The Collection

Michael Pisaro
List of Contents

Performance instructions
1 for two musicians (overlapping long tones)
2 for two musicians (dividing a duration two ways)
3 for two musicians (exchanging scale)
4 for two musicians (tuning a fifth)
5 for two musicians (overlapping eighths)
6 for orchestra or ensemble (tuning decrescendo)
7 for two musicians (two radios)
8 for two musicians (open/close window)
9 for one woodwind (low sound, long/short)
10 for one musician (long high and low sounds)
11 for one woodwind (major 2nd)
12 for one musician (4 short sounds repeated)
13 for one woodwind, muted brass or bowed string (blues)
14 for one musician (2 eighths and a space)
15 for clarinet (two high notes)
16 for flute (short high sound)
17 for flute (low perfect 4th)
18 for flute (repeated scale)
19 for one musician (portable record player and a record)
20 for piano (two chords, transposed)
21 for one musician (one sound for the duration)
22 for two musicians (4 sounds, 5 minutes)
23 for one musician (a high sound 3 times)
24 for Bb clarinet (concert ‘g’, repeated eleven times)
25 for guitar (revoiced chord)
The rate of pulse, when music notation is given, is quarter note equals ca. 50 - 60, unless otherwise
indicated.

Where there is no clef, the exact choice of pitch has been left to the performer, within the given
limitations.

The pieces from the collection may be performed in three ways listed below.

1.) As individual pieces, ideally arranged as separate events (not closely preceded or followed by other music; perhaps
as short concert-length works).

2.) In groups (anywhere from two to the complete set) as follows:

a.) a duration for the whole event is determined
b.) one performer (or group of performers) for each piece, somehow separated in the space
c.) each piece is performed twice over the duration of the event, separated by enough of a pause so that there
is a distinction between the original and its repetition
d.) the pieces may overlap
e.) use chance procedures to determine when each performance of a piece begins, but also so that condition
c.) is fulfilled

3.) In groups (five pieces or more) as follows:

a.) one performer (or group of performers) for each piece
b.) pieces are played in some order one after another, with short pauses between them (ca. 15 seconds, or
what feels like a natural amount of time).
c.) each piece is performed once or twice over the duration of the event, determined by the performers or by
chance procedures. Pieces which are performed twice should be widely separated in the series.

Pieces from the Perception series, by the same composer, might be combined with performances of this work.

Thanks to Carlo Inderhees, Antoine Beuger and Kunsu Shim for their suggestions, knowing or not.

Michael Pisaro
Evanston, 1999 — 2000

Version: October, 2000

 1 for two musicians
One tone playable by both musicians, and held for a relatively long, but
comfortable length of time (the same for both) and alternated (meeting
without overlap), lasting about 2 minutes.

2
2 for two musicians
Divide a duration of any length into a number of parts of equal length and alternate sound and silence,
the process carried out independently by the two players. A sustained, soft sound on any pitch or noise.
3 for two musicians
Scales should be played at the same pitch level by both players, but may
be transposed to a comfortable register.

Player 1: legato, soft

(Long Pause)

Player 2: legato, soft

4 for two musicians
Two notes, a perfect fifth apart,
in any register selected by the performers,
sustained until perfectly tuned,
then stopped;
repeated as necessary.
 5 for two musicians
Both playing the same tone, moderatly soft. The total duration of each group of repetitions should be one comfortable
breath, bow or otherwise moderate length (ca. 2 to 5 repetitions). The following player overlaps for two beats, entering
without a crescendo, but as precisely and imperceptibly as possible. The whole lasts no more than two minutes.

(etc.)

2
6 for an orchestra or ensemble of any kind

The orchestra tunes in the typical fashion.

Pause.

The orchestra tunes again, softer.

Pause.

This alternation continues until the sounds are inaudible.

Throughout, a single, privately audible, but publicly inaudible sound is sustained by one instrument, or a group of
instruments (2nd violins?) — this sound ends when the orchestra finally stops tuning.
7 for two musicians with radios

Two radios are placed on opposite sides of the room or stage.

One radio is tuned to one frequency (which may or may not be a specific station). The frequency may be determined
by chance or choice. When the piece begins, the radio is turned on at a normal volume. Over the course of the three
minutes duration of the work, the volume of the radio is lowered to nothing (i.e., the lowest volume setting).

The other radio is tuned to the same frequency. As the piece begins this radio is turned on, already set to the lowest
volume setting (i.e., no audible sound). Over the course of the three minutes, the volume is turned up to the same
level at which the first radio began. The radio is turned off at the end of the piece.
8 for two musicians
Musician 1 opens a window.

After a while, musician 2 closes the window.

9 for any woodwind

A low, relatively comfortable sound, played ten times, softly.

11 for woodwind

Low register,
Soft — like humming,
First note repeated; third tone a Major 2nd higher —
the whole repeated four times.

(Major 2nd)

4
4
10 for one musician

A long, nearly inaudible high sound,

a very long pause,
and a long, soft, low sound —
repeated three times.
12 for one musician
A low, relatively comfortable sound,
the whole played four times, softly.

2
4
13 for woodwind, muted brass or bowed string instrument

Middle register,
Soft — like humming —
repeated three times,
before and after a long pause.

(Minor 3rd)

4 pause
4
14 for one musician

Low register,
soft — like talking to yourself,
repeated eight times,
followed by a long pause,
one more repetition,
and another pause.

4
4
mp (1 - 8)

ppp (9)
15 for clarinet

High register,
two notes a major second apart,
as soft as possible,
played twice,
followed by a long pause,
and then once again.
16 for flute
to Normisa

A relatively high sound,

light and soft,
repeated at one second intervals, for about a minute;
followed by about a half minute of silence;
the whole repeated once.

(ca. 60 times)

ca. 30 seconds of silence

(ca. 60 times)

ca. 30 seconds of silence

17 for flute
to Normisa

In the lowest comfortable register,

two tones, a perfect fourth apart,
very, very soft,
eight to ten times.
18 for flute
to Normisa

soft, gentle

very long pause (75 to 90 seconds)

19 for one performer

The performer plays a short recording (2 to 3 minutes) on a portable record player (i.e., using a record, not a tape or
compact disc) at low volume.
20 for piano
The two chords are played very softly and repeated once.
There is a long pause between the two pairs of chords.

= ca. 30

(pause)
21 for one musician

Find one soft sound and sustain it for up to five minutes.

22 for two musicians

There are two sections, each of which is two minutes long. They are separated by one minute of silence.

Each player plays one very soft, relatively long sound in each section. The sounds chosen by the players should be
very similar (if using pitch, the same pitch).

Before the performance each player determines the beginning time of the sound independently using chance
procedures.

The timings are the same for both sections.

23 for one musician

The musician finds something which makes a very small, very high, ringing sound.

The sound is played three times very softly in two minutes.

Though the sounds should be separated in time, the exact timing is determined by the performer.
24 for clarinet (Bb)
to Laurence Crane

Seven repetitions at mp.

A long pause.
Four repetitions at pp.

4
4
mp (1 - 7)

pause

ppp (8 - 11)
 25 for guitar
Fourth and third strings tuned down 31 cents —
seventh partials of E and A respectively.
Each two bar succession of three note chords is played four times,
with a long pause between them.
Sounds are soft, but clearly audible.

4 times
4 1

XII open

2
5

4
4 VII XII

3
6
7

VII VII

A fairly long pause (at least 30 seconds).

4 times
2

open VII

7 3
7

V VII

5 6

VII

open