Jonathan Dove - Arion and the Dolphin by Edition Peters

Contemporary

DOVE Arion and the Dolphin Cantata for Solo Countertenor, Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chorus, Adult Mixed Chorus, Two Pianos and Percussion Vocal Score

EP 72698a

JONATHAN DOVE

Arion and the Dolphin Cantata for Solo Countertenor, Children’s Chorus, Adult Mixed Chorus, Two Pianos and Percussion

Libretto by Alasdair Middleton

Vocal Score

EIGENTUM DES VERLEGERS

PETERS EDITION LTD A member of the Edition Peters Group LEIPZIG · LONDON · NEW YORK

Performance Note The role of Arion is written for countertenor, and if at all possible, that is how it should be performed. Where no countertenor is available, the role may be sung by contralto or baritone soloist.

Pronunciation Guide The sequence of vowels sung by the childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chorus (representing the dolphins) is to be pronounced as in sung Italian, i.e., pure vowels, not diphthongs. Rough English equivalents would be: A = ah E = eh I = ee O = oh U = oo

Commissioned by Making Music with funds from the Nicholas Berwin Charitable Foundation

Duration: 25 mins approx

Contents Libretto......................................................................... iv 1. Arion Triumphant...................................................... 1 2. Sailors....................................................................... 14 3. Dolphins.................................................................. 21 4. Arion and the Dolphin............................................ 36 5. Safe and Sound......................................................... 40 6. The Death of the Dolphin......................................... 56

1. Arion Triumphant Listen! Arion! Look! Arion! Look! Arion, Arion, a famous musician, Wins the Sicilian singing competition. Listen! Arion! Listen! Arion! Arion sang And Around the Arena a silence fell Arion sang As pure as a sacred, silver bell Arion sang And The pious danced, The carefree wept, The mourners smiled The squalling baby shushed and slept, Beguiled.

Arion sang And Nature stopped, Heaven stooped, Kneeled To catch each word. In Hell each demon blushed and reeled At what it heard. Arion sang And Around the Arena a roaring rang As one they roar and as one they rise, Roaring – ‘Arion’s the winner! Give Arion the prize’ And the prize money falls on Arion’s head, Like golden-haired comets, in glittering showers And hoisted on shoulders and crowned with flowers, He’s down to the harbour in victory led. Arion, Arion heads down to the bay To charter a ship to take him away; But the sailors he picks are a murderous lot Who are greedy for gold and the prize that he got.

2. Sailors MEN If you need a sturdy ship, sir And you need a stalwart crew If you want to get home swiftly, sir Then we’re the men for you; And is that chest of gold, sir, all the luggage you are bringing? And we hope we don’t disturb you with our manly shanty singing But, You see Merry Mariners, we. We’ve heard that you’re a singer, sir, That you’re better than the rest, And we’ve seen the gold and silver, sir, That’s locked up in that chest And we know the price was fixed, sir, Before we left the shore — But now we’re out to sea, sir, We’d like a little more — This ferry lark’s a failure, so we fancy a career in A spot of petty piracy and some full-on buccaneering, For, Deaf to your plea Mercenary, merry mariners, we.

We’re going to take your money, sir And then you’re going to die. The only question is, sir A wet death or a dry? It’s entirely your decision Of how you’ll breathe your last, We can chuck you in the water Or can hang you from the mast. We really hate to hurry you — but let’s say that providing It’s not too long, you a sing a song — to help you in deciding. Mast or sea? Murderous, mercenary, merry mariners, we.

CHORUS The sea so deep, the mast so high. Arion, Arion waiting to die.

3. Dolphins Into the vast and glittering sea Arion gazes, faces death, Spends his final breath Singing A song sent shining Into the vast and glittering sea.

ARION There is no music there, There in the depths of the sea No melody. Tuneless waters. There silent eternity

ARION Music and Life, Goodbye. Swans sing before they die So I In song bid now my song goodbye Music and Life Goodbye. Soon sing no more, Soon nothing left to be sung Soon silenced by sea’s sullen roar Salt water rotting the melody off my tongue. Music and Life, Goodbye.

DOLPHINS A–E–I–O–U

CHORUS Deep in the vast and glittering sea Cold Death glistens, Arion listens, Singing. What sound comes spinning Over the vast and glittering sea?

DISTANT DOLPHIN A–E–I–O–U

CHORUS Over the vast and glittering sea Dolphins throng Drawn by the song Pulled by melody Over the vast and glittering sea.

ARION Music and life, goodbye Drown songs Drown breath I go To Silence and Death.

