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.

WESTEROS PARODY SONGS

ESSAY ON DISNEY SONGS

http://books.google.es/books?id=R7zRMTr1p1gC&printsec=frontcover&dq=secondo+walt+disney&hl=es&sa=X&ei=tIhHVPmHJrj_sATPqIKYBQ&ved=0CC4Q6AEwAjgK#v=onepage&q&f=false

WESTEROSI SONGS IN SWEDISH

Continuing with my list of Westerosi treats, here are a few songs translated into Swedish:

NALLE OCH FLICKAN RAR (The Bear and the Maiden Fair)

This song is rather popular among both the nobles and the common people of Westeros. It's the least violent of the songs presented here, and its words retell the "beauty and the beast" motif.

A bear there was, a bear, a bear

all black and brown and covered with hair

Oh come they said oh come to the fair

the fair? said he but I'm a bear

all black and brown and covered in hair!

And down the road from here to there

three boys, a goat and a dancing bear

they danced and spun all the way to the fair!

Oh, sweet she was and pure and fair

the maid with honey in her hair

the maid with honey in her hair

The bear smelled the scent on the summer air

the bear, the bear

all black and brown and covered with hair

he smelled the scent on the summer air

he sniffed and roared and smelled it there

honey on the summer air

Oh I'm a maid and I'm pure and fair

I'll never dance with a hairy bear

I'll never dance with a hairy bear

The bear, the bear 

lifted her high into the air

the bear, the bear

I called for a knight but you're a bear 

a bear, a bear

all black and brown and covered in hair

She kicked and wailed the maid so fair

but he licked the honey from her hair

he licked the honey from her hair

Then she sighed and squealed

and kicked the air

she sang: my bear so fair

and off they went

the bear, the bear

the bear and the maiden fair

Den här visan är väldigt populär bland adliga och bland vanligt folk i Västeros. Den är den minst blodiga av visorna här presenterade, och dess text behandlar motivet “skönheten och odjuret”.

Det var en gång en björn så brun…

så mörk och brun och täckt med fjun.

“Åh, kom!”, sa de, “Kom till vår fest!”

“En fest? Nej, jag är en björn så brun,

så mörk och brun och täckt med fjun!”

Och, vägen fram, det var nog bäst,

tre pojkar, en get och en stor brun best

de dansade och sjöng, ty de skulle till fest!

Hon var så söt, liksom en vår,

flickan med honungslent, ljust hår,

flickan med honungslent, ljust hår.

I sommarvind märkte han honungen,

en björn så brun,

så mörk och brun och täckt med fjun.

I sommarvind märkte han honungen,

han sniffade och röt högt sen

mot honungstös i sommarvind.

“Jag är en mö så ren och rar,

jag dansar aldrig med en nallefar,

jag dansar aldrig med en nallefar!”

Och nallefar

lyfte upp henne i skyn så klar,

herr nallefar!

“Jag ville ha en hjälte, men du är en best!

En best, en best,

en mörk och brun och hårig stor best!”

Hon sparkade och röt,

och fällde en tår,

men han slickade hennes honungshår,

han slickade hennes honungshår.

Hon suckade och tjöt

och, bäst som det var,

sjöng “Rare nallefar!”

Och av det bar

för nallefar,

för nalle och flickan rar!

DORNEMANNENS FRU (The Dornishman's Wife)

Dorne is a semi-independent principality south of Westeros. The people are dark and passionate, the climate is warm and dry, there are lots of white-washed façades and orange orchards: the whole region is inspired by real-world Spain, Italy, and French Riviera. This song may have been inspired by real-life events: a Northern knight or warrior visited Dorne, where he fell in love with a married noblewoman... If this song doesn't remind you of Lord Byron, you may say it!

The Dornishman's wife was as fair as the sun,

and her kisses were warmer than spring.

But the Dornishman's blade was made of black steel,

and its kiss was a terrible thing.

