La partida
for viola and live electronics

Juan L. Montoro

for Mixtur

Workshop with Yuval Gotlibovich

Scordatura

Whenever is possible to play a pitch in an open string, that will be mandatory.

Some strings for the harmonics positions are suggested, but it is up to the player if another
position is more suitable for some occasions.

Dynamics:

When playing harmonics and open strings, the dynamic indicated is mf. That indicates that
harmonics should be played forte, and the sound of the open strings should be balanced
according to the intensity reached in the harmonics. Freedom in dynamic for phrasing is of
course encouraged.

Bowing

Alternate bowing up and down for every pitch.

The player should bow at the full length of the bow, giving a little bit space to resonate to every
note (similar to tenuto)

ST Sul tasto

SP Sul Pont.
ord. Ordinario / normal

Overbowing / Overpressure -> scratch sound

Rhythm: recited poem

The rhythms/durations of the notes are related to this poem:

Nada suyo guardaba aquella tierra

donde existiera. Por el aire,
como error, diez años de la vida
vio en un punto borrarse.

Adiós al fin, tierra como tu gente fría,

donde un error me trajo y otro error me lleva.
Gracias por todo y nada. No volveré a pisarte.

(Luis Cernuda, “La partida”)

The correlation is indicated with the poem written just below the notes, with an underlined syllable
corresponding to every pitch.

Commas between pitches are used to indicate short breathings (related to phrasing)

The length of the staves and silences in between are indicated with time duration (ex: 9’’), but they
are therefore not very precise and can be interpreted longer or shorter by the performer speed
recitation/reading.

Electronics notation

The electronics notation is only of importance for the audio technician.

The dynamics interpreted by the performer change the dynamics of the live-electronics of
the piece (which are based on sine waves resonating the pitches played by the viola). The
performer has to play the dynamics organically, and electronics will follow.

To have the electronics sound in the performance, two different options are possible, depending
on the possibilities for the equipment, or preferences by the performer and sound technician:

1) Using a transducer attached to the viola as an output for the live electronics. It will
make the viola resonate as an amplifying box of the electronics,

2) Using stereo or mono speakers for the output. Here is really important, that the sound
of the electronics never exceed the sound of the viola. It is also important that the output
of the speakers is not only the live electronics, but also a little bit of the viola sound to
support the mixing.

In one of the staves, the pitches of the electronics are notated (it could be programmed to be
launch with cues, or even play it live with a elect. keyboard). The attack of every note has to be a
crest starting from “al niente”.

The process of the electronics are notated in a separated stave when changes have to happen.

This process are:

1) Mixing: relation in the final mixed sound between electronics and original viola sound.

20% would indicate: 20% electronics - 80% viola

2) Reverb: amount of reverb in the electronics. 100% would indicate a reverberation

around 3-4 seconds (approximately, two seconds more than the original reverb. of
the space)