Juan  Manuel  Jaramillo  Lleras  
 
 
 
 
A  Bee  Around  a  Pomegranate  
for  solo  violin  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2016  
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
A  Bee  Around  a  Pomegranate  
for  Violin  
 
 
Notes  on  performance  
 
The  violin  should  be  tuned  as  follows:  

 
The   pitches   in   the   score   indicate   the   notes   that   are   to   be   stopped   according   to  
traditional  tuning;  the  sounding  pitches  will  be  different  to  the  written  pitches.  
 
 
General  notation  
 
   crescendo  dal  niente  
 
   diminuendo  al  niente  
 
harmonic  glissando  approximately  following  the  
shape  of  the  curve  
 
vibrato   curve   indicating   change   in   speed   of  
vibrato,  not  wideness  
 
 
bow  where  indicated;  the  resulting  sound  
should  be  slightly  unstable  and  unpredictable  
 
 
gradual  change  from  one  way  of  playing  to  
another  
 
pitch   play  with  no  additional  pressure  than  normal;  
produce  a  “clean”  note  
 
play  with  more  pressure  than  normal;  produce  
some  pitch  
a  slightly  distorted,  noisy  sound  but  with  an  
audible  pitch  
 
pitchless   play  with  great  pressure;  produce  a  pitchless,  
noisy  sound    
 overpressured,  pitchless  noise  on  the  indicated  
string  
 
 
noise  shape;  controlled  by  bow  speed:  start  
bowing  slowly  so  as  to  produce  a  small  unstable  
sound;  increase  bowing  speed  to  gradually  
change  into  a  more  continuous  sound  (think  
about  opening  a  squeaky  door  very  slowly  and  
then  faster)  
 
 
Fingerboard  clef  
 
From   measure   96   on,   the   piece   is   notated   using   the   fingerboard   clef,   a   graphic  
representation  of  the  violin  fingerboard:  
 
 
 
  the  thicker  part  is  closer  to  
the  bridge  and  the  thinner  
  part  closer  to  the  nut,  as  in  
  the  following  image  
 
 
 
 
This   clef   instructs   the   performer   specifically   about   the   movement   of   the   left   hand  
across   the   fingerboard;   the   fingers   are   to   press   down   on   any   specified   strings   and  
move   according   to   the   graphic   design,   producing   continuous   glissandos.   The   right  
hand   is   to   be   continuously   bowing   the   specified   strings.   Verbal   and   graphic  
instructions   are   placed   above   the   staff;   these   concern   the   right   hand   (amount   of  
pressure   used,   bowing   closer   or   far   from   the   bridge,   etc.).   The   resulting   sound  
should   be   continuous   glissandos   of   one   or   two   strings,   which   gradually   change   in  
dynamics  and  timbre.    
 
 
On  improvising  
 
Measure   113   of   the   piece   is   an   improvised   passage   of   indeterminate   length.   The  
performer   is   instructed   on   sound   characteristics   such   as   dynamics,   timbre,   range  
and  overall  intention.  It  is  important  that  this  passage  not  be  an  isolated  event  but  
rather   a   logical   connection   between   measures   112   and   114;   therefore,   not   only  
should   there   be   no   silence   at   any   moment   but   the   passage   must   be   convincingly  
arrived  to  from  measure  113  and  must  convincingly  lead  to  measures  114  and  115.