Performance Notes

open.rar.1 is a nonlinear interactive piece for prepared vibraphone and electronics. Each time the piece is iterated the form is constructed from the score segments and their respective computer generated accompaniments according to a generative algorithm. The generated score is presented on the computer screen as the piece progress, so the player must be positioned in order to read the music appearing on the screen. 

The piece is comprised of 80 score parts organized in banks of 10. The paper score is designed to be used as a rehearsal tool, allowing the player to practice each score segment and not have to sight read during the performance. The six score slots in the on screen interface are periodically updated throughout the performance. The performer plays from the score segments presented on screen according to the repetition and density sliders on the right side of the screen. A low value on the repetition slider would indicate that the performer should not repeat any of the score segments on the screen, rather the performer should move on and play another score segment not yet performed. A high value on the repetition slider would indicate that the performer should repeat score segment they are currently performing. The high end of the repetition slider should be interpreted as no more than 10 repeats (at which time if the slider is still reading a high value the performer should select another score segment and repeat that segment no more than 10 times) and the low end as no repetition at all. The density slider indicates to the performer how much space to leave in between each score segment. The minimum value on the density slider should be interpreted as no more than 15 seconds in between each score segment. The maximum value on the density slider should indicate that there should be no space at all between the score segments, they should be performed as seamlessly as possible. It is important to note that when following the repetition and the density sliders that conditions may arise that leave the performer unable to perform all of the score segments on the screen before they are replaced, this is OK. The piece is not designed to have absolutely every score segment presented on screen played in every iteration.

It is important that the performer practice each of the score segments at a variety of tempi and dynamic levels. Throughout the piece the dynamic level of each score segment (just to the left of each score slot) is updated in a manner similar to that of the score segments. The performer must be ready to perform each score segment at a pp, p, mp, mf, f, and ff dynamic level. Also any accent marks in a score segment should be interpreted as one level above the currently indicated dynamic level. The tempo of the accompaniment shifts throughout the piece between 70 and 130 bpm (quarter note). Each score segment should be performed at the tempo that is most evident in the computer accompaniment at the time it is performed. The performer should be aware that a complex algorithm controls the tempo of the accompaniment and at various times throughout the piece there may be several different tempos occurring simultaneously thus obscuring any sense of a dominant tempo. At those times the performer is encouraged to embrace the rhythmic ambiguity of the piece and struggle against it. 

Two of the ten score banks contain score segments that are bowed. The performer should have two bows available to play these segments as they appear throughout the piece. For the remaining score segments a set of four medium mallets should be used throughout. 

The instructions specific to running the Max/MSP patch for this piece are included in the software documentation. The piece can be configured for both stereo and surround (5.1) playback situations. There should be no need for a computer operator if the computer is on stage, the performer should be able to simply click the “start” button to begin the piece.

Preparing the Vibraphone

This piece is constructed two discrete pitch sets comprising the entire range of the vibraphone. The vibraphone should be prepared so that all bars below A4 in set A have an increasing amount of resistance to vibration, and all the bars above D5 in set B have an increasing amount of resistance. The prepared resistance should take the form of small hard objects attached to the bar in such a way as to impede the vibration of the bar and “buzz” when the bar is struck. For example you could start by taping a nickel to A4 in set A, gradually increasing the number of nickels on each lower bar while starting to add quarters in addition to the nickels at the low end of the set A.