Spring-Fire

Instrumentation

Collections

Musical Terms (8)

• col legno Italian
  \"With the wood.\" Instruction to strike or bow strings with the wooden back of the bow. In Crumb's piano writing, the analogous effect is achieved by strumming or striking the piano strings directly with a hard object.
  Crumb uses extended piano techniques that parallel orchestral col legno effects. When directed to play inside the piano, treat the internal strings as a percussion instrument — the attack and decay differ fundamentally from key-produced sound.
• glissando sul ponticello Italian
  A sliding gesture along the piano strings near the hitch pins, producing a continuous glissando with a bright, metallic timbre.
  Run a fingernail or plectrum along the bass strings while the sustain pedal is engaged. The speed and pressure of the slide determines whether the effect sounds menacing or dreamlike. Crumb frequently uses this to transition between sections.
• harmonics English
  Pitches produced by lightly touching a vibrating string at a nodal point rather than stopping it fully, producing a pure, flute-like overtone rather than the fundamental pitch.
  In Crumb's piano writing, harmonics are produced by silently depressing keys (touching the strings without damping them) while another note sounds, or by lightly touching a string at its midpoint while a partner plays the key. The resulting sound is ethereal and bell-like — a signature of the Makrokosmos sound world.
• inside the piano English
  A performance instruction requiring the pianist to directly manipulate the piano strings, either by plucking, striking, bowing, or muting them by hand — bypassing the keyboard action entirely.
  Crumb is among the most demanding composers for inside-piano techniques. Before performing this repertoire, familiarise yourself thoroughly with the specific implements required (metal rod, glass rod, plectrum, thimble) and the exact locations of pitches on the string plane. Amplification (specified in the score) is essential for Makrokosmos — without it, the extended-technique sounds are too quiet to carry.
• laissez vibrer French
  \"Let vibrate.\" An instruction not to damp the sound after striking — allow the resonance to decay naturally. Abbreviated l.v. in scores.
  In Crumb, laissez vibrer is essential to the music's otherworldly atmosphere. Hold the sustain pedal and resist the temptation to clear resonance between events. Silences in the score are filled with decaying sound — this is structural, not incidental.
• molto misterioso Italian
  \"Very mysteriously.\" A character marking indicating a hushed, enigmatic quality with a sense of something hidden or otherworldly.
  In Crumb, molto misterioso is the emotional home base. The correct approach is one of extreme restraint — not of expression, but of sound. The mystery arises from what is barely said, not from dramatic projection. Every note should feel like it might dissolve at any moment.
• quasi niente Italian
  \"Almost nothing.\" An extreme pianissimo marking indicating a sound that barely exists — at or below the threshold of audibility.
  Crumb uses quasi niente to create sounds that the listener is unsure they heard. In practice, aim for a dynamic where the note is present but fragile — a ghost of a sound. The sustain pedal is always engaged so that even the faintest touch resonates.
• sul ponticello Italian
  \"Near the bridge.\" In piano music, Crumb uses this term to indicate playing directly on the piano strings near the hitch pins, producing a glassy, nasal tone with prominent upper harmonics.
  To achieve this effect, depress the sustain pedal and pluck or bow the strings in the indicated register. The timbre should be bright and eerie, never warm or singing.