Stuart MacRae REMEMBRANCE DAY (2008)
An Opera in One Act
Vocal Score Libretto by
Louise Welsh Piano reduction by
Michael McCartney
NOVELLO
Commissioned by Scottish Opera as part of Five:15 Operas Made in Scotland, February 2009 Sponsored by Accenture With major support from the Binks Trust, The Scottish Opera Endowment Trust and Oran Mor
PREMIERE 20 February 2009 Oran Mor, Glasgow Scottish Opera
DRAMATIS PERSONÆ Douglas Grieve, an elderly man with dementia Frances Grieve, an elderly woman, Douglas’s wife Lyn, a young woman, and the Grieves’ cleaner
Baritone Contralto Soprano
INSTRUMENTATION Flute Oboe Clarinet in B-flat Contrabassoon Percussion (1 player) Bass drum Snare drum Kick drum Hi-hat Tam-tam (plus triangle beater) Gong Woodblock Piano / Harmonium Harp 2 Violins Viola Violoncello Contrabass
DURATION 16 minutes
2 Temple blocks 2 Log drums 2 Bongos (high, low) Glockenspiel (or Crotales) Chic cymbal Chinese cymbal Suspended cymbal
REMEMBRANCE DAY Libretto: Louise Welsh
Music: Stuart MacRae
Introduction [Douglas sits alone downstage, dozing in an armchair. Also on stage are a second = ca.50
armchair, an old record player, a cheval mirror and an old scrap book.]
Ob.
3
doloroso
3
Scene 1
A
5
Fl.
[Lyn and Frances enter together. Lyn is dressed in jeans, T-shirt and the kind of tabard favoured by domestic cleaners and home helps. Frances is fitter than her husband, but walks with a stick.] giusto
poco
poco
5
sim.
5
5
5
slightly detached (non legato)
8
B
FRANCES
This
5
5
5
3
Copyright Š 2008 Novello & Co. Ltd.
imperiously
5
room
needs
a
2
12 3
3
3
x
F. good
x
dust ing.
Don’t 3
mind
my
hus
band.
3
3
14
[Frances hands Lyn a duster and polish then exits.]
with dark irony 3
C
[Lyn plugs herself into her iPod and begins to clean the room, giving Douglas a wide berth and moving to music we can’t hear.]
Scherzando
= ca.90
F. He sleeps
like
the dead.
3
6
3
leggero innocently; singing as if no-one else can hear
17
LYN
3
(wordless) Fl.
3
3
3
6
poco 3
3
3 3
3
8va
5
3
21 L. (wordless)
(bap
ba
du ru rup
du ru
(loco)
5 Temple block
D
26 L. )
3
5
3
3
5
[Old Douglas stirs in his chair. Lyn stops. Her iPod is dead.]
29 L. (bap
bee)
(wordless) 8va
3
3
3
pi첫
3
3
3
E [She taps her iPod resignedly]
33
Oh!
[She continues to clean.]
Blood y thing!
3
Woodblock
5
3
3 3
3
3
4
38
thinking out loud
3
3
3
L. What
a dump.
No
3
di o.
3
3
3
ra
poco
3 3
42
3
3
3
stringendo
3
A tempo
L. No
mus ic.
Just dust,
dust,
dust.
giocoso
3
7
5
ossia:
46
air.
F
Yuck!
L. Old peo ple’sshed skin,
dead skin
clog ging the
air.
Yuck! 3
3
3
50
3
espr., aspirational
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
L. I’m
long
ing
to 3
Fl.
be
on my
way
to
u
ni
ver
5
G Poco pi첫 mosso
54
3
pi첫
3
L. si ty
All
3
58 L. night
par
ties
5
62
6
A tempo cheekily
3
triumphantly
= ca.90
3
L. full of
pos
si
bil
i ties.
New
5
6
3 3
66
ten.
H
5
Held back a little A tempo uncertain
3
( = ca.90)
dreamily
L. friends.
I 5
ten.
hope I make friends.
And
a
smoothly and sweetly
6
70
3
3
L. boy,
with
dark
hair.
I’ll
break
his
3
3
3
3
Subito più mosso = ca.110 più
75
, cheekily
A tempo
(laughs)
( = ca.90)
3
breve
3
L. heart—
have an af
fair
with a lec
tur
er! breve
Vln. 1
Fl.
