Loop Synagogue: Stained Glass

For Two Double Basses

By Joseph Buchheit On September 1, 2013

Foreword
Upon my first venture inside the Loop Synagogue's main sanctuary, the beauty of the big stained glass window struck me. Unlike others that I have seen in my life, this encompassed an entire wall and had a deep storyline underneath it. It truly is a sight to behold, and I was sure that this window would be the key inspiration for my music. After learning some of the context behind the religious symbolism of the window, I felt it was appropriate to combine my first reaction of the window with the symbolism that the original artist portrayed in it and make a piece of music. The first thing that jumped out to me was the color scheme, which is mostly blue. I tried to keep a common element throughout the entire piece, much like the window's artist did with the blue color. I used looping, unmetered and ordered pitch sets. These "loops", much like the color blue in the window, are the foundation for the entire piece and puts all of the other symbols into context. The window is divided into three sections, and I have three sections in my piece that correspond to each one. Going from right to left, there is the section that represents spacelessness, and the infinity of the cosmos and God. In the middle is the Menorah, which has 7 candles representing human knowledge, and the 6 outer candles being led by the middle candle - the Light of God. The leftmost section is the focal point of the entire window, as well as what I made the focal point of my piece. It contains the tree of life in a vibrant yellow color, from which everything in this universe originates. I chose the pitch 'G' as my center candle, i.e. the Light of God. As best as I could, I tried to represent the Light of God by using pitch 'G' as the focal point for the piece. The six other pitches ('D', 'E', 'F', 'A', 'B', 'C') represent the six candles guided by the center candle. In trying to capture my feeling of seeing the window for the first time, I played in my head over and over again how it felt to walk into the Loop Synagogue and see the window. I attempted to represent this in the melody and texture, whereas the form and direction of the piece represent the architecture and meaning behind the stained glass window.

Performance Notes
Loops Play notes between the repeat signs in the specified order at any rhythm, tempo and style (arco/pizzicato/vibrato/etc.) of your choice, until otherwise notated. This rhythm and tempo can be varied within the loop and between loops, or it can stay the same. The player can switch between arco and pizzicato at own discretion, and can use vibrato as they see fit. The measure numbers in brackets (e.g. "[7 measures]") indicate how many measures the other player will play before you need to move on past your current loop. The loops themselves should not necessarily be in time with the other player although playing every loop in time with the other player is perfectly acceptable. Cues There are extended rests or held notes that signify when the looping player should come out of their loop. Where the words "Play the above on end of next loop" are written, the performer should begin their next loop normally and then end on the notes specified (even if they occur in the middle of the loop) at the approximate note values specified, which are quarter notes. In the part scores, the loops contain bracketed measures above them. This explains how many measures the other player will play before the loop must change. Natural Harmonics At measures 124, 139, and 142, the notated natural harmonics should all be playable on the D and G strings. The pitches notated are the sounding pitches. The high F in measure 139 can be reached by playing the following on the G string:

Ending The piece ends with both players playing loops. Either player can end their loop at any time. If the performers decide to end their loops together, that is perfectly fine. Otherwise, there is no musical need to synchronize how each player's loop ends.

Score

Loop Synagogue Stained Glass

3 &4 ?
U
Rest approx. 10 seconds

Double Bass I

q = 80

Double Bass II

.. p
pizz.

. J F

..
arco

j . j b

Joseph Buchheit (2013)

D.B. I

&

D.B. II

14

D.B. I

. b

b . b 4 j ! 4 ?J J F .. 2 times .. .. .. ! p
U

b .

..

D.B. II

19

Play the above on end of next loop

( )( ) () w

q = 80 arco

. . P !

D.B. I

? .. ? ..

(continue playing loop)

D.B. II

.. ..

Play loop only 2 times

arco

# . 3 J 4 F
q = 80

Copyright Joseph Buchheit 2013 All Rights Reserved

Loop Synagogue Stained Glass

22

D.B. I

D.B. II

n b ?

27

n J J 4 ( ) 4 w
A
q = 100 Play at same meter arco

b.

D.B. I

D.B. II

b. ? J

33

3 4 . Play the above > on end of next loop F Play at same meter U 3 > 4 ! 4 4 . F
&
q = 80

( ) ( )

j j j - .

