11 transformations on Alkan

for string quartet (2013)

Nikolaos-Laonikos Psimikakis-Chalkokondylis

11 transformations on Alkan (2013)

Programme note
This piece was written for the Virr Quartet for the Stoke Newington
Contemporary Music Festival 2013, upon request by Matthew Lee
Knowles, to whom this piece is dedicated.
The material of each of the transformations consists entirely of the
notes and rests found in the first six measures of a string quartet by
Alkan (British Library shelfmark: Hirsch IV.1455, f. 10v).
Duration: ca.5'
List of movements
Original
1. durations
2. fold
3. joint gaps
4. fold 2
5. pitches ascending
6. fold 3
7. slow
8. fold 4
9. small
10. upside-down
11. triple-distilled
Reprise

www.laonikos.com

11 Transformations on Alkan
based on a string quartet extract (British Library shelfmark Hirsch IV.1455, f. 10v)

Laonikos Psimikakis-Chalkokondylis
original
Allegro agitato ( q = 110-120 )

Violin I

Violin II

Viola

Violoncello

b
&bb c
n
F
b
&bb c
n
F
B bbb c n
F
? bb c n
b
F

b
&bb

b
&bb

n j

j
n j

n j

j
n j

B b b b n J j j j j
#
#
J
? b b n j # J J # J J
b
J

Creative Commons 3.0 by-sa (2013)

11 Transformations on Alkan

2
I. durations
Allegro agitato ( q = 110-120)

b
&bb
n
p
b
&bb
n

p
B bbb n

p poco crescendo
? bb n b
b
p poco crescendo

j
.

j
.

.j

j
.

j
.

j
.

j
.

j
.

j
.

j
.

b
&bb

? b b J.
b

j
.
.
J

n
n

b
&bb

F
n

# b
n

&bb

f
b

&bb

f
B b b b # .
J
f

j
? b #
.
bb
f

B b b b j
.

j
.
.
J

j
.

.
J

.
J

j
.

.
J

.
J

> .

.
>

11 Transformations on Alkan

II. fold
Allegretto ( q = 90 )

b
& b b P
b
& b b P
.
B bbb
p
? b b .
b
p

b
&bb
b
&bb
B bbb .
.
.
? bb .
b

n b
n b
j
p
j
p

.
p
.

b
&bb

b
&bb

j
-

.
F
.

.
.
F
.

.
.
F

.
.

n
P

j
-

. .

j
-

n -

. .

n -

j
-

B b b b .
n #

? bb

n
#

b
P

n
n
. . .
.
p
. . . .
p

11 Transformations on Alkan

4
III. joint gaps
Allegretto ( q = 90)

b
&bb

b
j
&bb
n
con sordino
B b b b n J

con sordino
j
? bb

con sordino

j
n

con sordino

b
&bb w
P
b
& b b .
B bbb
.
P
? bb
b .
P
b
&bb

? b #
bb

P
J
P

n
p

n
p

J
f

.
P

b
&bb w
B bbb #

#
p


J
p

11 Transformations on Alkan

IV. fold 2
Allegro agitato ( q = 110-120)

b
& b b .
p
senza sordino
bb b
.
&
p
senza sordino

B bbb

senza sordino

p senza sordino
? bb n
b
p

j
-

b
& b b .

b
& b b .

B bbb
j
n

? bb

b n j

b
&bb

b
&bb

j
n

j j
#

J #

j
.

j
.

j b

j
? b
b b n

B bbb n
J

J j
#

J J #

11 Transformations on Alkan

6
V. pitches ascending
Largo ( q = 45)

b
&bb
&

bbb

sul pont.

n
decrescendo

sul pont.

n
decrescendo

sul pont.

b
&bb

B bbb
n #
decrescendo
sul pont.
? b
b b n n
decrescendo
b
&bb

.
p
B bbb

n
p
? bb
#
b
p

VI. fold 3
Allegretto ( q = 90)

b
& b b .
P
b
&bb
P
B bbb
n
P
? b . .
bb
P

.

J

. n n .

n .

.
n

11 Transformations on Alkan

b
&bb

b
&bb

B bbb n

n .

j j

>

n n

? b #
bb
n

>

>
#

VII. slow
Grave ( q = 30 )

b .
&bb

P
b n
&bb
P
w
B bbb
P
.
? bb
b
P
&

bbb

b
&bb

B bbb .
? bb

n
rit.

w
w

11 Transformations on Alkan

8
VIII. fold 4

&

bbb

Allegro agitato ( q = 110-120)

b
&bb
p
.
B bbb
p
? b b .
b
p

.
n

.
n

n b

b
&bb

b
&bb

B bbb

# n
? bb #
b
b
&bb
b
&bb
B bbb
? bb
b

.
.

j
-
F
j
F


F
n
F

n j

j
j
#
f

J # j
f

n
J

n
J

11 Transformations on Alkan

IX. small

bb

Allegro ( q = 100-110)

& b

b
&bb
n

B bbb

? b .
bb

n .

. n

b
&bb

b
&bb

p
j

n
p

.
p
n . .
.

w
F
B bbb
. . . n .
n
F
j
? b .

.
.
bb
n
n .

F
b
&bb
b
&bb

j

f

j

n.
f

.
j
B bbb
#.
f
F
? bb . . # n # .
b
f
.

J
J

11 Transformations on Alkan

10

b
&bb
b
&bb
B bbb
? b
bb

# .

.
J
F

p
j
n.

p
.
p

j j

p

X. upside-down
Allegro agitato ( q = 110-120)

b
& b b j
P
b

& b b J
P

b
Bbb

? bb
b
P

j
j
j
j

J
#
#

n n j n
J
J
J

b b J
b
&
J
b
b
J
& b
J
B bbb .

? bb .
b

J
F
n
J

F
n
J

J
F

J
f
n
J
f
n
J
f

J
f

11 Transformations on Alkan

11

XI. triple-distilled

&

bbb

b
&bb
B bbb
? bb

&

bbb

Allegretto ( q = 90)

.
.
.

n
.
F
arco
pizz.

.

n
.
F
n

n
b n

F

pizz.

.
p

b
&bb

b
&bb

b
&bb

.
.

B bbb

? b
bb

arco

. .
j
.

arco

. .
.
p poco crescendo
B b b b . . . n

.
.
p
poco crescendo
. . . . . . .
? b b . . .
n
b
poco crescendo
p
pizz.

.
p
pizz.

n
.

.
F

j b
.
F
pizz.
j

b
F
.
p

n .

j
.
p

.
.
pizz.

11 Transformations on Alkan

12

reprise

bb

Allegro agitato ( q = 110-120)

& b j
n

b
& b b j
n

B bbb n
J

? b j
n
bb

b
&bb

b
&bb

n j

n j

j
n j
j
n j

B b b b n J # j j # j j
J
? b b n j # J J # J J
b
J