(c) Zachar Laskewicz 1989 Published in 1996 by Nachtschimmen Press updating the 1989 edition
Background
Information Is
this composition in actual fact a musical game? Or
would it be more correct to say that this card game is a musical composition?
The
most fitting description would be to say that this is a performance composition
involving an exploration of the ritual function of 'games'.
When we play games, we allow a ritualised series of movements, events
and words to take place, involving the use and manipulation of certain objects
and based on a strict set of rules which affects how the performers interact
with one another and treat the concerned objects. The
fact that these 'social performances' are cyclical and repetitive, structured
by socially determined rules, makes the system comparable to that of a ritual.
When players allow themselves to be involved in such a social performance,
they are already aware of the sorts of interactions that will be taking place
as well as the system of rules which will be shaping the performance.
Without this awareness, they simply wouldn't be equipped to take part.
Although
each 'performance' of a game produces alternative results, the events within
the whole occur at a predetermined pace and involve a predetermined amount of
interaction. Although the path through the game event is not strictly determined,
the general shape of the path most certainly is, and although the final result
of such a game performance (the winner of a single performer or group), the
essential structural function of game events remains the same:
the performers become involved in a social ritual which allows them to
enjoy contact with one another, to fill up time in a social manner and (perhaps
most importantly) to compete. The
results of this composition are also ultimately the same. Those involved are
dealt cards, must follow strict rules of play and get the chance both to 'fill
up time' and to compete with one another. The primary
result, however, is the creation of a vocal composition created by the same
stochastic rules that result in a game event. Although
every 'game'-performance is different in its own right, the general structure
remains the same, and is expressed as the basic underlying feature of this game/composition.
The
formal rules that must be followed not only enact to 'structure' the musical
flow of the composition, but to demonstrate that 'musical' structures govern
even the most benign of social circumstances. We
are given an insight into the structuring nature of musicality.
A performance of this composition should, therefore, exaggerate the 'ritualised'
nature of human performance, and performers should retain a sense of seriousness
in the tasks they are involved in; the performers become reflectors for a basic
social discourse. This includes the dealing out
of the cards, the choosing of the first performer and maybe even the reading
of the rules so that the audience is aware of the way the composition is structured.
This work is far more than simply a 'musical' composition, it is a complete
social event that should be considered as such. It
should be noted at this point that the composition could be interpreted as a
parody of games in Western society: sports and events perhaps evolving from
events of ritual significance that have been reduced to competitive events or
frivolous 'free-time' activities, reduced of any ritual significance.
At the same time, the compositional structure of the work emerges from
a cyclical structure in which the performers make the sounds for their own enjoyment
(and not for that of the audience). Although, like
the performance of classical music, the performers are following strictly defined
socially-based performance rules, the emphasis is taken off technique and put
back on the enjoyment of being involved in the performance.
This contrasts with classical music, being involved absolutely in the
players and their desire to complete the ritual they are involved in.
The rules of the game are included below, in addition to a page containing six of the cards from the deck. The work itself with a complete deck of cards can be ordered via Nachtschimmen Products.
Rules
of Play Introduction (cyclical)
VOCIPHONY is a card game for 6, 8 or 10 players, 10 being the preferable amount.
The function of VOCIPHONY is to create a vocal soundscape that changes
gradually in cycles as the game is played. Initially
it can be played using the cards as a competitive game with the sounds suggested
by the cards remaining a mystery. During a performance
in front of an audience, however, the exact sounds made by the players should
be worked out beforehand, and play streamlined so that the vocal part is distracted
as little as possible by confusion, allowing a clear cyclical flow.
The element of chance which structures the work should be allowed to
remain, the difference being that each player should be aware of every sound,
having practised them before the performance so that the paired sounds can be
easily recognised, both by the other performers and the audience.
Players are encouraged to think carefully and concentrate on the sounds
they are making, preventing them from being distracted or rushing.
Only when it is their own turn should they be silent and listen to other
players. Those players with quiet voices should
be encouraged to vocalise louder, while those with louder voices should be softened.