5 3
[Lyn kneels down and examines an old record player. She looks at Douglas who is dead to the world, then reads the title on the record.]
I
slightly below tempo, tornando al
slightly below = 90 tempo, tornando al
= 90
78
3
3
3
3 capriccioso
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
Poco meno mosso 81
3
3
3
3
83
7
[She looks towards Douglas again. He doesn’t stir. She puts on the record and an old tune starts up. Lyn begins to sway and resumes her cleaning. Beyond her view Douglas sits suddenly upright, like Dracula risen from the grave.] (spoken, mock seriously) 3
J
G.P.
confused and slightly off-key 3
DOUGLAS
”The lov ers.”
3
Who is it? [Pre-recorded music]
G.P.
light and bouncy
più
88 3
x
D. Who’s
x
Fa ther?
there?
[Pre-recorded music continues]
K 92
LYN (aside) 3
Shit.
leggero breezily
rush 3
3
It’s on ly me Mis ter Grieve.
3
Lyn,
3 3
3
the clean ing Las sie.
wistful and lyrical
D. Beau
K
rush
3
3
ti
ful
8
95
[ He stretches out a hand to stroke her hair. Lyn laughs, she’s used to receiving compliments and is out of his reach in every way. She ignores his words and carries on cleaning and dreaming of her future.]
[ Douglas holds his raised hand in the air, looking at it in wonder. ] disbelieving
[Lyn laughs gently.]
D. hair.
These hands.
3
3 5 5
3
3
playfully, in her own world
98 L.
I’ll
D. These
old
and wrin
kled
hands.
[Pre-recorded music]
Cb.
5
101
L
3
be
an
e
3
3
nig
ma.
3
The
girl
who says
Vln.
3 3
9
103
3
3
3
L. no thing. DOUGLAS
piĂš
indignant
Not
mine
My
hands
are young
The girl
3
3
and
who’s
strong.
3 3
106
3
3
L. clev
er
and
cut ting.
D. They
touch
your
hair,
stroke
your
cheek,
Cl.
109 . L The D. trace
your
jaw,
down
to
3
8ba
your
neck.
girl
they
10
112
M
5
5
L. all
re
mem
ber. slightly angry, confused 3
D. Who
Pno./Vln.
114
3
3
3
5
took
3
3
3
D. my
hands?
Who
shriv elled
my
flesh?
8va
Fl.
cantabile
Slower
= ca.80 hopefully and dreamily 116 LYN
N
3
They’ll al
ways re mem
Lento (meno mosso) = ca.60
ber. realising something
D. 8va
He
re mem
bers.
3
una corda col Ped.
11 alternately playful and seductive
120
I’ll have to stud y
bor
3
ing books,
3
3
cast
ing
3
3
Fl.
looks
3
tre corde
dolce
122
5
O
3
3
L. a cross the li
brar y
and
then he’ll
see
me.
falsetto or half-voice remembering the past 3
DOUGLAS
A
doll.
3
più espr.
125 D. pret ty
lit tle
doll
with
long
Cb. (pizz.)
hair
so
3 3
soft.
A
12
131
piĂš
D. She
wore
a
blue
dress.
And un der
neath
she was
8va
poco 3
3
135
more resolute
D. pink
and
per fect.
Per fect
pink.
But a
doll
is just
a
8va Vln.
3
3
140
Q
LYN
And
D. doll,
and
a
real
girl
is
ev’
ry
thing.
8va
3
3
3
13 3
144
5
5
L. though my eyes drop to my book
we’ll
both know
the fi
nal chap ter. cantabile
D. Like 8va
loco
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
(loco)
3
3
3
3
146
more energised
3
D. a
er
hunt
like
a
lov
er
he
spied
his 3
3 3
148
3
3
D. prayer
slip ping
by.
Her
se
3
espr.
Cb./Cbsn.
3
cret
hus
band
14
150
rather darkly
meno
D. saw
her
pas
sing,
saw
send
her
a
val
en tine
8ba
R Tempo precendente
= 60 darkly, as if in a trance
Meno mosso
153
3
3
3
D. with her
eyes.
