Germain: An Opera in Four Acts, Vocal Score

ISBN-13: 9781539497202 / Angielski / Miękka / 2016 / 310 str.

James Nathaniel Holland; James Nathaniel Holland

Opis

American contemporary composer James Nathaniel Holland brings this opera of political intrigue and love in four acts. Arranged here in vocal and piano reduction. Full Act IV video presentation on YouTube: https: //youtu.be/Ol9u4Gi7y6Y OPERA SYNOPSIS: A mythical country, somewhere lost in time and space; two factions, the minority "have" and the majority "have-not's," are in constant violent conflict to rule the country. Germain, a young man with mysterious origins, and for neither side, by fate meets the the prime minister and hopes for personal love. But this is not to be a happy ending. The leader of the have-not's takes this perfect opportunity to assassinate the PM. When the attempt fails, the blame falls on Germain and leads him to his imprisonment and eventual death. GERMAIN, A Dreamer (Lyric Baritone) CHERYL, A tavern owner and girlfriend to Talleyrand (Soprano, Coloratura) TALLEYRAND, Minister of District Thirteen, Secret leader of the Dissidents (Bass) ALEXANDER, The newly elected Prime Minister of Timbaksha (Tenor) TAMINA, Alexander's wife (Soprano) NADINE, Minister of District Five (Alto) URCHIN, A Young Teen (Male or Female Voice) WALLACE, Minister of District Nine (Baritone) OFFICER (Baritone) CHORUS: DISSIDENT, GUESTS, SERVANTS, CROWD, OFFICERS COMPOSER'S NOTE This opera was a creative reaction in the attempt to write a "Haitian" musical and the frustration when a specific story calls for a specific race of people and excludes all other possibilities. Such happens with Gershwin's 'Porgy and Bess.' An all-white cast seems ridiculous at best. This is not to say, 'Germain' was slated - at conception - to be any race-specific opera. To quite the contrary, I wanted to completely push it to the other end of the spectrum. I wanted an opera where the production could be presented in almost any way as the cast, the times, or director chose to do it. Hopefully this opera is wide open for interpretation. It contains pure political prototypes that seem to enter the public consciousness over and over again in the media: the rich apathetic minority, the poor resentful majority, the pacifist, the innocent victim, the abuser of power, the ambitious all-or- nothing dissident, the political pawn, the scorned women. This opera can cause waves, or it can play it safe. This opera could be France, the USA, or a colony. It could be pop culture or an age of cynicism. It could be science fiction or realism of our world, now. Unfortunately, people need to be told exactly what is happening in an unfamiliar work as this. For you, who have chosen to take on the challenge to present it, I invite you to be my collaborators - please, not my servants."