Lawrence Borden

The Conditions
ofa
Solitary Bird
for Solo Trombone
and Passive Piano

Intsnatiowf lhonrfiorc Asnciation rfu*oipt thas

Universify of Texas at Austin
 For my teachers:
Ardash Marderosian and Frank Crisafulli

This work was inspired by the writings of San Juan de la Cnn, a 16th century Spanish Catholic
mystic. One of San Juan's duties was to travel from convent to convent, hearing confessions and
gtving advice and direction to aid the spiritual advancement of the resident nuns. His advice on
how to achieve peace and unity with God often took the fonn of near-poetic aphorisms. There are
hundreds of these collected sayings; their insight and clarity are Zen-like.

Movements two, tlree and four are played nomrally while facing the audience. Movements one and
five, those using passive piano, are played into the piano and facing away from the audience. For
movements one and five it is suggested that the performer use the largest available grand piano with
the lid fully opened and an accompanist to manage the sustainpedal. The performer should stand at
the crook of the piano and play directly into the strings toward the 'low' end of the keyboard so that
as little sound as possible is absorbed by the performer's body. The performer should play with the
bell as close to the strings as is practical. The ethereal 'ringing' sound of the piano will be clearly
heard by the audience and is not intended to be overly loud- Amplification of the piano is not
desirable. Ifthe performer does not wish to memorize the music, it is usuall,v possible to reverse the
music rack in most grand pianos so that it can be used to read the music while playrng into the
piano. This position of the music rack aiso helps the piano reverberarion to be more clearly heard by
the audience. The fourth movement may be transposed as needed to fit the uss3l sange of the
performer; but if possible it should be played as wrinen. For high female voice the composer sug-
gests the movement be played as written" but in tenor clef. Notes may be sung in falsetto voice as
necessary as long as they can be srmg loudiy and the vocal "break" (register change) is smooth. For
tlose not familiar with the tecbnique of multiphonics it is suggested that the sung note needs to
'feel' as if it is about tbree times as loud as the played note in order to achieve a proper balance.
Please include the complete poem (as printed below), the name of the author and the names of the
translators in the concert pro$am.

The Conditions of a Solitary Bird are five.

The first, that it flies to that which is highest;
The second, that it does not suffer companisaship, even of its own kind;
The third, that it points its beak toward the sky;
The fourth, that it does not have a definite color;
The fiffi, that it sings very sweetly.
San Juan de la Cruz (1542-1591)
translated by
Lawrence Borden and Alan Harzmanl

This work was fust performed by the composer in 1980 while principal trombonist of the Xaiapa
Symphony Orchestra in Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico and amember of the dance/music group "Brasas".
Lawrence Borden (b. 1951) has been principal trombonist of the Nashville Symphony Orchestra
since 1982. He is Chair of the Wind and Percussion Department and Professor of Tiombone at
Vanderbilt University's Blair School of Music.

f Translated from San Juan de la Cruz's Dicbos de luz y amqs v/6ich can be found in Vida y Obras de San Juan de laCnn.Madrid:
Biblioteca de Autores Cristianos, 1950, pages 1283-1298. This passage is number 42 in the section entitled "Puntos de Amor."
 The first, that it flies to that which is highest;
Lawrence L. Borden
Sustain pedal down for entire movemen! play into piano
1980. Revised 1996
Slowly, Powerfirlly O r-5-8sec.-r r-4-6sec.1
^
tffip "ffip ffu ntf accel.
Slowlv r3-5se".-, Slo*

nJs
r 3-5sec^ r
-HPEP *f
J =ca.60 accel.

-?F4p
ff
-------=--- *f tr --------=-- q
A__.^ // _ 3 -5sec._Lento. y

accel. e cresc.

- 5-7sec.1

J =50 veryprecise

p siowly faster and louder

constantly getting wil{er and wilder

MAMC!

tr accel.
ffi
= ca.66 I l* a:-*'
7 etssi-,i ,;r,, 't-l'
4 15 sec. --r

ff-ffi HEAVY ff<ffi HEAVy tr ffi HEAVY (freeze)

Slow glissaado over the whoie indicated time, slowing oear the arrival note.

O 1996 lnternational Trombone Association Manuscript press

 The second, that it does not suffer companionship,
even of its own kind;
sustain pedal up, play to audience

Slowly, flowing with rubato

)=ca-52-55
if--
*f
 The third, that it points its beak toward the sky;
Spirited
): cz.134

-ry

J
f
 The fourth, that it does not have a definite color;

10 sec. l0 sec.

\y
7-v gp
10 sec. 10 sec.

-EP

l0 sec.
ca. 15 sec.-
(as long u. p-Jr.iur"-in o*Tr""tirl-
-
\:/

) = lL,rigrdly steady
tr
(Make these pitch alterations using the slide oniy)
+0f +2Sf +50(. +75f +4( simile

qE<1, OF-ryP 'p (tttyt)

+0d +25c +SQc +'75(

*f ,rW *f t ff)-<tr
1 -Acaa
, -
, [eely

(Make these pitch alterations without moving the slide.)

+0t +30( +0( 14(, +301 +01 +309 +n9 $0( *n(.,.-'. - '.- ..
/--/i

*_roo-ee-oo \y
Too-ee - oo ee - oo - ee-oo ry f
15 sec.
---

*
di' ryp
\v
T'I'
lndicates oral shape to be coordinated with pitcb/coior changes. Not spoken or sung.
 The fifth, that it sings sweetly.
Sustain pedal down for entire movement, play into piano

Slowly and freeiy J = ca. 60

Gently, with tendemess
,-r /i

t f
-rt
short
/.\ -
22+. -n

>Fp f accel.

r- 4-6sec- -jf -n
-r

>2-\_=-.--=
-n

:--"f

2-4sec. ; i:i
l0 sec- minimum -n

*,{p t-,fu ,fp g";'"*until thepiano fades completelvawav.

Where indicated by a fennata 1 rr ), fade into the ringrng of the piano for a moment before continuing.