And
3
knew then
what she
3 3
3
155
he
Meno mosso
3 3
3
3
D. want ed,
how to make her
tru
ly
his.
How
to bend her.
8va Glock./Vln.
3
158
3
Adagio
How 8va
to
break
her.
How
to
make
her
tru
ly
15
161
[Douglas gets to his feet and takes a step towards Lyn who has her back to him.] playfully Meno mosso LYN
= ca.60
He’ll be mine,
and I’ll be his,
tru
ly
his.
D. his.
Meno mosso
= ca.60
3
3
3 3
3
3
3
3
3
una corda Hp.
sonore
164
S Scene 2
accel. molto
S Scene 2
accel. molto
L.
Adagio 168
[ Frances puts Douglas back in his chair. ]
= ca.50
FRANCES scolding
Don’t you know
3
not to
touch things that
are
n’t yours? 3
Adagio
= ca.50
16
172
(To Lyn) 3
3
3
3
F. That’sa way
to lose
your fin
gers.
dreamily (to Lyn)
DOUGLAS
ti
Beau
ful
hair.
3
3
dim.
174
3
T Lento
3
espr. = ca.60 noble
5
F. I
cut mine
short
like
a
vir
gin war ri
or
Strings (harmonics)
3
3
molto
178 F. like a man,
like
a
wo
man
for
bound
8va
3
3
the
gal
17
185
LYN
poco
spoken
Meno mosso (recit.)
I should go.
recit.
3
3
F. warmly
lows.
Fin ish what you start ed.
When you’re
Str.
[Lyn begins to hurry through her tasks. Frances fusses round her husband, settling him back in his chair, plumping his cushions, adjusting his blanket.]
186
in tempo
U Allegretto
= ca.60
3
5
= ca.80 tenderly but firmly (to Douglas) 3
F. done
we’llpay you well.
Mus Ob.
ic
is
for
when
capriccioso
3
5
3
3 3
3 3
poco
3
189
3
we’re
to geth er,
when
it’s
time
to
re
cantabile 5
5
3
cantabile
3
3
18
Poco meno mosso
191
= ca.70
F. mem
ber
all
that
we’ve
lived. irritated and confused DOUGLAS x
x x
x
Go a way.
Old
Poco meno mosso = ca.70 3
(Ob.)
3
3
5 5
3
3
194
Allegretto
= ca.80
3
F. Can
you
re mem
ber
3
D.
x
x
x
x
wo man.
Allegretto
= ca.80
cantabile
3
3 3
3
3
3
3
3
19
196
3
3
rall. molto
3
( = 50)
F. how
it
used
to be?
Our
3
drives
in the coun try side?
3
3
5 5
3 3
5
5
198
V
arco
3
5
= ca.70 appassionato grandly
3
F. We
trav elled
all
of Eu
rope.
5
5
3
ders
could hold
us,
5
Adagio
Meno mosso = ca.60
200 breve meno
No bor
3
= ca.50 teneramente
←
=
→
←
=
→
F. we knew no bound a ries, breve
breve
no lim its.
I
loved
you,
teneramente
and you espr.
loved
20
203
W Allegro
= ca.150
F. me.
DOUGLAS
more spoken than sung 3
x
x
x
Leave
x
x
me a
lone! poco
poco
poco
Cl.
207
3
more spoken than sung x
D. sim.
x
You’re not
3
x
x
x
x
worth
the
ef fort
x
x
x
of
a
x
x
x
x
kick
in
the head!
5
[Lyn gives Francis a sympathetic look.]
210
rit.
A tempo
X ←
= 100
slightly defensive (to Lyn)
= →
F. sung D.
3
x Old
If
(come prima)
x
wo man! ←
= →
you
had
21 con rubato
214
7:6
F. seen
him when he was young.
He
was a match for an y man.
Wo poco
poco
poco poco
3
217
3
Meno mosso
3
= ca.90
F. men a dored
him,
and
he
knew how
to
Harm.
Ob.
3
espr.
3 3
220
accel.
F. treat
them. Vlns. (trem.)
3
cresc.
Fl.
3 3
Ob.
3
cresc.
cresc.
22 = ca.120 5
3
224
3
3
3 5
sub.