No performer, unless allowed so by the composition itself, becomes a
'solo' performer throughout the work. No words are
to be spoken during the performance and player interaction is to be kept to
a minimum where possible, even when exchanging cards. Movements
are to be as stylised as possible. The performance
includes only the movements involved in playing the game and the sounds written
on the cards. Of course, events leading up to the
performance of this composition such as the dealing out of the cards, the choosing
of the first player and even the reading of the rules or other explication of
the 'game' structure aimed at the performers but heard by the audience, are
welcome. The performance becomes highly 'formalised',
however, when the ritual of the game begins. The
deck of cards There
are two types of cards in the deck: 10 cards headed by a Roman numeral (which
do not have matching pairs) and 48 cards headed by Greek letter cards, each
of which has a matching pair. This forms a
maximum deck of 58 cards. Summary
of the game The
game itself is quite simple. The deck is shuffled
and arranged in a specific way, and then dealt out to each performer who stands
in a circle equidistant from the others. Each of
the performers holds a certain number of cards in his/her hand, and
a 'replenishing' deck is positioned on the floor in front of him/her.
The performers each choose an individual sound, and the performer whose
'turn' it is (chosen before the performance begins) has to listen carefully
to the other performers to see if he/she can match the sounds described on the
cards in his/her 'hand' with the sounds made by the other performers.
The deck is made up of matching pairs, although each of the performers
has a single unmatchable card which he/she will end up with at the end of the
performance. The taking of a 'turn' becomes a ritualised
event. The performer whose turn it is makes a designating
movement by standing up from a sitting position or taking a step forward into
the circle, and on performing this movement becomes immediately silent.
This has to occur just after the last performer has stepped back into
the circle, or after the composition has begun (which is signified by this movement
of designation). The composition ends when a performer
steps back or sits down and each of the performers is holding only a single
card. On this cue every performer is silent, and the composition has finished.
The winner is the performer who has collected the most cards during the
performance. Pre-performance
preparation During
performance of the composition, the players should be situated in a circle so
that the players are as far away from each other as possible, but so that the
symbol on the cards can still be read across the diameter of the circle and
so that the sounds of the voices are easy to hear. During
rehearsal, performers can be seated in chairs, although it is of course preferable
during performance for the players to be standing. The
players are to be situated directly opposite another player, taking specified
points on the circle. There should be an equal distance
between each of the performers on the diameter of the circle.
Performer places should be marked by a chair or a tape mark for each
performer position. The central position should
also be marked so that the players will have a place of convergence when cards
are traded. The Roman numeral cards are separated
from the Greek and each of the two decks is shuffled and placed in the centre
of the performance space. Performance
preparation in front of the audience All
of this setting up procedure, which should be accompanied by a feeling of ritual
inevitability, is to be completed on stage and not before the audience is subjected
to the performance. The performers begin in the
centre of the performance space performing the first 'ritual': determination
of the player who takes the first turn (hereby known as the starter) and the
player who will deal out the cards (hereby known as the dealer).
Each performer takes one of the Roman numeral cards in turn.
The player with the highest number will be the player who becomes the
starter and the player with the lowest number will become the dealer.
The Roman numeral cards are given to the dealer and reshuffled by him/her.
At this point, the other performers move to the predetermined positions
in the circle, except for the dealer who remains in the centre.
For the 10 player game, the dealer places each of the (Roman numeral)
cards into a separate pile. For the 8 player game,
two cards are taken randomly from the pack and turned face upwards.
These cards are left in the direct centre of the performance space.
Four cards are discarded for the 6 player game.
This procedure means that each player will end up getting only one of
the Roman numeral cards in his/her hand. The Greek
letter cards are dealt out as evenly as possible onto the already laid out Roman
numeral cards. The dealer shuffles each of these
decks individually and places one of the decks in front of the feet of each
performer. The dealer then moves to his/her predetermined
position, placing his/her deck in the same way. On
a cue given by the starter, the players take the top three cards and privately
examine them. Cards are made up of two parts, the
large black symbol and the description of the vocal utterance beneath this.
If the players already have pairs in their hands, formed by two identical
Greek letters, they place these cards face up on the ground and replenish their
hand to three before the performance begins. When
everyone is ready, the starter will be able to begin
the performance.
Examples
of the cards Basic
rules for performance Beginning
the game Before
the starter delivers the cue to begin the performance, the players must already
have chosen a card from their hand which they will bring to life vocally.
