Music and Libretto by
KAMALA SANKARAM
Chamber Opera in One Act Dur. 14 mins
Piano Vocal Score
A Rose PERUSALSCORE
Originally commissioned by Houston Grand Opera
CAST OF CHARACTERS
SNEHA (soprano) — late 20s or very early 30s. Hip, smart, beautiful, savvy, Gujurati descent, very American, PhD in psychology.
SIDDHARTHA (tenor) —Also known as SID. early 20s: naïve, a highly optimistic dreamer, he is cute in an interesting way but he is not classically handsome, and he’s a little awkward. Kashmiri descent, came to America when he was 16.
SID’S MOTHER AND FATHER (Hindustani classical singers) — traditional and conservative parents from Kashmir. Mid-aged. Mother is notably younger than the father. They wear traditional but contemporary appropriate Indian dress.
LOCATIONS
An Indian wedding hall
SID'S MOTHER AND FATHER'S home
A flower shop on Fannin Street
PERFORMANCE NOTES
HINDUSTANI SINGERS are meant to improvise sargam in raga Jaunpuri during the indicated sections of the score. I have included sample sargam in case singers don't feel comfortable improvising.
WINDS
Color trill- rapidly alternate between different fingerings for the same pitch.
PERCUSSION
The score includes basic thekas. Feel free to add fills as best fits the character of the performance.
PERUSALSCORE
INSTRUMENTS
Flute
Oboe
Tabla
Piano
Violin
Viola
SCENE 1
HOUSTON, TX- AN INDIAN WEDDING HALL
(It’s 9am on Saturday morning, the day that SNEHA and SID are going to be married. The door of the wedding hall bursts open. SNEHA and SID dash outside, frantic.)
Raga Khamaj A litte frantic
PERUSALSCORE
I'mlooking - at
PERUSALSCORE
Tabla
PERUSALSCORE
PERUSALSCORE
PERUSALSCORE
know that look. We'renot going - toCostCo. -
We have to go where -
Colla voce
Colla voce
Butwhatwillpeople - think? A e ver's - o pen.
PERUSALSCORE
Ob.
Tabla
Pno.
Vln.
Vla.
PERUSALSCORE
Tabla
right deci - sion?-
Butthey'reyourparents. - They
shouldbe here, in You p know wedid. Itdoesn't - matter. -
Sneha
Sid
Fl.
Ob.
Tabla
Pno.
Vln.
Vla.
spiteof ev'ry - thing.- But whatif theywere right? Isthisenough? - Is
They
were cruel. What?
Sneha
Sid
Fl.
Ob.
Tabla
Pno.
Vln.
Vla.
Wedidn't - even - knowhowimpor - tant- theflowers - wereforthecere - mon- y.- Weweren'tprepared. What
Ob.
Tabla Pno.
Vln.
Vla.
else aren'tweprepared - for? Andme... Whatiftheywererightabout - me... Whatiftheywere
Sneha
Ob.
Tabla
Vla.
Sid's Mother
When mf youtoldthem a bout - us they said
Sid's Mother
Sid's Father
Tabla
Pno.
Vln.
Vla.
SaSaRemaPa
Sid's Mother
Sid's Father
Tabla
Wheredoesshecomefrom? Whoisher fam 'ly?- They're not Pandits.
PERUSALSCORE
Sid's Mother
Tabla
Pno.
SaniPagaReSa
SaniPagaReSa
Sid's Mother
Sid's Father
Tabla
Pno.
Vln.
Tabla
Pno.
Vln.
Vla.
Sid's Mother
Sid's Father
Tabla
Pno.
Sid's Mother
Sid's Father
Tabla
NOTE: If the Hindustani soloists would prefer to freely improvise without a time constraint, the orchestra can vamp mms 176-177 and jump directly to O at the end of the improvisation.
Sid's Mother
Sid's Father
Tabla
Pno.
Vln.
Vla.
Sid's Mother
Sid's Father Fl.
Tabla
Pno.
Sid's Mother
Sid's Father Fl.
Tabla
Pno.
Sid's Mother
Sid's Father
Tabla
Pno.
Sid's Mother
Sid's Father Fl.
Tabla
Pno.
Sid's Mother
Sid's Father
Tabla
Pno.
giveyou afam'ly? - Letusfind yousomeone - moresuita - ble.- Someone - more likeyou.
Sid's Father
Tabla
May be- they wereright.
Sneha
Sid's Mother
Sid
Sid's Father Fl. Ob.
Tabla
Pno.
lookatwhatwe'redoing: - A CostCo - wedding. - DI Y. Potluck. -
Colla voce
Butyourparents! - Wedidn't - inmatters. - Each other. - Ourfriends. The
Tabla
Tabla
I choose you. Because - Iknowwhatmatters. - Not - thebeauty - of theflowers -
Ob.
Tabla
Pno.
Vln.
Vla.
orthesarees - or themandap. - Idon'tcarewhereyoucamefrom. Whatyourlastnameis.
Youdid. ButIpushedyoua way.- And thenonthattriptoChi ca- go-
Ihadgiven - up.
Tabla
Pno.
Vln.
Vla.
your flightwasde layed.- I satintheairport - for eighthours. Waiting - foryou.
Tabla Pno.
Thinking - of you. And in thatmoment - I knew. I knew I was in
love withyou. Love blossomed - in that moment. -
Ob.
Tabla
Pno.
Vln.
Vla.
Ob.
Tabla
Pno.
Vln.
Vla.
Tabla
Tabla Pno. Vln.
Sid's
Tabla
(As the duet continues, montage of SID and SNEHA choosing flowers on Fannin street, scenes from the wedding, including SID and SNEHA showering each other with flower petals, dancing.)
chose you. I choose you. You are my fam 'ly. -
chose you. I choose you. You are my fam 'ly. -
Ob.
Tabla
PERUSALSCORE
PERUSALSCORE
Tabla
PERUSALSCORE
Ob.
Tabla
Pno.
Vln. Vla.