. . - 2 J 4 J J J

j 2 . 4

D.B. I

- 2 &4 ?2 4

D.B. II

40

j 3 j j 4 . . . p . . . 3 4 J J J p
U
rest for 10 seconds

. b # n - ? 3 2 J 4 4 F 2 3 4 4 P 2 4 f . j

D.B. I

? J
pizz.

&

D.B. II

? .. p

j . . . F
arco

..

Loop Synagogue Stained Glass

B
48

D.B. I

&

q = 80 Play at same meter

D.B. II

..

1 time

..

? ( ) ( )

55

Play the above on end of next loop

arco

. . . . . . . . # . . # # # . . # #

# . . # J

D.B. I

. . ? # # # P ? # f

# #

# #

expressive

D.B. II

. . # #

# # #

# # # # #

64

D.B. I

? #

D.B. II

. ? # .

72

. . # # # . .

q = 80 Play at same meter arco

. . . . . . # # . .

Play at same meter

D.B. I

D.B. II

# # ? 4 ! J 4 F . ? .. . F
C

# .

"

75

D.B. I

# # J . R "" J "R
q = 80 Play at same meter rit.

Loop Synagogue Stained Glass

D.B. II

78

D.B. I

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # w w w . , ? # # # ..
1 time

D.B. II

83

..

D.B. I

> > > > > > > # # > ?

D

Play the above on end of next loop

( ) ( )

( ) w

Play at same meter arco

D.B. II

85

F pizz. ? J F

cresc. arco

D.B. I

D.B. II

87

> > > > > # # > > > ? pizz. arco ? F

D.B. I

D.B. II

# # # ? J pizz. arco ? " " n j j n > >

90

D.B. I

D.B. II

96

? "J "J & P ? " . J R P & & , 4 ? 4 #. J

?
E

Loop Synagogue Stained Glass

j . . J 3 4 3 4

0 2 4

&

&

2 4 b

o o

o o

o o b

D.B. I

D.B. II

4 4 .

. . #
F

101

. . . . . b . b . # J p b

. . # J J

D.B. I

D.B. II

. . ? b b

105

# 3 4 J P F n b # 3 . b J 4 R P p b # #.

D.B. I

b F

D.B. II

? b# b p

2 3 4 & 4 b 2 4

3 b# b n # b b " 4

4 4 4 4

Loop Synagogue Stained Glass

109

D.B. I

4 & 4 b

D.B. II

113

2 4 b 4 n ? b b 4 # # . . b . . .. F b . 2 . . . . . b b # b ?4 # 4 # 4 J 4 4 J F . n . b . . # ? b ? P b f #. 2 4 ! . . b . b . . # 4 n 4 p 4 j 4 n . . # p
G

# #

D.B. I

. . . . . b . b . #
cresc.

D.B. II

2 4 J

b b . . . . . cresc.

. . b . . #

117

D.B. I

. . . . . b . b . # ?

D.B. II

. . . . . . . . . . . . b . b . b . b . . . b b . . . ? # # #

120

. . . . . b . b . #

. . . . . b . b . #

D.B. I

. . . . . b . b . # ?

D.B. II

. . . . . . . . b b . b . # b ? f

. . # . . . . . . . b . b . # 2 4 . 4 4 2 #. 4 J 4 . 4

U U

2 & 4 &

124

D.B. I

D.B. II

130

j 3 . j 4 J # . b Let Dbl. Bass II play 2 full F loops before moving on o o . .. & . o o o o P o 2 &4
H

Loop Synagogue Stained Glass

D.B. I

& &

D.B. II

. . - j JJ 2 ? . J J 4 F
pizz. arco

. .

138

D.B. I

. . ? &

&

o o .. .. o o o P o o
(continue playing loop)

.. o) (
arco

1 time

o) ( ..

D.B. II

142

End loop with the above when ready

U 4 4 w ( o) o

arco

Play the above on end of next loop

( o)

D.B. I

D.B. II

147

o o o & o o o o P ? " . & o P

pizz.

R " .

j b

w #w

$ $

U U

! !

D.B. I

D.B. II

& .. # .. # only pizz. . ? .. . #

only pizz.

