TSQ-IV OPERA RECITATIVE - ELAINE FINE

Elaine Fine

Analysis (by the author herself), followed by libretto and character descriptions:

The Prince and the Princess: The Tale 

the story of a clever Princess who put a notice in the paper in search of a husband.
a young Prince who answered the notice and was living at the Princess's castle. 1
to the castle.
The Princess, who is relieved to find that her Prince is not Kai, gives Gerda a coach, a dress, food for her journey, and a fur muff.
(1 According to fairy tale logic since he was a prince rather than a king, he and the Princess were not yet married.)

The Prince and the Princess: The Opera

the story about the Princess and her Prince. 
The Princess in the opera, like the Princess in the story, prides herself on cleverness. After it is revealed that the Prince (who is her husband in the opera) is not Kai, the Princess does what she can to help

Travel Motive IV, that illustrates journey to the castle of the Princess (the end of Act 11/6 and Act II/9), is a folklore motive from the Norwegian Hardanger Fiddle tradition. This motive is based on an F-sharp minor tetrachord. 


Example III.20 from "The Princess Sends Gerda on Her Way" (Act 11/8) shows the use of the Lydian mode to prepare the Princess for her energetic entrance. The sound of D-Lydian tetrachords in the violins against broken D-major seventh arpeggios in the piccolo, oboe, and xylophone give a color similar to passages in Igor Stravinsky's Le Rossignol, an opera he set to a story by Hans Christian Andersen.

Another instance of syncopation is the entrance of the Princess in "At the Castle of the Princess" (Act Il/7). Example IV.2 shows the contrast between the Princess's syncopation and the steady sixteenth notes sung by the Crow. The Princess's syncopated entrance is intended to generate activity and excitement in her character.

"At the Castle of the Princess" (Act II/7) is set for oboe, clarinet, bassoon and two horns. The texture is full, smooth, and sustained with periods of contrasting staccato interjections by the Crow and the clarinet

The oboe has some exposed sections, but it does not have any prominent solos. The most exposed oboe writing is in "At the Castle of the Princess" (Act II/7), scored for oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and two horns, and '"The Princess Sends Gerda on Her Way" (Act 11/8), where it plays in a virtuosic staccato dialogue with the xylophone.

The xylophone is given a dialogue with the piccolo and the oboe in "The Princess Sends Gerda on Her Way" (Act II/8).

[···] and the Princess are all mezzo-sopranos.  

The Princess is young and clever. Being royal she is in a position of power and is surrounded by activity. In "The Princess Sends Gerda on Her Way" (Act 11/8) her mezzo-soprano voice is accompanied by xylophone, piccolo, oboe, and staccato strings.

 generously welcomed by the Princess.



LIBRETTO

I know quite distinctly of a princess
who decided she wanted to get married
to a clever husband.

Well, you know that's a problem
when all the men you know are princes.

Now she was a clever princess
she put a little notice in the paper
and immediately she had hundreds of clever men
who stood in line for days to have a chance to match wits with the Princess.

Some were young
some where old
some were hairy
some were bald
and everyone wanted to show how clever he was.

but none would do for her.

On the last day a man who had shining eyes and long hair ...

Though he had read the paper. He was not coming as a suitor
He said he just wanted to hear the wisdom of the princess.
He just marched right in with his knapsack upon his back.

Scene 5 (At the palace of the princess)

II/7 At the Castle of the Princess
Enter dancers with flags, enter Princess
Majestic

Princess: What have you brought me today crow? I hope it's something exciting.
Princess: I'll get my husband.

 (The Dancers prominade with chevron flags, the Princess and the Prince approach)

Princess: Welcome to the palace [···] my husband.

Princess: You'll need a coach and you'll need a coat, and you'll need some boots and a muff. All I can do is help on your journey, I hope that that is enough. If you take the coast to the North, you will reach the top of the world.


CHARACTER DESCRIPTIONS

a clever princess.

The Princess (mezzo soprano) is a woman who prides herself on being clever.

The Prince is the husband of the Princess. He makes one brief appearance and neither sings nor speaks.

ACTION, DANCE, AND SET DESIGNS

Act II/7
Dancers in black unitards with flags represent a palace. They usher in the princess, who sits on the bench. At measure 25 they make another procession of flags while Gerda enters to find the princess with her prince.
Act II/8 Dancers put down their flags and rush around like servants, running offstage to bring Gerda a dress, a coat, some boots, and a muff. Black out, all exit, picking up flags as they go. The Dancers rest.