UCLA Contemporary Music Score Collection

Title Saida Portraits

Permalink https://escholarship.org/uc/item/30v6n18c

Author Le Lohé, Francesca

Publication Date 2020

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Saida Portraits

Piano and Percussion

Francesca Le Lohé Saida Portraits for piano and percussion (2014). Composed for George Barton and Siwan Rhys as part of the New Dots 2014 concert series. Premiered June 2014 at The Forge, Camden, London.

Percussion: Glockenspiel, two temple blocks (one medium and one low pitch), very small gong (for example Thai gong, Bb), bass drum, crotales (low octave) and two splash cymbals of different sizes (for example 10” and 12”). A bow is needed for the crotales and cymbal in movement IV. The Veil.

‘Saida Portraits’ is in five short movements, each inspired by a portrait photograph taken by Hashem el Madani in his studio in Saida, Lebanon during the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s. Madani was a successful studio photographer who was visited by many people in the town to be photographed, often treating the studio as a safe haven where they could act out their wishes and desires. Out of the hundreds of portraits which have been collected and exhibited by the artist Akram Zaatari, I have chosen five portraits with the common theme of pride and celebration as inspiration.

I. Father and Son A father proudly holds his very young, bewildered looking son up to the camera.

II. Reesh Reesh, a bulky, muscly man, sucks his stomach in and shows off his physique.

III. Baqari’s Wife A woman secretly went to enjoy herself and pose for the camera. When her possessive husband found out, he ordered the photographer to take a pin and scratch out her face on the negatives.

IV. The Veil A friend helps a bride-to-be with her wedding veil and gives the photographer a stern glare.

V. The Kiss Two playful young men wish to re-enact a kiss from a big, romantic film. However, in the conservative society of Saida in the 1950’s, people were more comfortable performing the kiss with someone of the same sex.

Approx. duration: 10 minutes

Saida Portraits

I. Father and Son Francesca Le Lohé q =120 Playful, but hesitant Temple Blocks                  deadstick Glockenspiel                                                        3  3   f p f p f p f q =120 Joyful, declamatory                             Piano f                        6     Glock.                                 3          p 3   3 f                                   3 Pno. ff 3                                 10  Glock.                                                  3   3   p f p                         Pno. f                      14  3 T.Bl                               p Glock.                                            mf                               Pno. mf                           2 19 3 T.Bl                                   f    Glock.                                                    Pno. f                        

23 3 T.Bl                                  sub. p    Glock.                                                          Pno. mf                          

27 3 T.Bl                             f     Glock.                       

  3                   Pno. f mf 3                         

32 3 T.Bl                                           Glock.                                 p   f                            Pno.                                  3 37 3 3 3 3 T.Bl                                             Glock.                                    3 ff

                          Pno. f ff                              42 T.Bl                                        f  3  Glock.                                                           Pno. f                    47 T.Bl                          3 mf 3 Glock.                       

            Pno. mf            

50  3 (To small gong) T.Bl                    p  Glock.                  f

         Pno. p           4 II. Reesh q = 96 Starting announcement, like a boxing ring bell accel. 54 Small gong (Thai gong E5) laid flat q = 138 Gong.                       f q = 96 Strong but unwieldy, lumbering accel. q = 138                               Pno. pp ff                                                   rall. q = 138 A tempo accel. 3 62                                                       Pno.  3                                                                   q = 152 rall. q = 120 rall. q = 96   3 70                                3 Pno. fff mp p 3 3 3 3      3 3                                                   q = 138 78 (To Bass Drum) Gong.                      q = 138     3                                              mp ff 3  Pno. 3      3                                                                  accel. q = 152 loco 85                                                3   fff Pno.      3                                               3  3                     5

rall. q = 120 rall. q = 96 91                                    3 Pno. f mp                                           3     3         6 III. Baqari's Wife q = 116 98 Bass Drum B. D.             q = 116 Carefree, flowing motion                                          Pno. f 3 3                                                         

103                                              Pno. 3 3                                                                Sinister and subtle 108 B. D.             pp l.v. throughout                                                      3 3 Pno. 3 f                                                         

113 B. D.                       p     3                                                   3   Pno.                                                                

119                                                         Pno. f mf 3 3                                                            124 B. D.                  mp                3 3                                            3  3  3  Pno. mf 3  3                                                               7

Aggressive, destroys the piano music 129 B. D.                mf     

  3 3                                                         3 3 3  3  3   Pno. mp 3                                                  

134 B. D.                  3 3 3     3 3                                                 Pno. 3    3                          

139 B. D.                f 3                                    Pno. p 3  3 3                                

145   B. D.                    3     3                                    Pno. pp             

153     B. D.                              Pno.          Keep atmosphere tense Very strong and aggressive, final and still, next movement 161      tentatively emerges B. D.                                     Pno.            8 IV. The Veil q = 60 Distant, coming in and out of nothing 167 Crotales, bowed throughout (pick up bow) Crot.                   small splash cymbal Cym.          medium splash cymbal          q = 60 Distant, coming in and out of nothing                                                    Pno. ppp 3 p 3 ppp 3 3 p                   una corda 172 Crot.                   p                                                         Pno. 3 ppp 3 3 3 3 p 3 3 ppp 3               178 Crot.              bowed cymbal      Cym.                f as harsh sounding as possible

       3                                         3 3 3 3 3 3  3  3 3  Pno. f ppp p             183 Crot.                                                                                3 3 3 3 3 3 Pno. pp mp pp mp pp                     9

189 very quick bow Crot.                        mf Cym.                     f sim.

  3          6                                    3  3       Pno. f mp 5 5                 

194 accel. Crot.                        f accel.                                 7  3  7 7 Pno. 6 5 7          197 q = 80 rall. Crot.          Cym.      f sim.

q = 80 rall.  ff                                Pno.                 q = 60 200  Cym.             sim.

q = 60  f                              Pno. 7                              10

203 Crot.           mp

 mf                7 6  Pno. 6 5 7 6  7                          

207 Crot.                    p

 p               5 5 Pno. p 5 3 3 3 6 3                                            

211 Crot.      

       Pno. 3  3 3 3 3                             pp p

213 (To glockenspiel and cymbals) Crot.       

    Pno.  3 3 3                                  ppp pp ppp V. The Kiss 11

216 q = 66 small splash cymbal Cym.        medium splash cymbal           Glock.                  q = 66 Smooth, dreamy

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                                             sim. arpeggiated   Pno. mp mp p  3 3 3                                 p                   mf sim.      accel. q = 96 Cheeky, bizarre choked 223 dampen       Cym.                              3          p f

accel. q = 96 Cheeky, bizarre                                                      not arpeggiated Pno. 3                                                      p f   rall. q = 66

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230 

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                                                        sim. arpeggiated        mp p f Pno. mp 3 3                                                      sim.      accel. 237 l.v. 3 Cym.                                            p   

accel.                          Pno. mp  3  3                                              12 q = 96 rall. q = 66 243   Cym.                    f p    Glock.                            f  mp

q = 96 rall. q = 66

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                                          f not arpeggiated Pno.    mp            3                                   3    247 3      3     Glock.                                                   sim. arpeggiated    mp f Pno. f 3 3 3                                        sim.  

252 3                Glock.                                          3     f 5 3                          p Pno. 3 3                                        

accel. 257 q = 96  Cym.             (dampen as much a possible) ff         Glock.                    3 7 ff

q = 96 accel.                                               3 ff 3 3 Pno.                                                   3 3 3   fff