Superfluidity

for chamber ensemble

Nikolaos-Laonikos Psimikakis-Chalkokondylis

Superfluidity
for chamber ensemble Instrumentation (9 players): flute (doubling Piccolo) oboe clarinet bassoon percussion (woodblock, guiro, suspended cymbal) violin viola violoncello double bass (with C extension if there is no C extension available, transpose the bottom C's up the octave) The score is written in C (except for the Piccolo, which sounds an octave higher, and the double-bass, which sounds an octave lower) Duration: 3 minutes

Program Note
Superfluidity, in physics, is a term that describes the phase of matter in which unusual effects are observed, when liquids, after going below a certain temperature, overcome friction. One of the unusual effects observed at those temperatures is that superfluids can form a very thin atomthick layer up the sides of any container in which it is placed. Superfluidity in this piece is expressed by the way the harmony is spread among the instruments, as there are some very fundamental chords (mainly jazz chords) that guide the piece which are layered up the instruments much like a superfluid would layer up the sides of any container in which it is placed (which is suitable for an ensemble which has only one player of each instrument, just like the liquid would form an atom-thick layer - atom being the Greek word for person). The section with the sustained notes and the phrases that move from one instrument to another is like having a liquid at a very low temperature, and then lighting parts of that liquid which start to move (as, inevitably light will transfer energy to them and thus heat them up), and then remain stable, but warmer than before (i.e. not returning to silence), while other parts of the liquid are being lit. This work was written for the LCO New Explore 2008 competition.

q = 70 (Strictly)

Flute

3 &4 3 &4 3 &4 ?4 3 3 4

J J j

2 4 2 4 2 4

Oboe

J J

Superfluidity
for chamber ensemble

3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4 3 4

Clarinet in B b

Bassoon

Wood Block

Percussion

Violin

KU 3 &4 3 B4 ?4 3 ?3 4

q = 70 (Strictly)

J . p

2 4 J 2 4 J 2 4 2 4 J 2 4 J pizz. 2 j 4 b
pizz.

b J 2 J 4 J 2 J J 4 2 4 2 4 2 4 2 4 j J

Nikolaos-Laonikos Psimikakis-Chalkokondylis

4 4 4 4 4 4

. .

2 4 2 4 2 4

j 4 b 4 . P J 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 w
A

2 b j 4 2 4 2 4 2 4 2 4 2 4

gliss.# P

sul tasto col legno tratto non vibrato

Viola

Violoncello

Double Bass

j K J j

b 2 4 J 2 4 J arco j 2 4 b
arco

J J j b

b P b b F
3

2
Fl.

12

Ob.

2 # n &4 J F 5:4 2 # &4 b F 2 &4 F 3 ? 4 . b 2 f

3

b b
5:4

B b Cl.

Bsn.

# # b b
3

12

Perc.

2 4 2 &4

normale con vibrato

12

Vln.

Vla.

Vlc.

2 B 4 . ... F ? 2 b b 4
7:8

J 3 F 3 # # b # 3 P b b
Guiro

. . . . 3 # j 6:4 . 4 J # J 3 f p r @ 3 b 4 b b 5:4 j b 3 j b b # r bRb 4 3 3 p b b f F 3 3 # 4 J3 f f

3

b J F 3 b J j 3 b b. p
B

j b J P

3 4

Db.

f ? 4 b # 2
3

b p
pizz.

3 # b 4 b f b. 3 4 P b b 3 4 p F arco 3 . 4 b

b p
j

. .

pizz.

b f b. F

j F

b J
3

J 3 b
5:4

. b b
3

arco

19

Fl.

& b J
3 5:4

Ob.

b b & J b J P & . ?
19

j F b. r J b P b f # .
3

j 4 4 # P 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 P f
3

Piccolo

p bw
Gui.

non vibrato

B b Cl.

b. b F

# # F

w -

Bsn.

Perc.

. & B ? ?
3

W. Bl.

19

Vln.

b.

5:4

w
C

Vla.

