, an approximate sense of time and proportion should guide
the performance of the piece.
 ...all the women had to sing! Not only were their bodies
identical, identically worthless, not only were their bodies
mere resounding soulless mechanisms - the women rejoiced over it!

Juan M. Jaramillo Lleras, 2017

0:00 0:01 0:02 0:03 0:04 0:05 0:06 0:07 0:08 0:09 0:10

iw

&

?
w

0:00 0:01 0:02 0:03 0:04 0:05 0:06 0:07 0:08 0:09 0:10

0:10 0:11 0:12 0:13 0:14 0:15 0:16 0:17 0:18 0:19 0:20

&

0:10 0:11 0:12 0:13 0:14 0:15 0:16 0:17 0:18 0:19 0:20
2

0:20 0:21 0:22 0:23 0:24 0:25 0:26 0:27 0:28 0:29 0:30

iw

&

0:20 0:21 0:22 0:23 0:24 0:25 0:26 0:27 0:28 0:29 0:30

0:30 0:31 0:32 0:33 0:34 0:35 0:36 0:37 0:38 0:39 0:40

?
w
?
w

0:30 0:31 0:32 0:33 0:34 0:35 0:36 0:37 0:38 0:39 0:40
 3

0:40 0:41 0:42 0:43 0:44 0:45 0:46 0:47 0:48 0:49 0:50

?
w gliss.

? air button

w gliss.

0:40 0:41 0:42 0:43 0:44 0:45 0:46 0:47 0:48 0:49 0:50

0:50 0:51 0:52 0:53 0:54 0:55 0:56 0:57 0:58 0:59 1:00

?
w

? release button

iw

0:50 0:51 0:52 0:53 0:54 0:55 0:56 0:57 0:58 0:59 1:00
4

1:00 1:01 1:02 1:03 1:04 1:05 1:06 1:07 1:08 1:09 1:10

?
ww ww

?
i i ww i i ww

1:00 1:01 1:02 1:03 1:04 1:05 1:06 1:07 1:08 1:09 1:10

1:10 1:11 1:12 1:13 1:14 1:15 1:16 1:17 1:18 1:19 1:20

1:20 1:21 1:22 1:23 1:24 1:25 1:26 1:27 1:28 1:29 1:20