Juan Manuel Jaramillo Lleras

la contempló sentada frente a su máquina personal, que obedecía a la yema

de sus dedos como un instrumento humano.

for Baritone Saxophone

la contempló sentada frente a su máquina personal, que obedecía a la yema de sus dedos como un
instrumento humano.

for Baritone Saxophone

Juan Manuel Jaramillo Lleras

2020

The name of the piece is taken from Gabriel García Marquez’ novel “El amor en los tiempos del cólera”

Rather than a fixed piece, “la contempló sentada […]” is a score generator that was designed using the Max
abstraction “hfmt.drawsocket”, developed by Rama Gottfried at HfMT Hamburg. With it, it is possible to generate
infinite variations of a score in which parameters of baritone saxophone performance are controlled, within certain
limits, by chance and randomness. This “piece” was initially conceived as a way of generating scores in real time
during or immediately previous to a performance, nevertheless it could also be used to generate fixed scores, which
can then be practiced and prepared.

The scores can be drawn to a client browser (such as Google Chrome or Safari) and displayed on a computer, tablet
or cell phone. This allows for automatic scrolling of the score during performance. Otherwise, the resulting scores
can be organized in a separate document and used as traditional scores for performance. The actual preparation of
the performer should be to get familiarized with the notational model and reach a level of comfort with sight-
reading newly generated scores, nevertheless, creating individual pieces by selecting randomly generated passages
(and controlling some of the parameters) can also lead to interesting results.


On the notational model

The staff is divided into two sections: the top section represents embouchure and the bottom section fingerings.

Baritone Saxophone

Bb

Eb

Embouchure

The position of the line within the embouchure notation space represents how open or closed the embouchure is. The bottom
represents a very open embouchure, the top a very closed embouchure and the direction of the line represents changes within this
states. The thickness of the line represents air pressure; a very thin line means little air pressure and a very thick line means a lot of air
pressure. Both of these parameters should result in rich, varied dynamics, so no other dynamic specifications are used. A blank space
means silence, changed in the fingering during these silences may be ignored. The performer should breathe during these silences, but
if no silences appear, or they seldom do, the performer may choose to breathe whenever they consider it appropriate or necessary.

Fingerings

Several multiphonic fingerings are used as basic positions for the fingers and six additional grey lines are used to vary the position of the
three main fingers on each hand. The absence of a line means that the key is not pressed at all; a thin line means that the key is halfway
pressed and a thick line means that the key is fully pressed. Additional keys that are played with the thumb and/or pinky finger are
indicated on the initial fingering diagram and should not move until a new diagram appears.
Time

Since ideally the scores should be performed while scrolling on a browser, the time domain has no graphic representation or geometric
division: the red line at the beginning of each staff remains still while the graphics representing embouchure and fingerings scroll
towards the left. The performer should always play what is immediately under the red line. In cases where the scores are being
performed as regular scores, the performer may choose to interpret the graphics in a proportional manner, allowing for certain
flexibility. Overall, the time development of the pieces is not strict, so long as the synchronous relationship between embouchure and
fingers is maintained.

Controlling randomness

Although strongly dependent on randomness and chance, the resulting scores can be controlled by choosing certain desired parameters
that may shape a phrase or piece and give it a unique character. The program allows for the controlling of various parameters, which
in turn allows for a phrase or piece to be shaped differently according to certain chosen characteristics. These can be having long, slow
developing graphs or short and fast graphs; having low dynamics only, high dynamics only or a mixed dynamic range; having short or
long phrases, amongst other parameters.

On performance

The unpredictability of the results, as well as the complexity and novelty of the notational model result in scores that will probably be
complex and challenging, or in some cases even impossible to perform. This is part of the sonic richness of the piece, which expects to
highlight the enormous timbral possibilities of the baritone saxophone and the beautiful details that can be heard between changing
states such as moving from one fingering to another or changing the amount of pressure and openness of the embouchure. For an
interesting and inspiring approach to these ideas, read composer Joan Arnau Pamies’ article “Noise-Interstate(s): towards a subtextual
formalization”, in which he states his approach towards composition and instrumental notation.

For any further questions please don’t hesitate on contacting the composer via e-mail: jaralleras@gmail.com
1. a máquina un como su de sentada instrumento que obedecía a sus contempló la frente dedos humano. yema la personal,
(Fixed instance no. 1 - 01/03/2020)

2. obedecía su de un como frente la instrumento máquina yema sus a a la sentada humano. que dedos personal, contempló
(Fixed instance no. 2 - 01/03/2020)

3. sentada un de humano. máquina contempló la frente sus yema su dedos que a obedecía la personal, instrumento a como
(Fixed instance no. 3 - 02/03/2020)

The following three scores are different instances of the piece “la contempló sentada frente a su máquina personal, que obedecía a la
yema de sus dedos como un instrumento humano.” for baritone saxophone. They exemplify how the described score generator works
and they are in itself pieces that can be practiced and performed if desired. The first piece is quite varied and has short phrases that use
a wide range of air pressure, a wide range of embouchure openness and a fair amount of fingering changes. On the other hand, the
second piece has longer phrases that are limited to low air pressure (low dynamics), a mid-close to close embouchure and not too many
changes in fingering. The third piece consist of very short phrases with a lot of air pressure (high dynamics), fast changes in
embouchure ranging from closed to open and fast changes of fingerings which always occur simultaneously. These examples show the
enormous variety that can be generated within instances of the piece.

As described previously in this document, the time feeling for performing them when the scrolling technology is not available is quite
flexible and can be thought of as proportional notation. Each different phrase is numbered, since each is the result of a different
generation process and each has a different initial fingering. It is the performer’s responsibility to connect these phrases so as to give
each piece a sense of uninterrupted wholeness. The performer is encouraged to have fun, experiment, make any changes desired,
criticise, love or hate the piece, play the phrases in any order or whatever other possible approach that comes to mind.