Nico
Muhly,

A Long Line, for solo violin and electronics, was written for violinist Erik Carlson and was originally meant for performance as part of VisionIntoArt’s 2003 show Democrazy. The piece is built around a series of chords played by electric organ and articulated by bass clarinet and bass drum. These chords gradually shorten over the length of the piece, as the violin sings a long line over the texture. Towards the end of the piece, the violin is instructed to play a pattern of fast notes ‘like a string exercise, but extremely expressively.

Performance Note:

The tempo is approximate. Do not worry about aligning perfectly with tape unless otherwise indicated. If you find yourself playing far ahead or behind the tape, simply expand or remove a rest. Keep all note durations relative. Not all tape events have been rendered for the purposes of simplicity. Additional cues should be pencilled in as necessary.