7:6

j3 J F

b b
3

b f b b

Vlc.

b b .

j 4 . 4

4 4 p 4 4

Db.

b J

j P3 f
3

4
27

Fl. Picc.

& & & ?

b b con vibrato w
3

Ob.

Suspended Cymbal

. b R 3 . b . f
3

b. P
3

b
3

B b Cl.

Bsn.

27

Perc.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >
D

b b j S

J b f P

27

Vln.

& B ? ?
non vibrato

. . b J o w
pizz.

j b b p

molto vibrato

w b f f J b

Vla.

b
arco

Vlc.

Db.

sul D

&

o bw

o w p

o w

o w

j o w

b b. o f ?

w J F

E
36

5
Flute

q = 100

Picc. Fl.

& & & ?

J F

3 J j f

non vibrato

w b f ..

w w j b p
3

.. w

Ob.

B b Cl.

Bsn.

36

Perc.

Gui. E q = 100

b f F

b 3 f

w b b b

W. Bl.

b b n k. b f p f .. j 3 3 P f P
(breathe as necessary)

Sus. C

f P

36

Vln.

& B
pizz.

non vibrato

Vla.

p w

J f P f

Vlc.

Db.

? J P ?

6
Fl.

41

Ob.

& f P w &
3

(breathe as necessary)

.. F w w
Sus. C

B b Cl.

& (k)w ? w
41

b . b f w f w
F a punta d'arco

w p w w b

(breathe as necessary)

w w .

w w
(breathe as necessary)

Bsn.

W. Bl.

Perc.

& B ? ?

41

non vibrato

JJ 3 p F f w w

b bJ w b F 3 P w w p w w w w

Vln.

Vla.

. r b @ b 5:4 f P w b J f
arco

Vlc.

b b
3

con sordino

Db.

b S

b
3

KK w

w P

non vibrato

b b b
3 S 3

b w

47

Fl.

& &

U molto vibrato w U
expression ad lib.

16"

play ad lib

o w
G

J
3

w J 3

J .

7
accel.

Ob.

wexpression
ad lib. molto vibrato expression ad lib.

B b Cl.

U & (k)w

Bsn.

?
47

U w

expression ad lib.

o w

j w

F j w 3 F w w P

w w w P . o w P J
3

Perc.

(non vib)

o w
accel.

16"
47

Vln.

& w

normale 12" 4"

o w
ord.

o w

expression ad lib. 13" molto vibrato 3"

Vla.

U B (K)(K) w

(non vib)

Vlc.

? U w ? U w

expression ad lib. (non vib)

molto vibrato 11"

5"

expression

(non vib) ad lib.

molto vibrato 7"

9"

Db.

expression ad lib.

pizz. n b J J j pizz. b J pizz. b J J

l
arco

w
arco

w
Jw

w w P

w
arco

. J

w w

8
55

Fl.

& w & w & r k ... ? w

b. .
3

Jw f 3 b. w
3

b ..

j f .

w w j . b
3

b .

3 j

Ob.

b
3

B b Cl.

.. J

r b ... w b

Bsn.

55

. f
3

Perc.

& o w

... R w
H

.
3

55

Vln.

o b
3

Vla.

Jw B () ? w ? b F

. w .

Vlc.

Db.

j3 J

f . f

j b w j b w
3

j
3

j b
3

. bw

. bw

I
63

rit.

Fl.

& bw & w & . ? b b

Jw bw w bw
molto vibrato

Ob.

. J j . j . .

q = 140

J . j . j .

#w f w p

#U w f
U

B b Cl.

w w

Bsn.

63

Perc.

&

b J W. Bl. S
I

b . J
Gui.

63

q = 140

Sus. C

f ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ U
rit.

bw

(change imperceptibly)

Vln.

w w w

w . J j b . j . b

w b . J b . J
pizz. pizz.

w bbw w
arco

Vla.

B b. ? ? w b

Vlc.

f bw f w f

U w U

w w w

Db.

j b .

arco