226
Y Scene 3
Allegro
= ca.144
spoken
LYN
(to Lyn) DOUGLAS
3
Get lost.
3
Play the mus
3
3
ic
a gain.
Fl., Ob.
3
3
3 Vla, Vlc. (pizz.)
3 3
230
Andante
= ca.80
softly and seriously 3
3
3
D. There is some thing I must re mem ber,
Cl., Vla. (arco)
Fl., Cl.
3
3
3
3
3
3 Vlc., Cb. (arco)
3
3
23
Sostenuto
PiĂš mosso
= ca.60 3
234
Z
3
= ca.72
freely
3 3
D. some thing
3
beau
ti ful.
Please
3
ic.
molto
5
3
3
play the mus
3
237
(ossia: spoken) 3
LYN
I must n’t. 5
D. A
love
so
beau
ti
ful
lurks
in
my
Vc., Cb. (pizz.)
molto
240
poco rit.
5
( = ca.50)
D. mem
o
ry.
Shin
ing
eyes,
shin
ing 3
sim.
Vlc., Cb. (arco)
24
Sostenuto = ca.60
243 D.
hair. Fl. (Solo)
3 (G)
(C )
[Lyn puts on the record, the music starts up again.]
246
G.P.
LYN
3
3
Aa Scene 4
G.P.
You’llbe the death of me.
G.P.
(Pre-recorded music)
etc.
[ Douglas raises his hands in front of his face and stares at them. ]
Lento con moto
249
DOUGLAS
= ca.60+ stronger, with feeling
He pesante
Ob.
3
re mem bers
3
the first
3
time.
The
25 innocently, misunderstanding Douglas’ meaning
252
3
LYN
First
3
love
is the sweet est,
D. best
time and the worst time. 3
3 3
poco
Fl. (Solo)
3
5
256
3
Bb
3
L. so
they
say.
D. He hid in shade of the li
poco stringendo 258
3
Strings (trem.)
pesante
appassionato 3
3
3
L. Lov
ers
are
sly,
lov
D. lac
tree.
5 Fl., Ob., Cl.
5
26
= ca.69 3
260 L.
L. ers
are
shame
5
less.
3
3
3
3
5
Cc 262
slightly fevered and quite powerful
DOUGLAS
And
she
when
came
close
pesante
3
5
5
5
5
3
cresc. poco a poco
cresc. 3
263
3
D. he
caught
her
round
the
neck
and 3
5 3
(cresc. poco a poco) 3
5
27
264
LYN
No!
3
5
D. cut
Ru
her throat.
bies fell
from her,
3
5
5
3
Ob.
3
3
5
3
cresc.
5 3
266
bright
er
than blood,
bright
er
3
than
her
hair
caught in the
dim.
accel. molto 268
5
3
3
5
3
D. sun
light
caught in
his
jew elled
hands.
poco
stacc.
poco
Fl.
cresc.
3 3
28
Dd
270
Allegro
= ca.120
agitated
freely
LYN He’s
de men
ted.
He’s
lost
Fl., Ob.
3 Cl.
3
272
[ Douglas waves towards the scrapbook. ]
L. the plot.
marcato, agitato
DOUGLAS
me
Pass 3
Fl., Cl.
3
Fl., Ob., Cl.
my
Vlns.
3
Vlns.
Ob. Strings
274
cresc.
cresc.
D. my
book,
al
bum,
Fl., Cl.
sempre stacc.
3 5
3
3 3
3
my
mem
o
29
Ee
276
LYN
agitated but decisive
Nas
ty old
man.
D. ries. 8va
Fl., Cl. Vlns.
5
Fl., Cl.
3
3
3
3
278
pi첫 leggero 3
3
playful
3
L. I
sup pose
he was young once,
like
me.
I
8va
3
3
Meno mosso (pi첫 pesante)
281
3
= ca.110
3
3
L. won der
if
he
was
hand
some.
5 5
30
284
Tempo precedente
Ff
= ca.120 [She opens the book.]
bemused, slightly shocked
L. No
to graphs,
pho
3
6
6 6
dim.
cresc.
8
3
286
3
L. just
hair,
hanks
of
sempre stacc.
3
3
cresc.
dim.
