Untitled
by Magnus Lindberg
Description
In the spring of 1978, Lindberg began to attend Paavo Heininen's classes more regularly. At the beginning of the following academic year Heininen was to become his new professor of composition. He asked Lindberg to compose an a cappella piece for choir. Untitled was written in Stockholm during the summer of 1978. It employs no literary text, but is based on the phonetic principles Lindberg had adopted after working on Bertil Malmberg's book Lärobok i fonetik (Treatise in Phonetics). One or two choirs had examined Untitled, but the piece had never been performed when Martin Cotton, a BBC producer, visited Helsinki, found out about the score and suggested it to the BBC Singers; they recorded it in London (4 March 1988) and finally sang it at the Helsinki Biennale in March 1991. Before this performance, the piece had already reemerged in instrumental for in the quintet ...de Tartuffe, je crois (1981).
© Risto Nieminen, 1993
translated by © Nick Le Quesne
© Ircam - Centre Georges-Pompidou, 1993
(From Magnus Lindberg, Helsinki 1996)
Au printemps 1978, Lindberg a commencé à fréquenter davantage les classes de Paavo Heininen, qui devint, à la rentrée, son nouveau professeur de composition. Heininen lui a demandé de composer une pièce pour choeur a cappella. Ecrite pendant l'été 1978 à Stockholm, Untitled n'utilise aucun texte littéraire, mais est fondée sur des principes phonétiques que Lindberg avait adoptés après avoir travaillé sur le livre de Bertil Malmberg, Lärobok i fonetik. Untitled, étudiée par un ou deux choeurs, n'avait jamais été exécutée avant la visite à Helsinki du producteur de la BBC, Martin Cotton, qui a pris connaissance de la partition et l'a ensuite proposée aux BBC Singers ; ceux-ci l'ont enregistrée à Londres (le 4 mars 1988) et finalement chantée à la Biennale d'Helsinki en mars 1991. Déjà, avant cette création, la pièce était réapparue sous forme instrumentale dans le quintette ... de Tartuffe, je crois (1981).
© Risto Nieminen, 1993
© Ircam - Centre Georges-Pompidou, 1993
(From Magnus Lindberg, Ircam 1993)
Instrumentation chx
Instrument codes
Abbreviation | Instrument |
Woodwind | |
acl | alto clarinet |
afl | alto flute |
arec | alto recorder |
asax | alto saxophone |
barsax | baritone saxophone |
barhn | baritone horn |
bcl | bass clarinet |
bfl | bass flute |
bob | bass oboe |
bsax | bass saxophone |
bsn | bassoon |
cbsn | contrabassoon |
cl | clarinet |
ehn | English horn |
fl | flute |
hn | French horn |
ob | oboe |
pic | piccolo |
rec | recorder |
sax | saxophone |
srec | soprano recorder |
ssax | soprano saxophone |
trec | tenor recorder |
tsax | tenor saxophone |
Brass | |
ahn | alto horn |
atrb | altotrombone |
barhn | baritone horn |
btrb | bass trombone |
cornet | cornet |
euph | euphonium |
fhn | flugelhorn |
hn | French horn |
tba | tuuba |
thn | tenor horn |
trb | trombone |
trp | trumpet |
Percussion | |
dr | drums |
glock | glockenspiel |
mar | marimba |
perc | percussion |
timp | timpani |
vibr | vibraphone |
xyl | xylophone |
Strings | |
db | double bass |
gamba | viola da gamba |
str | strings |
vla | viola |
vlc | cello |
vln | violin |
Other | |
acc | accordion |
cel | celesta |
cemb | harpsichord |
chords | chords |
elbas | electric bass |
elg | electric guitar |
elorg | electric organ |
elpno | electric piano |
guit | guitar |
harm | harmonium |
hca | harmonica |
hp | harp |
instr | instrument |
kantele | kantele |
keyb | keyboard |
live electr | live electronics |
mand | mandolin |
mel | melody |
org | organ |
pno | piano |
synth | synthesizer |
tape | tape |
Vocal | |
alto | alto |
baryt | baritone |
basso | bass voice |
ch | choir |
chc | childrens choir |
chf | female choir |
chm | male choir |
chx | mixed choir |
cten | countertenor |
mezzo | mezzo-soprano |
sopr | soprano |
speaker | speaker |
ten | tenor |
voc | vocal |
Coding for instrument ensembles and orchestras
Symphony orchestra | |
2222 4331 11 1, str = 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 French horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, one other percussionist, harp and strings |
Wind band | |
2252 3 423 21212 3 = 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 5 clarinets, 2 bassoons - 3 saxophones - 4 French horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones - 2 cornets, alto horn, 2 tenor horns, baritone horn, 2 tubas - 3 percussionists |
Big band | |
221 4 4, pno, guit, db, dr = 2 alto saxophones, 2 tenor saxophones, baritone saxophone, 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, piano, guitar, double bass, drums |
Additional codes | |
+ | fl+pic = flutist doubles on piccolo |
/ | pno/org = can be played on either piano or organ |
lib | ad libitum |
obl | obligato |
str | str: 65432 = specified number of string players |
str min | str min: 65432 = at least 65432 |
str max | str max: 65432 = not more than 65432 |
solo | vln solo = violin is the solo instrument in a work not obviously for solo violin |
Category Vocal and Choral Works
Lyricist Phonetic text
Premiere
BBC Singers, cond. Simon Joly, Helsinki Biennale, March 15, 1991.
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Archive number MF3485
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