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Chamber Opera in One Act
Music by Kamala Sankaram
Text by A.M. Homes
2021, rev. 2025
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Transposed Score
PROGRAM NOTE
e Portrait Monument is famously the only statue depicting any women in the entire Capitol Rotunda, so when I was asked to choose a monument to inspire a piece for Washington National Opera, it was the rst thing that came to mind. As the story goes, following the unveiling of the sculpture, the Portrait Monument was immediately banished to a closet in the basement where it remained until the 1990s when a women's group raised the funds to have it brought up and installed in the rotunda as originally intended. And so it goes: a step forward is taken and several steps backward follow. But we still push forward.
A.M.'s libretto deals with this head on by presenting the monument (and history) as seen through the eyes of several generations of women (including a ghost). We are indebted to Farar Elliot for her immense knowledge and for introducting us to the Lindy Claiborne Boggs Congressional Women's Reading Room, which does exist and did solve the problem of female congress members missing votes because the only women's room was located in another building. Historically, the Capitol was unwelcoming to more than just the women in the Portrait Monument.
is idea of hostile architecture and unwelcoming space is what animates the structure of the piece itself. I wanted to take a theme and let it transform from something similarly hostile and unwlecoming to something more open and communal. us, the main theme makes its rst appearance as a strict 12-tone row rendered as a militaristic march. By the end of the piece, the scale has changed to a whole tone mode and the march has become a drumline.
Finally, the piece includes several quotes from Dame Ethyl Smyth's suffrage anthem, "March of the Women," found primarily in the sections featuring Adelaide Johnson. In addition to composing an anthem used by activists in the UK and beyond, in 1903 Smyth was the rst woman presented at the Metropolitan Opera. It would take another 113 years before the second opera by a woman (L'Amour de Loin by Kaija Saariaho) would appear on the Met stage.
CHARACTERS (in order of appearance)
Alicia Hernández (soprano): girl scout, 11-15 years old A Powerful Woman (soprano): female politician
Maria Hernández (soprano): Alicia’s mother
Officer Victoria Wilson (mezzo soprano:- African-American Capitol Police officer Adelaide Johnson (mezzo soprano): the sculptor of the Portrain Monument e Monument (coloratura soprano): the animated embodiment of the Portrait Monument e Monument is made up of Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815-1902), Susan B. Anthony (1820-1906), and Lucretia Mott (1793-1880)
N.B. In the premiere production of RISE, the roles of Powerful Woman and Adelaide Johnson were played by the same singer. ese roles may be doubled at the discretion of the company.
TIME & SETTING: Present, United States Capitol Rotunda DURATION: c. 30 minutes
INSTRUMENTATION
Flute
Oboe
Clarinet in Bb
Bassoon
Trombone (harmon mute)
Percussion: Glockenspiel, 2-octave crotales with bow, drum set (S.D., B.D. Hi-hat), S.D. (may be played on kit if needed), Large Bass Drum (on its side), Vibraphone, Castanets, Large Triangle
Strings (1.1.1.1.1)
PERFORMANCE NOTES
X meter indicates open time: ese measures may vary in length depending on the singer. Instruments should change bows/take breaths as needed in these passages.
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Stemless noteheads: Rhythm is at the performer's discretion, but should be realized to emphasize clarity of the text and dramatic intent. e singer and instruments do not need to line up at the start of the bar. Singers can add pauses as needed for dramatic intent.
RISE was originally commissioned by Washington National Opera in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Kennedy Center. Chamber reduction commissioned by Baldwin Wallace University.
Copyright © 2025 Kamala Sankaram (ASCAP). All Rights Reserved. Published by Just a eory Press | www.justatheorypress.com First printing of this edition, January 2025 JAT-138-045.01-FS
Text by A.M. HOMES
Commissioned by Washington National Opera in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Kennedy Center. Chamber reduction commissioned by Baldwin Wallace University.
RISE
a chamber opera in one act
March — chaotic and impenetrable q = 120
e Monument
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ALICIA HERNANDEZ, a Girl Scout, enters the Rotunda.
ALICIA tries to stop various people as they hurry past—they don’t see her/refuse to stop.
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A well-dressed woman comes striding through, we hear the clack of high heels. e girl stands in front of her — blocking the path. e woman looks powerful, she is a woman, a wife, a mother, a grandmother, not to mention, holds a high position here. She looks at ALICIA.
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ALICIA holds her three middle ngers in the air to recite the Girl Scout Pledge. (is is a transcription of a Girl Scout troop reciting the pledge. Take a big breath at each rest.)
Iwilltry to serve
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and ALICIA enter.
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ALICIA reenters the Lindy Claiborn Boggs Congressional Women's Reading Room from the bathroom.
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We see Alicia's mother, MARIA.
li-cia, say please, li-cia, say please,
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ord. sul pont. ord. sul pont.
ALICIA exits back into the Rotunda. Time has clearly ‘changed’.
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Vn. I
Vn. II Vla.
ADE.
Vn. I
Vn. II Vla.
Vn. I
Vn. II
Vla. Vc.
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Note: A Whispering Gallery is an elliptical shape in the architecture that allows sound to travel from one point of the room to another. ere is a similar spot in NYC's Grand Central Station.
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q =88
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VIC.
Vn. II
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Brushes-jug band feel. is is the basic pattern. Feel free to ll and improvise as you like.
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Was p shetrying - togetthemright?
She p was trying - to get them seen (and heard). e (to Adelaide) lightyou'vebeencastin is
Aquestion - I'vebeenmeaning - to ask?
Vn. II Vla.
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senza sord.
631a tempo
We sit. Westand. We perchu-ponourplinth. eire-gosmighthavebeena
colla voce
631a tempo
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colla voce
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Note: is is the inscription that was originally on the Monument.
We snap back into reality. MARIA rushes into the room toward ALICIA.
Yourleader - said you'resoquiet, - shehadn't - noticed - youwereleftbe-hind...