II.

Intro I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. IX. X. XI. XII. XIII. XIV. XV. XVI. XVII. next

Some objects are primarily visual. Of the local flag, one wonders: how big should it be — big enough to drape over the stage, or small enough to stick onto the bass? What counts as ‘local’ — is this meant as a political commentary? The camel head is a rather obscure item — is there some hidden meaning here? Would an unstuffed teddy bear head suffice? (As Patterson would inform me, a ‘mutant animal head seems ok, although it misses the pun of “Camel cigarettes.”’)¹

Objects such as whistles, C-clamps, the chain pulled through the bass’ F-hole, or styrofoam are also sonic in nature. The size of the clamps, the chain’s length and materials, and the shape and type of styrofoam will all have a direct impact on the character of the variations that involve them. But the score presents neither indications as to the objects themselves, nor to the duration, intensity, or affective character of events that might provide a clue to the identity of these instrumental prostheses. On what basis, then, should the performer search for and select them?

Some objects have the potential to function both visually and sonically. Gold paper, for instance, can be solely a decoration that dampens the strings; in that case, one might choose a thicker, softer card stock. On the other hand, it could be used as a preparation that audibly rattles when the strings are plucked; in this case a thinner, metallic foil-like paper would be more appropriate. Similar questions can be asked of the butterflies and mechanical bird: should they be selected for their decorative appeal, their qualities as musical instruments, or both?

Rather than presenting ‘instrumental’ hurdles to overcome, these problems constitute a fundamental site of creative work in Variations. If the performer approaches these questions as opportunities through which to discover her own context, without undue emphasis on immediate results, they will engage her in the same pre-performative improvisation that Patterson himself traces in the score. Exploring the mechanism of ‘preparations’ on the contrabass meant the composer could ‘consider the instrument in itself, as an object or a medium that could be handled in a theatrical way to broaden the range of audio and visual ‘image-effects’.² In much the same way, other performers may reconsider both their own practices and Patterson’s notation by exploring the mechanism of ‘preparing’ Variations in this broader sense.