A mexican intervention to be performed once and never more,

on very traditional old european devices at any usonian

educational entity.

For 4 Bass Violas da Gamba – 12’ ca.

Dedicated to Science Ficta

I. La escritura|bordes|huellas de un cuerpo.
II. Anthem/end of the line.
III. (Go to I.)

Commonweath of Virginia – Jan 2020

Omar Fraire
 _Program Notes

In the second Trattado de Glosas by the composer and music theorist Diego Ortiz (Rome 1553 ca.)
probably discovered later by the African-American songwriter J. Alan Bland, an ancient practice of
appropriation is depicted as being common for the Viol Consort repertoire. It is a compositional
strategy consisting in taking the melody of an anthem and imposing different lyrics. Such technique
has been practiced in many of the regional anthems and state songs throughout The Country.
A former president of Avon Products removed the lyrics from a traditional song –where a Canadian
declares his love to the daughter of the Oneida Chief¬¬ Shenandoah– replacing them to make the
Virginia Regional Anthem.
In later apocryphal studies, it is known that in this anthem –as in the one using the phrase Sic Semper
Tyrannis– some verses have been lost or omitted.
Following this implanting tradition, these forgotten or forbidden verses are used here to create and
add a piece to the body of composed anthems for Viola Da Gamba.

_Performance Instructions

This piece is a performative action developed for musicians. It has two main parts, movements or
actions and a text. These two parts are repeated once with a slight variation.
The piece was born thinking about boundaries, bodies, resonance and history. The title, the program
notes and my bio are part of the piece.

I. For the first part the musicians perform a continuous tremolo on the Viola da Gamba
body. A couple of preferred solutions for these actions might include: start from the
bottom of the tail piece – transition to the right lower bout – move slowly to the upper
right bout – transition to the finger board (here you might want to damp the string) –
ending on the D string peg. Another solution is to make a bit of a detour from the ribs to
the bridge and continue to the belly and the rest of the instrument up to the peg.
The intention is to focus in the subtle and gradual changes on the resonance of the body.
The tail piece and the bridge offer particular timbral transformations. You might want to
try different changes on the pressure of the bow, as if you played dynamic regulators
imitating the curves on the surface topography of the Viola da Gamba. It is in general, an
activation of the Viola da Gamba as a sound object. The second time this first movement
happens, just one Viola da Gamba executes it.

II. This second part is the result of a fictitious history about the Viola da Gamba and the
state of Virginia. It performs the imposition of a text on the surface of the instrument. The
text is at the end of the score. The performer is asked to read the text in his mind and
with the sound produced by the friction between the tail piece and the finger(s), to
reproduce the rhythm of the words, making one sound for each syllable.
The first time this second movement occurs, just one Viola da Gamba executes it. The
second time this movement happens, all Violas da Gamba executed it. It is allowed to
perform the rubbing rhythm on the belly near the bridge, bellow the strings. Strings can
be opened for this movement. All Violas must execute this movement in strict unison.
 _Score

I. La escritura|bordes|huellas de un cuerpo.
All four Violas da Gamba, without intention of stablishing a dialogue among yourselves.
Perform a slow and continuous exploration of the resonance of the body of the
instrument through a tremolo with bow on the edges and surfaces, going from the tail
piece to the pegs. Damp the strings when needed.
II. Anthem/end of the line.
One Viola da Gamba. Perform the syllabic rhythm of the text with your fingers rubbing
the tail piece.

I. (BIS) One Viola da Gamba.

II. (BIS) All Violas da Gamba. . (tail piece + belly near to the bridge)

(II).

We must abandon the idea of installing an American

citizen in the Mexican presidency, as that would only
lead us, once again, to war. The solution requires more
time: we must open the doors of our universities to
young, ambitious Mexicans and make the effort to
educate them in the American way of life, in our values,
and in respect for the leadership of the United States.
Mexico will need competent administrators, and over
time, these young people will come to occupy important
positions and will eventually take possession of the
presidency itself. And without the United States having
to spend a single cent or fire a single shot, they will do
what we want, and do it better and more radically than
we ourselves would have done. Mexico is an
extraordinarily easy country to dominate, as it necessary
to control only one man: The President.
 _Bio

Ernesto Guzman, 1980 – American.

Award looser composer. Strangely and recently intrigued about borders. As if they sculpted
the political topographies of objects. Like a form resulting from many exclusions whose
objectives do not correspond with the function of the object in question.