Joseph Klein Character Studies after Elias Canetti for various solo instruments ( 1997-2018 ) About this Collection This collection of short works for solo instruments is based upon characters from Der Ohrenzeuge : Fünfzig Charaktere (Earwitness : Fifty Characters ), written in 1974 by the Bulgaria-born British-Austrian writer Elias Canetti (1905-1994). Canetti’s distinctive studies incorporate poetic imagery, singular insights, and unabashed wordplay to create fifty ironic paradigms of human behavior. Begun in 1997, the present collection was inspired by Canetti’s vividly surreal depictions of these characters; seventeen works have been completed in this series to date : • Der Hinterbringer (The Tattletale) for solo piccolo (2013) • Der Ohrenzeuge (The Earwitness) for solo bass flute (2001) • Der Wasserhehler (The Water-harborer) for solo ocarina (2000) • Der Tückenfänger (The Wile-catcher) for solo basset horn (2014) • Der Leidverweser (The Woe-administrator) for solo contrabassoon (1998) • Die Müde (The Tired Woman) for solo alto saxophone (2004) • Der Schönheitsmolch (The Beauty-newt) for solo bass saxophone (2008) • Die Königskünderin (The King Proclaimer) for solo trumpet (2006) • Die Sternklare (The Starry Woman) for solo percussion (2006) • Der Fehlredner (The Misspeaker) for solo cimbalom (2018) • Die Silbenreine (The Syllable-pure Woman) for solo glass harmonica (2000) • Der Saus und Braus (The Fun-runner) for solo piano (2017) • Der Gottprotz (The God-swanker) for solo organ (2014) • Der Demutsahne (The Humility-forebear) for solo guitar (2008) • Die Tischtuchtolle (The Tablecloth-lunatic) for solo violin (1997) • Die Schadhafte (The Defective) for solo violoncello (2015) • Der Leichenschleicher (The Corpse-Skulker) for solo contrabass (1997) These works may be programmed individually or in sets of two or more. They may also be programmed in conjunction with Canetti-menagerie, a semi-improvisational, open-form work for five to eight instruments drawn from this collection, which uses these solo works as source material for improvisational interplay. In programs that include two or three of these works, performers may wish to freely improvise short duo/trio interludes based on the material in the respective solo works, as a way of further exploring the material and creating a connective fabric between the individual studies. Elias Canetti ( 1905-1994) Joseph Klein ( The Tattletale ) character study after Elias Canetti for solo piccolo (2013) – for Elizabeth McNutt – duration : c . 5 ' Performance Notes senza misura pause/breath (very short/short) Ø @ fluttertongue metered notation : beat units are q@ fixed, measure units fluctuating pitch bend q grace note accelerando [FREEZE] freeze in place until next event n.v. ! ! ! m.v. gradual change from non vibrato to molto vibrato → accelerando/ritardando → → durational continuum in senza misura sections : arranged from shortest to longest (precise durations ad libitum). fermata continuum : arranged from shortest to longest. • Accidentals apply only to the notes they immediately precede, with the exception of repeated pitches. • Each line of music in spatial notation is approximately 12-15 seconds in duration. • The forte interjections on page 1 should occur "outside of time," thus disrupting the continuous flow of running 16th notes. th • Any breaths taken during the extended 16 -note passages (e.g., mm. 10-12 , 60-64) should occur only at slur breaks ; the performer must not drop any notes when doing so , but should rapidly interject the breath within the rhythmic flow. Suggested breath points are indicated parenthetically in the score. Program Note Der Hinterbringer (The Tattletale ) is the twelfth in a series of short works for solo instrument based upon characters from Der Ohrenzeuge : Fünfzig Charaktere (Earwitness : Fifty Characters ), written in 1974 by the Bulgarian-born British-Austrian novelist Elias Canetti ( 1905-1994 ). Canetti’s distinctive studies incorporate poetic imagery, singular insights, and unabashed wordplay to create fifty ironic paradigms of human behavior. This collection of works, begun in 1997, was inspired by the vividly surreal depictions of Canetti’s characters, and includes works for contrabass, violin, bass flute, ocarina, contrabassoon, glass harmonica, alto saxophone, trumpet, percussion, bass - i - saxophone, guitar, and piccolo, among others. In Canetti's depiction of this character, The