ENCHANTRESS OF NUMBERS
Aria for soprano and piano From the opera Enchantress of Numbers
music by Juhi Bansal, libretto by Neil Aitken
Enchantress of Numbers Ada: He says, it should be enough. He says, that I should be satisfied. Three children, a home, a man who loves the woman he thinks I am inside. But this endless march from child to child, from bed to table to bed again, My husband’s voice, his hands, his touch, have grown so dull with time. And I dream of other things. I long to sink myself again deep in the wild math of stars, To wonder how a bird flies, and if with steam and fire, I too might take to air. I dreamed it once, years ago, dreamed I rode in the skies on an iron horse with metal wings. Tonight, I take what is rightfully mine. unlock with my pen, my mind the dream inside this machine. Tonight, each word that I set on the page, will blaze a fiery trail through the sky, my words will mark a path for those who come. The future awaits my pen, my will, my mind.
Copyright Š Juhi Bansal Music All rights reserved juhibansalcomposer@gmail.com www.juhibansal.com
3
Somber q = 66 - 75
Ada (soprano)
Espressivo p
He says
Resigned, heavy
pppp (follow voice)
Piano
Ada
Pno.
3
He says that I should be
3 3 3 3
sa - tis fied.
7 rit., freely
3
5
it should be e - nough.
3
3
Three chil - dren, a
a man who loves the wo - man he
home,
mp
12
Ada
f
10
Freely
thinks pp subito
Pno.
a tempo
3
I 3
3
ppp subito
am in - side.
pppp
4 Freely
14
Ada
f 3 3 3
mp But this end - less march fromchild to child,
Pno.
18
Ada
3 3 ppp subito
a tempo
voice his hands, his touch have grown so dull with time
3
slow, follow voice
pppp
24
poco a poco accel.
Pno.
f
p
22
Ada
19
my hus band's
3 3 3 slow, freely
p subito
Pno.
Moving ahead
pp
bed to ta - ble to bed a gain,
from
3
mf
Soaring, hopeful
26
Ada
q = 104 - 116
3
And
I
3
3
3 30
3
31
3
of oth - er things,
Ada
Pno.
math
mp
3
3
37 pp
3
3
deep in the wild
3
pp
3 3
3
3
ppp
3
3
3
stars,
3
3
3
35
of
3
to sink a - gain,
poco rit. 34
3
3
3
long
3
3
3
3
I
3
3
3
3
5
dream
3
pp
Pno.
f
3
Ada
mp
Shimmering ppp
Pno.
p
3
3
3
pp
3
3
3
3
3
3
6 38
Ada
Pno.
39
3
mf
To
3
3
how
a
3
3
3
won - der
bird
3
3
3
3
3
flies
3
3
3
3
43 allargando, freely 42
Ada
mf
Pno.
and if with steam
and fire,
3
3
ppp
45
I too could take to
3
3
mp
46
3
f
(long) ( pp sempre)
Ada
3
3
p
air.
Fast
Pno.
(long)
3
3
pppp possible
molto rit.
una corda
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
50 a tempo (q = 104 - 116)
Ada
Heavy
Pno.
mf
tres cordes
7
54
f
mf
dim. poco a poco
58
55
Ada
p poco a poco cresc.
I dreamed it
Pno.
3
3
ppp
once
years a - go,
una corda
mp
60
Ada
3
dreamed I
rode
Pno.
3
62
mf
3
in the sky
on an
pp
p
ppp sempre
3
i - ron horse
8 64
Ada
with me
-
tal
wings.
69 Much faster, flowing (h = 80)
Ada
molto rit.
mp
Pno.
f
Growing resolute f
To - night
pp
Blurry, shimmering
Pno.
tres cordes
3
3
take
Pno.
I
ppp
73
Ada
pppp
-
ful - ly mine,
what is
right
un
3
lock with my
my
mind,
the
77
Ada
Pno.
dream
83
Pno.
3
this ma - chine.
85
Ada
in -
side
Pno.
9
81
Ada
pen,
80
ff
86
To - night
pp
f
each
word
3 that I
ppp
10 Ada
89
3
set
on the page
Pno.
will
blaze
3
a fie -
trail
through the
3
my
ry
3
mf poco cresc.
sky,
Pno.
3
3
93
Ada
words will
a
mark
ppp poco cresc.
98
97
Ada
3
path for
those
who
come.
f
Pno.
ff
ff subito
102
Ada
11
101
mf
3
The
Pno.
fff
pp
fu - ture
a waits
my
ppp
(ppp sempre)
105
Ada
pen,
Pno.
my
will,
my
pp
ppp
109 Ada
f
mind
Pno.
12 Ada
113
Pno.
117
Ada
pp
my
Pno.
121
Ada
The
fu ture
pen,
f
3
my
a waits
will,
ppp
poco cresc.
my
mind
accel to end
Pno.
poco cresc.
13
125
Ada
Pno.
fff
fff