PERUSALSCORE
Monodrama in One Act Lullaby
Music by Kamala Sankaram
Libretto by Guillermo Calderón
2023
PERUSALSCORE
Lullaby
Monodrama in One Act
2023
PERUSALSCORE
Music by Kamala Sankaram
Libretto by Guillermo Calderón
Performance Notes
General
Open time is indicated by stemless noteheads. Cues are indicated by vertical arrows. Boxed gestures should be looped until the next cue.
Soprano
Italicized text should be spoken in the time frame of the indicated measure. X noteheads indicate a sing-song voice, similar to sprechstimme. The delivery should be lightly pitched, but not truly lyric singing. You are in unison with the viola.
During open time, you can allow your dramatic interpretation to determine the rhythm of the text. Should be closer to speech rhythms.
Viola
O = Ordinario
SP = Sul Ponticello
ST = Sul Tasto
Tap = Lightly tap the body of the instrument with your knuckle.
= increase bow pressure. Diamond noteheads = Add random noise to the sound by lightly fretting the note, as you would a harmonic.
Arrow = change gradually (for example, from ordinario to sul pont.)
During open time, the pizzicati do not need to match soprano's pulse. During sprechstimme, try to match the soprano as closely as possible.
Piano
pizz. = pluck strings inside of piano x notehead = mute strings
Electronics
Fixed electronics are accompanied by a click track for the violist. Electronics during open time must be played on a system capable of looping, such as Ableton Live, QLab, or MaxMSP.
Fades are not built into the electronic parts, and will need to be created by the sound designer.
Instrumentation
Young Mother, Soprano
Viola
Piano
PERUSALSCORE
Fixed Electronics
Duration: 60'
First printing, March 2024
Copyright ©2023 Kamala Sankaram. All Rights Reserved.
Program Note Copyright ©2023 Kamala Sankaram. All Rights Reserved
Published by Just a Theory Press | www.justatheorypress.com
Lullaby
SOUND CUE 1: PRE-SHOW LOOP
SOUND CUE 2: SOUNDSCAPE
The Young Woman is alone at home. The violent sounds of the outside world are filling her space.
Soundscape DUR 7 mins
Viola cue is horn in soundscape
The YOUNG MOTHER slams the window shut. A long pause.
She recovers from the noise of the world.
Young Mother Vla. Pno. alread - -ydark.I'msitting-onmybed.
Talkingwithmysignificant other.
Hey. SignificantOther.
Young Mother Vla.
Don'tworry-about-it.
Sure? Itʼsmyturn. Iknow. Istillfeelsorryforyou. Itoldyou.
Igotthis. IknowwhatIʼmdoing. Good. Good. Go. Gobacktoyourscreen. Thanks. Igotthis. Go. AndSignificantOtherleaves. Backtothescreeninanotherroom.
Young Mother
Stillawake? - OK. - That'sfine.Let'stryagain, - Anewsong...
What’s up? Still awake?
Yeah. Isee. Listen. Enoughofthescreen. TodayʼsmyfreedaysoIʼmgonnagoout.
Gradually descrease finger pressure until there is no pitch.
Young Mother
Young Mother
Stillawake. - That'sfine. Ineedanewsong.Anewsong.
Young Mother Vla.
cro -codile - opens - hismouth. Andthe
boy keepsrowing - androwing. -
Young Mother
Young Mother
Young Mother
Thatthing,youknow?Whichsideareyouon?Whichsideareyouon?
Young Mother
Vla. Pno. out? Ican'tleaveyouhere. Alone. - Sleeping.-Sleeping272
Young Mother Vla. Pno. alone.-Ifyouever-sleep. Stillawake? - OK.274
Molto vibrato Very little pitch
Molto vibrato Very little pitch
Young Mother
Vla. Pno.
Two e -le -phants.
gliss. gliss.
Young Mother
Vla. Pno. Hang ing - - from a
gliss. gliss.
Young Mother
Vla.
gliss. gliss.
Young Mother Vla.
gliss. gliss.
Young Mother
Vla. Pno.
Four e -le -phants.
gliss. gliss.
Young Mother
Vla. Pno. Hang ing - - from a
gliss. gliss.
Young Mother
Vla. Pno.
Open time, quasi parlando, still agitated
spi -der -web. Aspider-web.Ofspiders. -
Move freely between S.P. and O &
gliss. gliss.
Young Mother Vla.
Ele-phants - covered - inspiders. - Stillawake? - Stillawake. -
gliss.
Stillawake? - Stillawake. - Maybe mp it'stoostuyinhere. Let
Move freely between S.P. and O ord.
mp
Young Mother
Young Mother
Vla.
likethem?
Young Mother
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Young Mother
Vla. Pno. sir -ens. The pro tests.
Young Mother Vla.
The YOUNG MOTHER slams the window shut.
Young Mother Vla.
here,baby. - Thosepeoplechant -
Alternate between O, SP, and ST
ingoutthere?
Thosepeoplesing-ing?Theywon'tstop.
Theycan'tstop. Welivein somekindofwar.
Young Mother
Young Mother Vla.
Listen-baby, - I'lltellyouwhat. Sometimes - youhaveto
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Young Mother
Gotosleep baby. Gotosleep,
Vla. Pno.
Young Mother
Vla.
Andthebaby-stillawake. - Loving-thestreetlights.
. Gradually change to SP O
Andthesirens-andthescreams. What'sgoing-on?
MOTHER begins to dance with crowd.
Whichsideareyouon?
Whichsideareyouon,friends?Whichsideareyouon?
Whichsideareyouon,friends?Whichsideareyouon?
