Anne LeBaron

Concerto for Active Frogs for three instruments, chorus, bass/baritone soloist and fixed audio

Score

1974

C E Composers Edition

ce-alb1cff1-dl-s

Page 1

Anne LeBaron

Concerto for Active Frogs Page 1

Concerto for Active Frogs

by Anne LeBaron

Concerto for Active Frogs was premiered as part of the Raudelunas ‘Pataphysical Revue, March 1975, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The entire revue was recorded on the eponymous vinyl, label “Say Day- Bew,” with a CD release by Alcohol Records some fifteen years later. The Concerto is also available on Mode Records “Rana, Ritual, and Revelations: The Music of Anne LeBaron.” Performances have taken place across the U.S. and in Germany.

© 1975 GoldenCroakMusic Page 1 Instrumentation Program Notes The Frogs* The frogs represented in Concerto for Active Frogs are found throughout Player #1 the U.S. and Mexico and were extracted from the Folkways recording entitled Player #2 (should differ from #1 in type) “Sounds of North American Frogs” and assembled into a tape collage. Percussion: 1 or 2 players; suggested instrumentation: Frogs have lived on this earth for around 200 million years; quite possibly, the , guiro, (different sizes), calabash, first voice in existence was that of a frog. With one exception, all vocalizations are 1-2 tom-toms, 3-5 woodblocks, bamboo wind chimes produced with the mouth and nostrils closed. Smaller species with high-pitched , bongos, whistles voices possess external vocal pouches that balloon out as resonators, whereas the Solo Voice: male or low female larger species have proportionally smaller vocal sacs. In the very large frogs, there is Chorus: 4-8, mixed voices often no external vocal sac, and the throat merely assumes a swollen appearance during calls. Performance Notes Mating calls are the sounds frogs make which are most often heard and Chorus members and solo vocalist should wear a dark green almost always occur as part of a chorus. The first male reaching a suitable breeding plastic garbage bag over their clothes, with holes cut for head and site begins to call, attracting other males who join him to form a chorus; eventually arms; instrumentalists should also wear the bags, unless they the females begin to make their appearances. Evidence has shown that a female often interfere with performance. Performers may also wear frog face actively seeks out her partner and makes her choice on the basis of the male’s voice masks, and additional costumes are encouraged within the context of as opposed to his external assets. the frogs, so long as they do not inhibit playing. Any other extra- Sounds other than mating calls fall into five categories: warning vocalizations, musical additions may be made at the discretion of the performers, warning sounds, rain calls, screams, and territoriality calls. Warning chirps and croaks and may be pre-planned or spontaneous. are some of the more striking sounds chosen for the tape collage in the Concerto. When large breeding aggregations of frogs assemble, sexual excitement reaches a Instruments for players #1 and #2 may be freely chosen high peak. Under such conditions, it is not unusual for males to attempt to clasp from the string, wind, or brass families (and may be digital as well). virtually anything of appropriate size. If one male makes this mistake, the wrongly However, these are suggested: seized male struggles to escape and abruptly emits a warning croak or chirp, insuring Player #1: B-flar /Bass Clarinet its prompt release. Another distinctive sound, the scream, occurs when a frog is or oboe startled or injured and is the only sound produced with the mouth widely open. or This work was conceived as a showcase for the frogs. The chorus of humans Player #2: Trombone and the instrumentalists react individually to the frogs, creating various or Alto/Tenor/Soprano Saxophones (any or all) “conversations” in the process. The Concerto is designed to open, or at least widen, a channel of awareness and respect for the inherent musicality of these ancient or Cello tailless amphibians. or Bassoon/Contrabassoon *The Frogs may be played back by any means, including CD or digital media. It is a stereo recording, but may be played by any number of speakers divisible by 2 (4, 6, 8) in any configuration.

Accessing the fixed media sound file of frog vocalizations: A CD is included in the back of this score. You may also download the file at http://bit.ly/2uqVyhG Please contact Anne LeBaron at www.annelebaron.com for further information.

Page 1 0'' 05'' 10'' 15'' (18'') 20'' 25'' 30'' 35'' 1

Frogs Ambient sounds Rana pipiens Microhyla (senza frogs) (high, crying sound) carolinensis (microtone nasals) Instrument sustained #1 nasal tones (imitate frogs)

Instrument imitate previous #2 frogs, quickly dying out

Percussion Sparse, quiet

(wind chimes, wood blocks)

Soloist

Chorus Page 2 40'' 45'' 50'' 55'' 1'00'' 1'05' 1'10'' 1'15''

Frogs

sustained Instrument nasal tones #1 (imitate frogs)

imitate previous Instrument frogs, quickly #2 dying out

Percussion

Soloist

Chorus Page 3 1'20'' 1'25'' (1'27'') 1'30'' 1'35'' 1'40'' (1'44'') 1'45'' 1'50'' 1'55'' 2 3

Hyla c. cinerosa Hyla femoralis Frogs (low chirps) (high chirps, faster)

Instrument (simile) play aggressively at player #2 #1

Instrument enter energetically, belligerently #2

Percussion soft drum attacks and rolls

Soloist

Chorus Page 4 2'00''(02'') 2'05'' 2'10'' 2'15'' (18'') 2'20'' 2'25'' 2'30''(32'') 2'35'' 4 5 1

Hyla squirella Bufo punctatus Frogs Bufo insidor (lily-pad chorus) (rough croaks) (high fluttertongues)

Instrument High trill or ric. trem; #1 imitate frogs play as snub to soloist, loud as possible

Give all your attention to soloist! Instrument #2 imitate frogs

Give all your attention to soloist! Percussion guiro

Give all your attention to soloist! Soloist Becoming gradually dis- Grandiose entrance, you are the king; call interested & dejected; attention to yourself, vocally and visually continue previous sounds, decreasing volume Give all your attention to soloist! Chorus loud, sporadic whistles Page 5 2'40'' 2'45'' 2'50'' 2'55'' 3'00'' 3'05'' 3'10'' 3'15'' 2

Frogs Bufo retiformis (sustained nasals)

Instrument #1 (simile) Change playing to 'bufo retiformis' (sustained nasals)

Instrument (sustained nasals) #2

Percussion

Becoming gradually dis- Soloist interested & dejected; imitate continue previous sounds, frogs decreasing volume

Chorus loud, sporadic whistles Page 6 3'20'' 3'25'' 3'30''(31'') 3'35'' 3'40'' (44'') 3'45'' 3'50'' (54'') 3'55'' 3 4 5

Frogs Bufo quercicus Ambient Sounds Rana catesbeiana (high chirps) (senza frogs) (low frog burps)

Instrument harmonics: irregular attacks #1

Instrument #2

Percussion castenets, whistles

al niente

Soloist Long drawn-out burps; start soft and build...

Chorus Sustained whistles; held whistles Stop Abruptly! gradually become sharp whistles in Attention is molto the spirit of cat calls drawn to Soloist