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Quartet for Paper Bags: each Composer: Spivak L
The Quartet for Paper Bags was composed for the Brooklyn College Percussion Quartet series of public school concerts in 1973. The piece calls for four paper bags of varied size to be ruffled, rolled, flicked and popped by four players (of varied size, the largest player taking the soprano, or the top line of music). Ruffling is best achieved by inflating the bag until open and closed ends can be grasped with two hands, then by swishing these ends together in opposite directions as if they were two sandblocks. A rolling technique is the same used for the crumpling of a paper bag. Flicking is accomplish by suspending the bag with one hand and snapping the middle finger off the thumb of the other hand onto the bag, producing staccato notes. The sounds desired are the brittle cracklings of new paper bags. For the final "pop" the three smallest bags are inflated loud enough to produce the indicated rhythms, and the burst exuberantly by their three players. The composer suggests the following size paper bags: soprano- Go into a retail hardware store and ask for a dozen 114" wing nuts (useful for drum equipment). The clerk will drop them into a bag of this type. Drugstores often carry these bags for razor blades. alto- These can be purchased in quantity at any grocery store as brown paper lunch bags. Greeting card bags may be substituted. tenor- Buy a record that you've wanted for some time or purchase a tie for a friend (Warning. many shops now give away plastic bags with these items). baritone- Thick brown bags are available from most supermarket chains. Thinner and crisper bags accompany the sales of large toys packaged in rectangular boxes. It is also suggested that several spare bags be placed within easy reach of the performers. LSS @ Copyright 1975 Lang Percussion Inc. All Rights Reserved NYO