Young Mother
Vla. Pno.
Very-muchawake. - Andthepeople-thereseemeholding-ababy.516
Young Mother
Vla. Pno. Theygivemethethumbsup.AndIsmileback.Thumbsup.ButI'mangry.518
Young Mother
Vla.
Ofcourse.Whoisn't? - Thismadness-hastostop. Istart 521
Pno.
& B & ?
Young Mother
Pno. scream ing - loud. 524
Vla.
& B & ?
Thenthere'sabang. Oraboom. Aboomandabang.
Running-andrunning-andrunning-andrunning.
Un
-tilI'malone. - Until-Igetlost.
Young Mother
Vla. Pno.
Very-lost. WhatamIdoing-outhere?WhatamIdoing -
Young Mother
Vla.
Quasi parlando
Whataweirdnight. Iguessit'snotmyplacetojointheprotest. -
Young Mother
Vla.
Singlemothersneedtostayathome. Espe-cially-atbedtime.574
Pno.
Young Mother
Vla. Pno.
Warorpeace.Thebabyneedstosleep. there'sno 576
Hey,youwiththebaby. Me? Yeah. You.
Young Mother Vla.
&
Doyouneedaride? Me? Yeah. Itlookslikeyouneedtogethome. It’sfree.
Sotheladygivesmearide. Free. Weirdnight,huh? Ohyeah. Weird. ∑
pizz.
Young Mother
& Babycan’tsleep?
No.
Haveyoutriedalullaby?
Sure. Butit’snotworking.
Young Mother
Listen,I’mnoscientist, shesays. I’mnoscientist. ∑
ButIreadsomewherethat youshouldn’tgetanxious aboutthatlullaby. ∑
Thatlullabyyou’retryingto compose. Forthebaby. ∑
pizz. Freely strum treble strings on inside of piano with fingernail
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& Really? Yeah. Anarticle. ∑
Whatdoyoumean? Raisingme? ∑ B arco pizz.
Ireadthatwhenthebaby doesn’tgotosleep,she israisingyou.
Mother
&Yeah. Thebaby. RaisingYOU.
Young Mother
See,thebabyisforcing youtocomeupwitha newlullaby.
Abetterlullaby.
She’spushingyouto comeupwithnewwords, newmelodies,you know?OK.
Sothebabyispushingyou tobemorecreative,you know?
Freely strum bass strings on inside of piano with fingernail
There’sanevolutionary advantageinhavinga morecreativeparent, youknow?
Young Mother Vla.
Imean—thebaby’salways thinkingyou'renottrying hardenough.
Andthebabywants youtostruggle.
Toreallycomeupwitha betterlullaby.
Young Mother
& Soshecanfallasleep. Forhersurvival.
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I’mtalkingcavemenstuffhere. Butit’sscience.
Young Mother
Young Mother
617
&
Wait. MybabythinksI’m nottryinghard enough?
Sure. Right? Sure. Forexample,thisthingIjust toldyou.
Oh,no. Youjustsaidthat. DidI? Youdid. Oh,well.
MaybeI’mwrong. Youcan’tbelieveeverysingle thingyoureadontheinternet.
freely gliss up
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?
Itdoesn’treallysoundtrue. Whenyouthinkaboutit.
Butitdoeskindof makesense.
Butjustforget aboutit.
Thewebsite hadtoomany ads. Fishyads. That’show youknow.
Somaybeit’sfakescience. Maybe. I’mnotascientist,youknow?
Listen. Thisisourbuilding. Sure. Andshepullsover. Wait. You’reraisingthatbaby byyourself,aren’tyou?
Oh. No. Well,yeah. Yes.
Imean,sometimesIimagineI haveasignificantother. Justtoimaginesomeoneis helpingmeout.
Butthisimaginarysignificantotheris alwaysleaving,forsomereason.
Withthebaby. Withlife. Youknow. Yeah. Igetit.
Whydoyouask?
Because,sinceyouare raisingyourbabyalone—
Sorry. What?
AllIwantedtosayis you’renotalone.
Becausethisthing— Aboutthebabybeing awake. Notfalling asleep.
Thisthinghasbeen goingonforever. Everywhere. Yeah.
Thebabyhastogo tosleepeverysingle night.
Young Mother
Young Mother
The baby still has to sleep. With a song.
Go to sleep, baby. Go to sleep.
That’s our oldest song, you know?
Everyone sings that song.
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So don’t ever think you’re singing alone.
Because you’re singing with a lot of people.
Vla.
Young Mother Vla. Synth.
So you’re part of a chorus of sorts. You are not alone.
Young Mother Vla.
While a million voices whisper into your ear.
If you sing a lullaby, you are joining a big choir.
You’re whispering into your baby’s ear.
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Go to sleep baby. Go to sleep.
Young Mother
Vla. Pno. down.AndIstartsinging. - Softly. - Istartsinging.q=92
Young Mother
Young Mother
Over-thesirens. - Andtheykeepsinging. - Nomatter -
youjoinachoir. Youarenotalone. -
Young Mother
Young Mother
Young Mother
Andsuddenlythebabyisasleep.
Sleeping. Deep. Notawake. Asleep.
Suchaweirdnight. Itfeelsunreal. - Likeoneofthosehalfdreams.
Young Mother
theonesyoudream whenyou'rehalf- asleep. -
Vla.
Young Mother
Quasi parlando I dreamt that the baby wanted to sur-
Young Mother
Young Mother
Vla. Syn. Iseetenlittle - bird -ies, Swinging - froma
Young Mother
Vla. Syn. tree. They'resinging - ina choir.
Young Mother
Vla.
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