Stop when ready, at own accord

Stop when ready, at own accord

August 25, 2013

Double Bass I

Loop Synagogue Stained Glass

Joseph Buchheit (2013)

3 &4
8

U
Rest approx. 10 seconds

q = 80

j & . b b 14 . ?
pizz.

arco . b U ?4 J ! J 4

. J F

j . j b b

.. .. P
[12 measures]

29

? ( ) ( )

Play the above on end of next loop

( )

q = 100 Play at same meter A arco

4 4

&

35

j 2 - j j & 4 . . . p
arco

. 3 J 4 F
q = 80

j 2 - 3 j j j 4 . 4 . . > F b # n

3 4

J
pizz.

rest for 10 seconds

&

42

& . F # 52 ?

2 j 4 . .

. . # . . . . # # . . # # # # # # # P
Copyright Joseph Buchheit 2013 All Rights Reserved

. j P

q = 80 Play at same meter

. . . . . . #

Loop Synagogue Stained Glass

q = 80 Play at same meter arco

. # U 4 . . ? # . # # # # ! 4 J . . # . 73 # # # ?4 " "" J 4 F # 76 # # # ~~~~~~~ w ? J "R J . R #

64 62

. . # . . . . #

# #

D > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > > w . , > # # ?w # F 85 > > # > > > # > # > > ?
80

q = 80 Play at same meter rit.

# # J J 3 J " " & 4 P E . . b # 91 0 , j 3 ? 2 ? 4 & 4 . 4 & 4 o o P F b . # 99 b #. b # 3 ? J 4 F b # 104 ? 3 2 3 b 4 b #. 4 J 4 & 4 # 4 P F

88

Loop Synagogue Stained Glass

109

# 4 & 4 b # . n . b . . # ? b P 2 4

b b # . . . . F
G

2 4

113

117

. . . . . . . . . b . b . . b b . # . # ? ?2 4 & . . . # . . 4 . 4
U

122

129

138

. . ? o) (
pizz.

j 3 . # . j 4 J b F pizz. arco . . . . . j JJ 2 ? . J J 4 F 2 & 4

H

. . . . . . . . . b b . . b b . # . # 4 n 4 cresc. p . . . . . . . . . . . . . b . b . b . . . b b b . # . # . # 2 4 f

4 4 b #

b n . .

&

141

o o & ( ) o o o P Play the above

on end of next loop

o .. o o P
[3 measures]

o o o o

o .

.. o

.. 1 time ..
U

j b

147

& .. # .. #
only pizz.

Stop when ready, at own accord

Double Bass II

Loop Synagogue Stained Glass

Joseph Buchheit (2013)

..
16

? .. [9 measures] .. p
2 times

..

10

U ? 3 . . ! . . 4 w p P Play loop only 2 times #q= 80 . n b b. . 22 21 n b. . ? 3 J J J J 4 F q = 100 A Play at same meter 29 . . U > . . . ? ! 4 3 . J 2 3 2 4 4 4 4 J J J 4 J J J F p q = 80 [7 measures] 36 . ?2 3 .. . 4 4 p P B
arco arco

.. .. p
[7 measures]

( ) ( ) ()

Play the above on end of next loop

..

1 time

..

? ( )( )
49

q = 80 arco

56

? # f

expressive

. . # #

Play the above on end of next loop

# p

# #

# . .

Copyright Joseph Buchheit 2013 All Rights Reserved

Loop Synagogue Stained Glass

67

q = 80 Play at same meter

# . .

[9 measures] . . . . # F

..

1 time

..

( ) ( )

80

( ) w

q = 80 Play at same meter arco

83

" n . arco 89 0 J o ? " n j j " 3 2 . 4 4 & J R > o o > P . . 95 , E . . . . b o . b . . b b . . ? 4 # # J & 4 J J p F 102 n b b ? .b # 3 2 3 4 b # J 4 4 R p P p 107 b b ?4 3 b # b n # b b 4 # " 4
86

arco ? j J F F pizz.

Play the above on end of next loop pizz.

arco

pizz.

110

. . . ? b # 2 J 4 F

. . . 4 b # 4 J b #. f

2 4 J

4 4

115

. . . . . . . . . . . . b b b . . . b b . . . ?4 # # # 4 j# b b . . . n . . . . cresc. p
G

Loop Synagogue Stained Glass

119

. . . . . . . . . . . b . b . b . . b b b 2 #. . . ? # # J 4 . 4 4 f o o . .. & . o o o o P o
[17 measures]

&

124

140

&

o) (

After Dbl. Bass I begins loop, play the above at end of your loop

4 w ( o) o
U

4U

arco

" . R " . P
I

#w

146

..

only pizz.

. .

Stop when ready, at own accord