Tattletale "won't keep anything to himself if it could hurt someone's feelings. He hurries and gets a steal on other tattletales... [he] will overlook no insult uttered in anger, and he makes sure that it teaches the insultee." Der Hinterbringer was completed in April 2013 and composed for flutist Elizabeth McNutt, who first performed the work at the University of North Texas on 18 March 2014. * * * * * ( The Tattletale ) The tattletale won’t keep anything to himself if it could hurt someone’s feelings. He hurries and gets a steal on other tattletales. Sometimes it is a bitter race, and even though not all of them start at the same point, he can sense how close the others are already and he outstrips them in gigantic leaps. He speaks very fast and it is a secret. No one must find out that he knows. He expects gratitude and it consists in discretion. "I’m only telling you. It concerns only you." The tattletale knows when a position is threatened. Since he moves so quickly — he is very hurried — the threat grows en route. He arrives and everything is safe and sure. "You’re being dismissed." The victim blanches. "When?" he asks. And "How can that be? No one’s said anything to me." "It’s being kept a secret. They’re going to tell you at the very last moment. I had to warn you. But don’t give me away." Then he gives a detailed speech on how awful it would be if he were given away, and before the victim even has time to fully gauge the danger he’s in, he already feels sorry for the tattletale, that best friend of his. The tattletale will overlook no insult uttered in anger, and he makes sure that it teaches the insultee. He is less anxious to carry back praise, but to show his good will, he occasionally forces himself to do so. In such cases, he never hurries , he tarries where he is. Praise lies on his tongue like unsavory poison. Before spitting it out , he feels as if he were choking. Finally he speaks it, but very chastely, as though timid at the other man’s nakedness. Otherwise he knows neither shame nor disgust. "You’ve got to defend yourself. You’ve got to do something ! You just can’t take it sitting down !" He likes to counsel the victim, if for no other reason than because it takes longer. His advice is such that it magnifies the victim’s fear. After all, the only thing the tattletale cares about is other people’s confidence, he cannot live without confidence. — Elias Canetti, Der Ohrenzeuge : Fünfzig Charaktere (translated by Joachim Neugroschel) English translation 1979 by The Seabury Press, Inc. text used by permission© of Carl Hauser Verlag, München. - ii - character study after Elias Canetti for solo piccolo Joseph Klein ( 2013 ) Hurried = 90 q 5 7 5 6 X & 4 bœ bœ nœ bœ nœ œ œ œ bœ œbœ ∑ œ #œ#œ œ nœ#œ nœ #œ œ#œ œ nœ [FREEZE] 4 p 3 7 6 7 5 7 5 6 X bœ &4 #œbœ œnœ#œ œbœbœ œnœ nœnœ#œ#œœnœnœnœbœ bœ œ œ bœ œ œ#œbœnœœ œ#œ œ bœ œnœnœbœ#œ œ œbœnœ 4 5 7 6 7 6 5 œ^ 6 & bœ œ œ nœ œ bœbœbœ œ œ nœ#œœbœ œnœnœbœ#œ œ œnœœ#œ#œ œ œbœnœ#œ œ #œ œ S nœ œ œ #œ#œ œbœnœ nœ f (p) s œ 5 5 7 5 6 7 6 7 œ^ bœ bœ &#œbœ œnœ#œ œ#œœœbœnœbœ nœ œbœ nœ œ#œ#œ S œ œnœ bœbœœnœ nœbœbœ œnœnœœ#œ#œ bœnœnœ#œ œ#œ f (p) ^s 6 5 œ œ^ (5) 7 5 7 5 6 b>œ bœ & œbœ œ nœ œ#œ#œ œ bœnœnœbœ œ œ nœ œ #œ #œ#œ œ nœnœbœbœ œ œ œ #œ œ œ bœnœ #œ nœ f (p) ^ ^s nœ 7 œ 6 7 6 œ > œ^ (6) 5 - œ œ bœ #>œ œ #œ œ> bœ- #œ bœ æ & œ bœ œ #œ œ #œ œ œ œ œ bœ bœ œ œ bœ nœnœ bœ œ œ nœ f (p) f (p) ^s > ^s ^s 8 #œ œ #œ (5) #œ - - nœ ˘ . s ^ 6 ˘ . #œ œ> nœ > #œ œ ¯œ œ¯ œ œ œ œ- #œ œ¯ œ¯ œ œ œ #œ bœ Ø œ- & æ œ #œ #œ#œnœ œ nœ S f f Fsub. f (p) f f Fsub. 2013 by Joseph Klein. All rights reserved. © - 1 - ^s ( ) ^s bœ Ÿ bœ 9 œ bœ nœ Ÿ ( ) Ÿ œ> bœ œ bœ œbœ œ > - œ > œ˘ ¯œ œ¯ œ. œ. >œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ Sœ bœ ( ) & æ æ œ bœ sub. poco > poco f f F f f poco f 5 10 Ÿ œ bœ > ( ) X œ œ bœ œ bœ #œ bœ nœ #œnœnœ #œ œ #œ œ#œ œ #œ #œ œ #œ œnœnœ œ nœ #œ œ œ#œ nœ & 4 œ#œ 6 œ #œ f molto 5 7 P 7 5 5 11 nœ ( ) œbœ #œ œ #œ œ œ œ bœ , #œnœ #œ nœ nœbœ œ œ œbœ bœ œnœ bœ œ #œ nœ bœ œnœ #œ & 5 #œ œ œ œ bœ œ 7 7 bœ œ nœ#œ 6 6 ( ) 12 , œ#œnœ œ nœ , œ œ œ œ bœ œbœ#œ œ#œ œ bœ œ bœ nœ#œ#œ œ #œ œ bœ#œ œ nœ#œ nœ#œ nœ œ ∑ 3 & #œ 7 FREEZE 4 6 6 bœ 6 [ ] 7 œ 5 poco s 14 Tarrying = 72 q s , œ- œ > - s œ- - -œ nœ 3 œ œ bœ œ bœ œ 5 & 4 bœ œ bœ 4 œ- #œ- - œ F f Hurried = 90 Tarrying s= 72 17 q6 5 7 5 q U œ- - - & 45 œ œ #œ bœ #œ œ nœ Œ 43 bœ œ 169 œ #œ#œ nœbœ nœ nœ #œ nœœ bœ nœ œ #œ nœ nœ simply, but with p F rhythmic precision > 19 s >s #œ >s #œ - œ œ - œ - œ œ- .