Snap

solo voice (male or female)

 

Program Notes:

Snap, for unaccompanied voice, is a piece that deals primarily with the fragmentation of time and ideas. Holding these ideas together in space is the methodical, almost ceremonious snapping of the fingers. These finger snaps act like signals that announce the change to a new fragment (or in some cases, the beginning of a repetition of an old fragment), as well as provide their own large-scale rhythm to the piece.

Snap, as the name also implies, deals with the theatrical presentation of a singer on the brink of insanity. While starting out with relatively large pieces at relatively low volumes, the fragments gradually become smaller, with the volume getting louder. The fragments become less and less predictable, culminating in sections where the singer is asked to improvise. The piece ends with a long laugh by the singer, who eventually composes himself to end the piece in silence.