How to
perform graphic music
“Graphic
notation (or graphic score) is the representation of music through the use of visual symbols outside the
realm of traditional music notation. ... Composers often rely on graphic
notation in
experimental
music, where standard musical notation can be ineffective.”
Rather than
making general comments on graphic music I would like to explain how my graphic
music ‘Anatolia’ may be performed.
AS any music
score Anatolia’s score is symbolic. We
have keys, stave, notes etc. in classic music notation. Anatolia uses the classic music notation
mostly. But staves are no longer only
horizontal. Also the distance between
the lines of the staves may change.
Let’s take
the first movement ‘OKU(read)’: This
piece is based on the Turkish word ‘OKU(read)’ and its phonemes. It has a religious allusion in Turkish
belief. It points that if you decide to read you will read even if you do not
know how to.
The elements
that has to be decided by the performer are:
1)
The direction of staves.
2)
The size of the phonetic
chars
3)
The relative positions of
elements on the sheet.
I choose to
perform the direction of staves as: the steepness up indicates that tempo gets
faster.
The size of
phonetics indicates relative loudness.
The big ‘o’ sounds maybe chosen to be performed variously. As they intersect with many staves, they may
indicate the ‘o’ sound is interleaved with these other staved sounds as a
unifying element.
The relative
positions of different elements may indicate sequence in terms of being closest
in a pragmatic approach but a more meaningful approach could be: The performer should read the lyrics and arrange
the material as needed to emphasize the general meaning of the piece, which you
can find at the last movement clearly.
These are my personal choices and they may be
interpreted totally different and may sound better then mine. The performer is kindly invited to make this
exploration and create his piece from mine.
II. QUAL
The second
movement QUAL: It explores the word
‘galleon’ and its Turkish version ‘kalyon’.
It searches the relation of [gal] and ‘qual’ also.
Addition to
the choices I made before there is a strascinare on the word [gol] its
destination is free but lower than e4.
Similar to movement 1 the ‘kalyon’ stave which comprises the whole piece shall be
performed interleaved with other elements.
The height of the stave changes, this indicates minute frequency changes
in pitch, so this stave is not linear.
The tempo of pieces of this element first decreases then increases
substantially.
III. TOLIA
Movement 3
TOLIA explores the word ‘TOLIA’ and its interaction with various other words in
Turkish and many languages including 13 cty B.C. Anatolian Hittite. As the pronounciation of Hittite is unknown
it is completely performers choice to
read [???????]. Hittite is a dead
language, it exists only on stones.
IV. ANA(ANNA)
The Movement
4 ‘ANA(anna)’ explores the Turkish, Hittite and other tongues’ word ‘ANA(anna)’
meaning mother. The words that stand for
the names of mother goddesses and related words are explored.
The circular
staves indicate perpetum mobile, endless repetition as an abstraction
rebirth. The steepnes of the staves
indicate tempo increase or slow down.
V. MAR
The fifth
movement ‘MAR’ explores the relation of Hittite word ‘Maryannu’ , it extends to
Mary, Marin, Marseilles, merhaba
etc. There is also an element of
‘REMEMBER’ and its exploration with ‘rappeler’, ‘erinnern’ and even some
Egyptische phonemes. It is a caos of
interconnections between different languages that exist now and in the past. It leads comfortably to the Turkish ‘Meryem
Ana(Meriam the Mother)’.
VI. SANAT
The 6.th
movement ‘SANAT’ explores the meaning of the Turkish word ‘SANAT(ART)’. There is an allusion to ‘Medicum curat natura
sanat’. It is also distantly an allusion
of curing diseases with music in old times.
VII.
SÖZÜN ŞARKISI(Das Lied des Wort - The Song of Word)
Seventh
movement is ‘SÖZÜN ŞARKISI(Das Lied des
Wort- The Song of Word)’. This is a
spoken piece. The tempo increases
according to the steepness of the word base alignment. It points at the intersections of languages
and claims as the whole work, the borders between different nations now and the
past are being exaggerated, the common reality of the human being is much
bigger than it is displayed by politicians.
Aelius
Rhesus
PERFORMANCE NOTES and REFERENCES
