MusicbyKamalaSankaram
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TheInfiniteEnergy ofAdaLovelace
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LibrettobyRobHandel
MusicbyKamalaSankaram
Characters:
AugustaAdaByron,CountessofLovelace(mezzo-soprano)
WilliamKing-Noel,1stEarlofLovelace(tenor)
CharlesBabbage,FellowoftheRoyalSocietyofLondonforImprovingNaturalKnowledge(bass-baritone)
HarrietBeecherStowe(soprano)
ANanny(soprano)
AButler(baritone)
Note:ItispossibleforHarrietBeecherStowetodoubleasNanny,andforBabbagetodoubleasButler.
Time: Themiddleofthenineteenthcentury
Place: AnestateinSurreyandalaboratoryinLondon
Instrumentation
Piano
Violin1
Violin2
Viola
Cello
PerformanceNotes
S.P.=Sulpoint
>=Graduallychangeovertime
Shouldbeplayedasunmeasuredtremolo
TheostinatofigureinthepianoisderivedfromAda'snamespelledinbinary.Eachtimeitappears, itshouldbeplayedasdryandrhythmicallypreciseaspossible.
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Duration:40minutes
Copyright©2019KamalaSankaram.AllRightsReserved. PublishedbyJustaTheoryPress|www.justatheorypress.com
TheInfiniteEnergyofAdaLovelace Scene1
Surrey.Adaissurroundedbypapersandbooksanddrawings,searchingforsomething, asifshewereanovercaffeinatedbee.
Throughthedoorstothegardenwecanseethatitisthelasthourbeforesunset.
Thenannyentersfromaside door,closingthedoorslowly andquietly.Turning,sheis startledtoseeAda.
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speakofhousehold - matters? - Yourdaughter - hastaken - inmorecats. Twomorecatstoday.OhGod.
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roundherpassions. - Whatother - news?
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WilliamandBabbageenterthroughthegarden
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Andtheymakeerrors.
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puters - arenot reli - a- ble.- Theycharge too much, haveother - oblig - a- tions.-
Thenumbers - ofBernoul - li,
yes. Andsometimes - theyguess. Theygettired, theygetbored, theyquit. With the engine - you
William
Babbage
Pno.
Adawaits. Bynowsheisrightinfrontofhim, andherintensitymakesitimpossible forhimtolie.
William, - theweekend - wasmost refresh - ing.- Madam. -
I'llhaveOstwick - bringthecoach.
Mister
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ies
inaway no purely - mortal - lipsor brains cando.
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Toseethe diff'rence - engine. - Iwouldvery - muchlike toknowyourimpres - sion.- If
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cangojust as far as I like. Itmust be grati - fied.
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Thesame.Evening,aweeklater.Williamprodsatthefirewithapoker. Enterasuperciliousbutler.
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Hmph Nonsense. - Aman'shearthishiscastle - andwhatnot.Sir, pleaseletme tendtothefire.
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Harri - et- Beecher - Stowe. ButwhereisA da? -
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heismanic. - Without - hischild,hedespairs. Butnoneofthisis true.
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She doesn't - desert - him. Sheruns away - fromhim.
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Missus - Stowe. Mywife has livedwith
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Bbbbbb ?bbbbb
time it fades.
But the Widow - Byron - liveson, condemned: - awretch,anicy
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&bbbbb
& ‹ bbbbb
&bbbbb
?bbbbb &bbbbb 3 &bbbbb 3 Bbbbbb
?bbbbb
AsI'msure youhave writ ten.
Iwillgo.
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&bbbbb
&bbbbb ?bbbbb &bbbbb &bbbbb Bbbbbb ?bbbbb
Youmusthavefaith inthetruth.
Shegoesout.
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Williamcontemplatesthehummingbird.
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Vla.
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Vla. Vc.
Vc. Ada - hasyoure ner- gy.- Ada - hasyourspeed. A da- hasyourwill. Don'tyouever -
&bbb
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Vla.
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& ‹ bbb &bbb ?bbb &bbb &bbb Bbbb ?bbb & ‹ bbb &bbb ?bbb &bbb
&bbb
Bbbb
?bbb
she always - hassomenewpassion. - Someconceit. - Somefa sci- na- tion.- That'swhatmakesher A da. -
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Vla.
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&bbb ?bbb &bbb &bbb Bbbb ?bbb & ‹ bbb &bbb ?bbb &bbb &bbb Bbbb ?bbb
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q=100Z
& ‹ bbb Itisnowquitedark. Thebutlercrosseswithaletter-tray.
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Williamsnatchestheletter, unawarethatAdais enteringtheroom.
cient
ly.
Doyouknow well. I mf saidsheisunwell.
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Shealways
Babbage
letters.
Ihavespentfiveeighthsofmylifein bed? Isthatforme?
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Hegoes,leavingtheletter-traybehind.
butyou are.
Ihavebroughtthisonmyself.
sto len.- It'sme he trusts. Hemerely - wantsitsafe. Lockedinside - mymind. Notforother -
D1
no f one Quasiparlando elsewouldunder - stand.- Thosewagging - tongues.Thosebusy - eyes. They subitop won'tseeourwork.
f subitop
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Theywon'tseeour genius. - Theywon'tseeacrea - tion- thatcouldchangetheworld. Theywill seeasecret - letter - toa
askme? Whathelp does he need? Whatmissing - piececanonly - I provide? -
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AlaboratoryinBabbage’shomeinLondon.Babbageistinkeringwithaveryelaborate contraption—amodelofoneofhiscalculatingengines.Adastandsholdingtheletter.
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knowthat, andyou knowthat. Butsadly, - MisterBabbage, - theworld isfull of gossips - andmisper - cei- vers.-
thumbplacedontheaxis
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ev'ry - thing- mustmovethespe cies- forward.
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last. Onemaybecalledtobea genius. - Butre fuse- thecall.
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Surrey.Williamissunkdeeplyinachairwherehehasbeenforalongtime. Thenannystandsnearby.
So couldyoutellthem that? It'sbeen amonth. The
stand.
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Afigureappearsinthegarden.She approaches.ItisAda,muffledfora coldnight.Sheenterstheroomand unwrapsherouterlayers.
Thenannyexits.
Iwasaccost - ed- inthestreet. Awoman - knewme. "Youaban - doned- yourchildren! - Toseekfame!
Justlikethatghastly - Harri
et
Beecher - Stowe!" Perhaps - Ishallgrowusedtoit.
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OhWilliam,father - cansucceed - at any - thing.- Afather - canraise children. - Afather - canlivewithout - love.
Youneedn't - giveitup. I
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Vc. No, Imustbeeither - hereorthere. Icannot - shuttle - backandforth between - twohouses, - two spokeinanger. -
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fa ther."- I
wouldrather - liveseques - tered- withthe work.
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Vc. like. Insuchpursuits. - Iamyoural ly. - Be mine. Be like. Insuchpursuits. - Iamyoural ly. - Be mine. Be
ous
toknow.
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