Date de composition
: 2015
Durée: 01:00:00
Genre: Staged Vocal Works, Operas, Complete Vocal Score
Instrumentation:
Instrumentation no. 1:
- 1 x Piccolo
- 1 x Flûte
- 1 x Hautbois
- 1 x Clarinette
- 1 x Basson
- 2 x Cor
- 1 x Trompette
- 2 x Trombone
- 1 x Timbales
- 1 x Percussion ethnique
- 2 x Percussion
- 1 x Clavier - autre
- 1 x Baryton
- 1 x Chœur d'enfants
- 1 x Chœur mixte
- 2 x Violon
- 1 x Alto
- 1 x Violoncelle
- 1 x Contrebasse
Cliquez ici pour télécharger l'œuvre intégrale (16.75 Mb - version non imprimable)Notes de programme
:I have seen too many movies. While visiting Armenia in 2013, to work with the children at the Anahit Tsitsikian Music School, Andrea and I learned of the legend of Saint Gregory "The Illuminator". It was told to us during a trip by car to an historic site. Amid the noise of traffic, I thought I heard him being called "Gregory the Eliminator". You see? Too many movies! He was not a Hollywood figure at all, rather he is responsible for the conversion of the king, and thus the nation, to Christianity in the year 301. Legends about him abound, some quite bizarre. Historically he was imprisoned in a hole in the ground for life after offending the king by refusing to participate in a pagan ritual. Finally after persuasion from his sister, and after several painful bouts of royal madness, the king released Gregory. His sister had had a dream that if Gregory were released the madness would cease - and so it happened - after 13 years. Gregory is regarded by many as a hero, but he also has his detractors. It seems that when he finally had the ear of the king, he launched a vicious attack on the old pagan system, persecuting and killing practitioners, and destroying temples. Our opera concentrates on the ability of one man to survive for years, however, stuck in such a terrible situation. I don't think I would have lasted that long. And, judging from the enthusiastic reaction of the audience at the première performance, I would say that Andrea and I got it right!
Overture & Scene 1: Three angels express their sympathy for Gregory, while he himself laments his painful situation. The angels ask God if they may help him by sending him visions: "A glimpse of light, a memory to smile at, a memory to frown at, a memory of love..." God says "Yes", but they may only call upon things native to Armenia.
Scene 2: The cantankerous widow Anahit climbs the hill to bring Gregory food and water. She sings, "All day, every day... all right! Once a week..." She complains about having to mill the flour, bake the bread, and all the rest, and all she gets in return is his blessing. Blessing! What can she do with a blessing?
Scene 3: The angels send a vision of cranes (the national bird of Armenia). The children dance an awkward, long-legged crane dance and Gregory and Anahit sing the nostalgic song of the Crane. Gregory is amazed and delighted by their arrival, but falls into despair when the birds fly away. He collapses, wanting to see the sky once more. The angels' first attempt to cheer him up has failed and they are dismayed. Increasingly agitated, they send a vision from his childhood.
Scene 4: Gregory's childhood nurse scolds him on his bad behaviour, and his teacher wants to know how he is progressing with his lessons. "Er... haven't either of you noticed that I am dwelling in a hole?" asks Gregory, as the teacher and nurse start to argue over who has the greater responsibility for him. "This is not going well", says one of the angels.
Scene 5: An atonal fugue announces the arrival of the insects. Gregory complains to God about the eternal torment these creatures give him, and children in elaborate insect costumes appear. By the magic of the angels, they turn into a friendly presence as they invite Gregory to dance with them.
Scene 6: The dance is interrupted by the arrival of the Loti, a peculiar creature, recently discovered. It is neither snake nor lizard but at some point will become one or the other. The insects laugh at the solitary and frightened Loti, and Gregory comforts it with a lullaby.
Scene 7: The king's madness is signalled by drumming (we heard some great drumming in Armenia!). Gregory reflects that the king is going mad in the light while he himself goes mad in the darkness, and he and Anahit sing a sad duet about the pomegranate - another powerful Armenian symbol. The angels are getting worried, and they try once more.
Scene 8: A chorus of apricot pickers appears, including Gregory himself as a youth (played by a young singer) who sings with his first love: "Taking a kiss from your apricot lips, I'll taste gold from the forests of gold." Gregory thanks God for this memory of love, for the beauty of the world, and for the new hope in his heart. At last the angels' efforts have paid off. Anahit appears again, excitedly and incoherently explaining that the king's madness has left him and that Gregory is to be released.
Scene 9: The scene shifts to the palace and the king's sister calming the drumming with her vocalise. Then gradually Gregory is brought up out of the hole, where he recites a poem by Komitas, a beloved Armenian poet, and all ends in a great fugal Amen. I have employed several Armenian folksongs in the opera.
The Overture opens with fragments from a song called "Krunk", or "Crane", which is then presented fully in Scene 3. When the angels sing in Scene 1 of using only things found in Armenia to comfort Gregory, I quote a song called "Kilikia". This is a lovely patriotic song, and btw also the name of Armenia's most famous brand of beer. The Lullaby that Gregory and the Loti sing in Scene 6 is in reality a lullaby called "Ruri Ruri", and the song of the apricot pickers in Scene 8 is a real Armenian harvest song. The libretto is in English, since we do not know Armenian, although a translation has recently been made. When we inquired into doing it in English, we were told that that would be fine, and that it might encourage people to learn that language. So be it, but part of me still thinks an Armenian composer should have written the music, however good mine is. :)
Renseignements sur la création
:3 April 2017, Paronian Theatre, Yerevan, Armenia
State Chamber Orchestra of Armenia Gregory sung by Andranik Malkhasyan Chorus of the Alexander Spendyarian Music School, Yerevan Dancers from Yerevan State Choreographic College, Yerevan; Harutyun Arzoumanyan conducting
INFOS SUR LE CATALOGUE
:
- Cote:
- MV 7110 H243il2
- Genre:
- Staged Vocal Works, Operas, Complete Vocal Score
- Date d'acquisition
:
- April 13, 2017
- Type:
- Partition, inédite
- Description physique
:
- Score
72 pages
Hauteur: 43 cm
Largeur: 28 cm
Nombre total de pages des parties: 153
Réduction pour piano: 97 pages
pIano reduction
97 pages
Hauteur: 30 cm
Largeur: 23 cm
- Information sur la langue
- Langue principale: Anglais
- Renseignements supplémentaires
:
- For rental of performance materials, contact composer directly.
Overture
Scene 1
Scene 2
Scene 3
Scene 4
Scene 5
Scene 6
Scene 7
Scene 8
Scene 9
Finale
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