3 3
288
with a mounting sense of panic
L. hair,
each 5
5 5
3
3
3
3 3
3
3
3
one
tied
with
31
290 L. rib bon.
Red
Hor rid!
(non stacc.)
5
5
3
3
cresc.
cresc.
3
3
3
3 3
3 3
3
3
292
Gg
[She looks closer.]
Ww. 3
Strings
3
5 Pf.
5
col Pedale
32
295
panic-stricken, horrified 5
3
3
5
What the fuck is that?
Some thing dried,
3
some thing dead.
God in
Heav en.
Flesh!
Fl., Cl.
cresc.
8va
8va
(loco)
298
3
Hh
3
[Lyn screams loudly and drops the book, Frances enters.]
L. Skin
and flesh!
Fl., Cl.
5
Fl., Ob., Cl.
6
7
5
5
5
33 [Lyn scrabbles in her pocket for her cell phone. The battery is dead. She throws it down in frustration and heads for the door.]
Fl., Cl.
301 6
5
5
Ob., Strings
3 5
3
5
3
3
[ Douglas struggles to his feet and reaches towards her. ]
303 6
5
5
5
5
5
6
3
[Lyn pushes him and he falls. She looks back for just a moment.]
305
Fl., Cl.
5
3
5 6
5 8ba
6
cresc.
8ba
5
34 [Frances hits her across the head with her walking stick. Lyn staggers and then collapses.]
307 5
3
5
5
3
3
8ba 8ba
Ii
309 3
3
3
3 3
3 3
3 3
3
3
[Frances helps her husband to his feet and back into his chair. She reaches into her pocket and takes out a sharp knife.]
[Frances hits her again and the girl is spark out.] (Pre-recorded music)
316
repeat ad lib.
313 Lento
= ca.60 etc.
Jj Con moto FRANCES
= ca.90
tenderly, comforting (to Douglas)
Re
mem ber
how
we trav
3
elled?
35
321
3
3
3
3
F. No bor
ders could hold
us.
There were no
bound a ries,
Kk
325
no
Slower, pesante = ca.72
F. lim
irritated and confused DOUGLAS
its.
x
x
Old
wo man.
I
(ossia: spoken)
x
x
x x
Ug
ly old
x whore. Ob.
rall.
329
brought you
espr.
Lento
3
= ca.60
espr.
F. pres
ents
to
make
you
hap
py.
I
3
3
Strings
loved
36 [ She moves the mirror so that she will be able to see Douglas reflected in it when she sits in the second armchair. ]
332 F. you,
and you
loved
cantankerously, but no longer confused
me. DOUGLAS
3
3
Not worth blunt ing a blade on. Ob., Cl.
detached
336
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
D. Not worth cut ting a rope.
Not worth the price
of a bul let,
Ll
338
the ef fort
of a
[Frances laboriously begins to drag Lyn across the floor to within easy easy reach of her husband.] freely – semplice, remembering the past
F. dolce
I
ten.
3
D. kick in the head.
Old
wo man!
Ll
espr.
Harp
5
Harmonium
(+8vb)
3
37 held back
342
3 3
3
F. watched
in
the mir
ror.
Felt it was me
who did the kil ling, and the 3
3 (+8va)
5
a tempo
345
trenchantly 3
3
F. dy
My
ing. Harp
6
blood 3
Ob.
on
the
floor,
veloce 3
(begin grace-notes immediately)
3
347 3
3
[She hands her husband the knife.]
coaxingly
F. my hand (Ob.)
on the knife.
veloce sim.
Is
he
here
yet?
38
[Douglas seems to come to, he gets to his feet.]
351
mosso Mm Pi첫= ca.66
espr.
F. Are you with
me
my
strongly, like a man half his age DOUGLAS
love?
He
is
Bass drum
(+8va)
356 D. here.
He
is
strong.
3
molto
3
Strings
[Frances smiles and settles herself on the armchair, ready to watch proceedings in the mirror.]
360 D. He
re
mem
bers. *
Strings
*
(+8vb)
365
Meno mosso = ca.56
freely, tenderly
LIGHTS OUT
D. She has beau
ti ful
hair.
Bass drum
3
* The strings glissando (trem.) smoothly over 3 bars. The intermediate pitches given here are only approximations.