The Dornishman's wife would sing as she bathed,

in a voice that was sweet as a peach,

But the Dornishman's blade had a song of its own,

and a bite sharp and cold as a leech.

As he lay on the ground with the darkness around,

and the taste of his blood on his tongue,

His brothers knelt by him and prayed him a prayer,

and he smiled and he laughed and he sung,

"Brothers, oh brothers, my days here are done,

the Dornishman's taken my life,

But what does it matter, for all men must die,

and I've tasted the Dornishman's wife!"

Dornien är ett halv-självständigt furstendöme söder om Västeros. Folket är mörkt och passionerat, klimatet är varmt och torrt, det finns gott om vita fasader och apelsiner: hela området är inspirerat av riktiga världens Spanien, Italien och Franska Rivieran. Den här visan lär vara inspirerad av verkliga händelser: en nordisk riddare eller krigare besökte Dornien och blev kär i en gift adelskvinna. Klingar inte den här visan Evert Taube, så säg!

Och dornemannens fru, hon var ljus som en sol,

hennes kyss lika varm som en vår,

men dornemannens klinga var smidd av svart stål

och dess kyss kom med en blodig tår.

Och dornemannens fru, hon badade och sjöng

med en röst som en persika len,

men dornemannens klinga hade en egen sång,

med en klang vass och skarp när den ven.

Det var mörkt, han låg där, med smärta som tär,

hans blod uppför strupen sig tog...

hans bröder, omkring honom, bad för hans själ,

men han sjöng, och han skrattade och log!

“Åh bröder, åh bröder, min tid är förbi,

ty dornemannen tagit mig nu...

Spelar ingen roll, ty vi alla ska dö

och jag har njutit av dornemannens fru!”

REGNET  PÅ CASTAMERE (The Rains of Castamere)

Dedicated to Andreu Ciscar, Iris Bauer, Helena Moya, Angy Escorihuela, and all the other Thronies at Universitat Jaume I.

The nowadays extinct House of Reyne (whose surname is homophone of the word "rain"), of Castamere Hall, served the powerful Lannisters of Casterly Rock, one of the most important dynasties in Westeros. The Reyne coat of arms had a red lion, while the Lannisters have their well-known golden lion for a symbol. The last lord of Castamere was killed, together with his whole family and all his servants, when Tywin Lannister repressed the uprising Lord Reyne had planned against his superiors.

And who are you, the proud lord said,

that I must bow so low?

Only a cat of a different coat,

that's all the truth I know.

In a coat of gold or a coat of red,

a lion still has claws,

And mine are long and sharp, my lord,

as long and sharp as yours.

And so he spoke, and so he spoke,

that lord of Castamere,

But now the rains weep o'er his hall,

with no one there to hear.

Yes now the rains weep o'er his hall,

and not a soul to hear.

Dedicerad till Andreu Ciscar och Iris Bauer, Helena Moya och Angy Escorihuela, och till alla andra Thronies på Universitat Jaume I.

Den numera utdöda ätten Reyne (vars efternamn låter som ordet “regn”) på fästningen Castamere lydde under den mäktiga ätten Lannister på Casterly-klippan, en av de viktigaste i Västeros. Reynes vapen hade ett rött lejon, medan Lannisters har sitt välkända guldlejon som symbol. Det sista överhuvudet på Castamere dödades, tillsammans med hela familjen och tjänstefolket, när Tywin Lannister kväste det uppror som Lord Reyne hade planerat mot den överordnade ätten.

“Och vem är Ni?”, sa stolte herrn,

“jag måste vika för?

Bara en katt i en annan färg,

det är allt jag veta bör…

Ett lejon guldgult, likt ett lejon rött,

lär icke sakna klor,

och mina är långa och vassa, Ers Nåd,

långt mera än Ni tror!”

Så talade, så talade

den herrn på Castamere…

Nu gråter regnet på hans borg,

där ingen alls förblir.

Nu gråter regnet på hans borg,

där inte en själ förblir.