CHORUS Into the vast and glittering sea. His lyre weeps Music Into the vast and glittering sea Arion leaps Enraptured by Arion’s song Around him all the dolphins throng, They will not let the songs be drowned. So dolphin-mounted, safe and sound They bear him safe across the sea Accompanied by melody.

vii

4. Arion and the Dolphin DOLPHINS A–E–O–I–U

ARION Sing of life snatched from the waves. Sing the life that music saves. Sing the hand that touched the strings. Sing the inspired breath that sings Sing of skimming on the sea. Sing the power of harmony. Sing of the musician’s skill. Sing of the creative will. Sing the bright melodic god. Sing the dancing dolphin pod. Sing of music strong as death. Sing of life and sing of breath.

DOLPHINS Arion. Arion. Arion.

ARION Sing the snorting dolphin throng Sing the singer. Sing the song. Sing while dolphins play and sport. Sing and bring me safe to port.

viii

5. Safe and Sound In the gold afternoon we went down to the harbour, To watch all the fishermen selling their ware, As we looked out to sea — out towards the horizon We saw something shimmering ,glimmering there.

It seemed like a man on the back of a dolphin Skipping and skimming across the blue sea, And as he was riding he seemed to be singing And playing an instrument — how could that be?

Oh, the cold metallic mackerel Oh, the herring of blue steel Oh the underwater meadows Where the dizzy fishes reel.

Oh the songs of porpoises And oh the songs of whales And oh the songs the sirens sing While polishing their scales.

Some said, ‘It’s a mermaid’, some said ‘It’s a triton.” Some said, ‘I hear music — but can that be true?’ Some people saw one thing and some saw another, But something was shimmering that much we knew.

And as he came closer — we saw — ‘IT’S ARION! Arion is riding a dolphin back home Singing and playing and riding a dolphin That’s breasting the crests of the waves and the foam.

And oh those scales of silver And oh those scales of gold And oh the milky moonlit pearls The secret oysters hold.

And how we applauded triumphant Arion And crowned him and cheered as he came into land. And how we applauded the triumphant dolphin That lay like white marble upon the gold sand.

And some of us waded out into the water, And some of us crowded down onto the pier And we shaded our eyes from the gold of the sunshine For we couldn’t believe what we saw drawing near.

Oh the mysteries of the ocean Oh the treasures of the sea Oh the pleasures of the dolphin That’s in love with melody.

6. The Death of the Dolphin Arion’s safe — all danger past. But — Oh! — the dolphin breathes its last. Oh dying dolphin, white and brave Who bore him (me) safe across the waves, You danced across the sea to death, And saved his (my) life with your last breath. Oh dying dolphin, white and brave, May gold and marble mark your grave, And words on gems of peerless price Commemorate your sacrifice. I am forever in your debt, Now, safe from harpoon, hook and net, I pray that with all my heart that you Will swim in that Ionian blue, Cavort forever in that sea That rolls around Eternity. Arion! Look! Arion! Look! The hand of Heaven reaches Grasps And clasps, Lifts

The Dolphin High Lays The Dolphin In the sky And The Dolphin Is stars All stars In the vast and glittering sky A Dolphin sports through the Ocean of Night, Tumbles and plays with the shoals of stars. Jupiter, Venus, Mercury, Mars; Each leaping planet sings, hurtling higher, To the glittering strings of a heavenly Lyre. Arion Look. Listen, Arion.

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Jonathan Dove

Jonathan Dove (b. 1959) studied composition with Robin Holloway at Cambridge and worked as a freelance repetiteur, animateur and arranger. His first major projects came via Glyndebourne, including his breakthrough commission, the opera Flight, for Glyndebourne Touring Opera. Other operatic works include The Adventures of Pinocchio, Swanhunter, children’s opera The Hackney Chronicles, When She Died – examining the response to the death of Diana, Princess of Wales – and Man on the Moon. Works for orchestra include the trombone concerto Stargazer, and Moonlight Revels for trumpet and saxophone. Dove was presented with the Ivor Novello Award for Classical Music in 2008, and in 2010 A Song of Joys opened the Last Night of the Proms. Jonathan Dove ( *1959) studierte bei Robin Holloway an der Universität Cambridge Komposition und arbeitete als freischaffender Korrepetitor und Arrangeur. Erste größere Werke entstanden in Zusammenarbeit mit dem englischen Glyndebourne Festival, darunter die Oper Flight – ein Auftragswerk der Glyndebourne Touring Opera, das ihm zum Durchbruch verhalf. Sein Opernschaffen umfasst außerdem The Adventures of Pinocchio, Swanhunter, die Kinderoper The Hackney Chronicles, When She Died – das die Reaktionen auf den Tod von Prinzessin Diana beleuchtet – sowie Man on the Moon. Zu seinen Orchesterwerken zählen das Posaunenkonzert Stargazer sowie Moonlight Revels für Trompete und Saxofon. 2008 erhielt Dove den Ivor Novello Award für klassische Musik, und 2010 bildete A Song of Joys den Auftakt zur „Last Night of the Proms“.