Year
1996
Instrumentation
trombone, electric guitar
×
Explanation of the instrumentation string
| Abbreviation |
Instrument |
Guitar(s) and other plucked instruments |
|
| bal |
balalaika |
| bgtr |
bass guitar |
| bjo |
banjo |
| egtr |
electric guitar |
| gtr |
guitar |
| gtr (ampl.) |
amplified guitar |
| hrp |
harp |
| mand |
mandolin |
| uke |
ukulele |
Woodwinds |
|
| afl |
alto flute |
| asax |
alto saxophone |
| barsax |
baritone saxophone |
| bcl |
bass clarinet |
| bsax |
bass saxophone |
| bsthn |
basset horn |
| cl |
clarinet |
| corA |
cor anglais |
| dbcl |
contrabass clarinet (or double bass clarinet) |
| dbn |
contrabassoon (or double bassoon) |
| Ebcl |
E-flat clarinet |
| fl |
flute |
| heck |
heckelphone |
| ob |
oboe |
| obda |
oboe d'amore |
| picc |
piccolo |
| rec |
recorder |
| sarrus |
sarrusophone |
| sax |
saxophone |
| ssax |
soprano saxophone |
| tsax |
tenor saxophone |
Brass |
|
| bgl |
bugle |
| btrbn |
bass trombone |
| crt |
cornet |
| euph |
euphonium |
| flghn |
fluegel horn |
| hn |
horn |
| picctpt |
piccolo trumpet |
| tpt |
trumpet |
| trbn |
trombone |
| tba |
tuba |
| Wtba |
Wagner tuba |
Percussion |
|
| cim |
cimbalom |
| drkit |
drum kit |
| glsp |
glockenspiel |
| mba |
marimba |
| perc |
percussion |
| tamb |
tambourine |
| timp |
timpani |
| vib |
vibraphone |
| xyl |
xylophone |
Keyboards |
|
| cel |
celesta |
| eorg |
electric organ |
| epft |
electric piano |
| harm |
harmonium |
| Horg |
Hammond organ |
| hpsd |
harpsichord |
| kybd |
keyboard |
| org |
organ |
| pft |
piano |
| prep pft |
prepared piano |
| synth |
synthesizer |
Strings |
|
| db |
double bass (or contra bass) |
| evln |
electric violin |
| strgs |
strings |
| vla |
viola |
| vlada |
viola d'amore |
| vlc |
violoncello |
| vln |
violin |
Vocal |
|
| A |
(Contr)alto |
| B |
Bass |
| Bar |
baritone |
| MS |
mezzo-soprano |
| S |
soprano |
| T |
tenor |
Other |
|
| acc |
accordion |
| ocar |
ocarina |
| oM |
Ondes Martinot |
Explanation
The standard, accepted order of instrumentation for large ensembles: fl.ob.cl.bsn - hn.tpt.trbn.tba - perc - other - vlnI.vlnII.vla.vlc.db - tape, or electronics. Saxophones appear between clarinet and bassoon.
All other scorings (less than 8 instruments) are listed in full.
When an instrument is listed in parentheses, then this instrument is doubled. "guitar (=electric guitar)" means that the guitarist plays an acoustic, as well as an electric guitar. In an orchestral setting, "1(I=picc).2(II=corA).2(II=bcl).1" would resolve to: 1 flute (also playing piccolo), 2 oboes (second oboe also playing cor anglais), 2 clarinets (second clarinet also playing bass clarinet), 1 bassoon. If there is an extra instrument, which is not doubled, then this is expressly written out, e.g. "1(I=picc).2.corA.2.bcl.1.dbn", which unravels to: 1 flute (also playing piccolo), 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 1 bass clarinet, 1 bassoon, 1 double bassoon.
Solo instruments in a concerto or chamber setting are written out in front of the ensemble instruments: guitar - 1.1.1.1 - 1.0.0.0 - perc - strgs.
|
Genre
Chamber Music
Commission
Ekko!
Premiere
Charlottesville, VA, USA, University of Virginia, 8 October 1996: Ekko!
Publisher
American Composers Alliance
Source
composer homepage; American Composers Alliance website;
Details
"The idea for Fits and Starts grew out of my reacquaintance with the electric guitar. When I took it out of its dusty case after several years of neglect, I discovered lots of quirky figures I liked. Each of these comprised an alternation of just two sounds, many of them incorporating harmonics and out-of-tune unisons between strings. At first it frustrated me that I couldn't manage to combine these figures into longer phrases - with my rusty technique, it was all I could do to play one of them over and over. But then I began to think of building the piece around this limitation. Each passage would focus on just one figure, repeating it either insistently or lazily. The trombone would join in this limited discourse with its own assortment of concentrated figures. The succession of resulting textures would be abrupt, even puzzling."
- John Gibson (from: composer website)
