Instrumental Solo Composition of the Day, Installment 4:
"Beating the Doldrums" -
Theatrical Piece for Solo Violoncellist -
2021.
This brief theatrical composition was born of the doldrums caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. It calls upon the violoncellist not only to play their instrument, but also to speak lines lines of text, and to act them out.
In keeping with the mood of the pandemic, the musical language of "Beating the Doldrums" is chromatic, and melodic lines are angular.
Here is the "libretto" which, do not forget, is taken out of the context of the music.*
"No! hrumph... Before the pandemic, do you rememberrrr fun? I memberrrr fun! Fun, fun, fun? Not again! Freedom!"
To give you an idea of what is expected of the violoncellist, here is a listing of the acting instructions given to the performer, with each one separated by a vertical line here for the sake of clarity. This will give you an idea of the "plot." *Ditto.
"in the doldrums, look bored | performed like drudgework | roll your eyes | audibly sigh | grunt | stamp foot | half-sung/half-spoken | hrumph... | straightens clothing | opposite mood, care-free, elated | wondering off... | as at first, sort of... | opposite mood again | shouted"
Follow the next URL to view a scrolling score music video of "Beating the Doldrums" on YouTube made using the NotePerformer audio engine. Such videos on my YouTube channel are always made in the hope of generating live performances.
"Beating the Doldrums" is available for sale from Sheet Music Plus. Follow the next link to visit the distributor's product page for this title.
Thank you for your time and attention.
Stanley M. Hoffman, PhD
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