The starter performs the necessary cue by stepping forward into the circle
if all the players are standing, or simply standing up if all the players are
sitting on chairs. During rehearsal, the performers
can be seated, although it is naturally preferable for them to be standing when
the piece is performed before an audience. When
this cue is given, each of the performers begins to make his/her chosen sound.
The players must keep making the sound they have chosen until it is taken
from them by another player, or until it is their turn and they stand up or
step forward into the circle. Whenever a player steps forward (or stands) to
deliver a card or to have his/her turn, he/she must be directly silent.
When he/she steps backwards into place (or sits again), he/she chooses
directly a card from his/her hand and begins to vocalise it.
The movement of ending a turn should be synchronised rhythmically with
the player who will be beginning his/her turn, and these movements can therefore
be performed both slowly and stylistically. Holding
a turn -The
player whose turn it is (from here known as the 'active' player) listens carefully
to the other players. -If
he/she thinks another player has the pair to a card in his/her hand and is uttering
it at that time, he/she must show the card to the player (from here known as
the 'chosen' player). The chosen player will nod
or shake his/her head as necessary. -If
the active player is incorrect and the chosen player shakes his/her head, then
the active player sits/steps backward and play moves directly to the left.
The next player stands as the other sits down. -The
player who sat down/stepped backwards chooses a card to vocalise and the player
who stands up/steps forward is silent. -If,
however, the active player is correct and the chosen player nods his/her head,
both players stand and move quietly to the centre of the playing area.
In the centre the chosen player hands over the matching card and both
move back to their places. The active player places
them face upright on the ground in a pile next to the replenishing pile.
The player who has sacrificed a card to another player is silent until
his/her next turn is completed, the deck replenished and a new card chosen for
vocalisation. -When
the active player sits, play moves immediately to the left as players are allowed
only one pair per turn. It also is important to
note that when a player sits after his turn he can replenish his hand to three
from the replenishing pile on the ground if necessary.
In this way, if a player begins his turn with no cards (because the rest
have already been taken), he/she will start his/her turn by making the necessary
designating movement, but then will be forced to end his/her turn immediately
by stepping backwards or sitting down. After this,
the performer will naturally have the possibility to replenish his/her
hand. This should be performed in a stylised manner. -When
the players are to trade cards they are to move quietly and meet in the centre,
and slowly return to their seats. As little noise
should be made when doing this, so if it isn't being played in a carpeted room,
the players should wear socks or soft shoes/slippers. -To
retain the cyclical element, as soon as a player reaches a standing position
or moves within the circle to begin a turn or to exchange cards, he/she is directly
silent. -When
a player holds only one card and all the cards from his pile on the floor have
been used, he/she must keep making the sound on his card until either it is
his/her turn, where he/she stands up and is silent, and sits straight down again,
continuing to make the sound on his/her card. Ending
the performance -The
game continues in this cycle until each player holds only card.
If all goes well during the performance, each of these cards should be
one of the non-matching Roman numeral cards. -When
a player has only one card left, he makes it clear to the other players by holding
it in front of him. -The
composition ends when a player stands to take a turn, and every other player
only has one card. This is the cue to end the composition
and highlights the necessity for rehearsal. Continuing
the flow There
is a possibility that play will get 'stuck'. If
it goes around the cycle twice without a successful card exchange, this may
be the case. If the number of players is less than
10, it may be that the players should start with a hand of four or five cards,
and this is the number of cards the players replenish to during play.
Experiment as necessary during rehearsal.
If play gets stuck during a performance before an audience, let it run
twice around the cycle, and on a signal from the starter
as he/she moves to take a turn, each player takes another card from his
pile and adds it to his/her hand. Play continues
as normal after this unless the performance becomes stuck again.
In case of this eventuality, the same process is followed. Who
wins? Incidentally,
the player with the most pairs at the end of the game wins, but if all the players
work together to keep cyclical constancy, everyone has won.
© May 2008 Nachtschimmen
Music-Theatre-Language Night Shades,
Ghent (Belgium)
Send mail to zachar@nachtschimmen.eu with questions or comments about this website. Last modified: May 30, 2008
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