The World Is Round, A Chamber Opera

GERTRUDE STEIN’S THE WORLD IS ROUND (Libretto and Music by Paul Paccione) Voices Narrator: Baritone Rose: Mezzo-Soprano Willie: Tenor Moon Girl: Soprano Chorus of Owls: (SATB: 4-8 vocalists) Instruments Flute Oboe Clarinet Bassoon Violins I Violins II Violas Cellos Double Bass Percussion (Glockenspiel, Triangle, Castanets, Claves, Snare Drum, Wind Chime)

Keyboard (Roland C30: Harpsichord, Celesta, Organ) (Note: All but octave transposing instruments are written at concert pitch.)

Synopsis The World Is Round is a chamber opera (a children’s tale told in song) and is based on a children’s book by the American writer Gertrude Stein (1874-1946). The book consists largely of a blend of unpunctuated, idiosyncratic, poetry and prose arranged into short chapters. Clement Hurd was the illustrator and the text was printed in blue ink on pink paper. The innocence of Stein’s language is reminiscent of the language of nursery rhymes.

The central character is a little girl named Rose (whose favorite color is blue) who climbs a mountain in search of meaning and her own place in a world that is round and filled with wild animals, night skies, spiders, bad dreams, mountain peaks and things that move about in the night. Inspired by the innocence and overwhelming sense of fun and playfulness of Stein’s language, the opera is an exploration of the everlasting moods and wonderments of childhood. Other characters in both the book and the opera include a little boy named Willie, a Chorus of Owls, a Girl in the Moon, a stuffed lion named Billie and a Narrator. In the opera, the narrator acts as a guide through the opera’s four tableaux. The opera is approximately sixty minutes in length and there is no intermission.

Tableaux I: Rose and Willie: Rose and Willie are introduced through song. Rose is very uncertain and confused about who she is and she expresses her concerns in her songs.

Willie, on the other hand, is certain about everything and his songs express his selfconfidence.

Tableaux II: Billie the Lion: Willie gives Rose his newly found stuffed lion, whose name is Billie. Rose worries about wild animals and, in particular, what it is that makes wild animals wild. Eventually, she returns Billie the lion to Willie.

Tableaux III: Rose and the Mountain: Rose resolves to climb to the top of a blue mountain. Once she is there, Rose will sit in her chair and see everything around her more clearly. She takes only a blue garden chair with her on her journey. She travels through the night and hears many strange and scary things moving about in the night.

Rose perseveres and arrives at the mountaintop where she sees a green grass meadow and a rainbow. Rose walks through the rainbow.

Tableaux IV: There. Rose sits in her chair, looks around her and writes in her notebook Gertrude Stein’s immortal phrase “Rose is a Rose is a Rose.” She then sings. But soon she is lonely. She misses Willie. When night falls she sees a searchlight in the distance from the top of another mountain. It is Willie. She calls to Willie and he calls back.

Soon they are reunited and they live together happily ever after.

The World Is Round was first performed on December 11 and 12, 2014 on the campus of Western Illinois University in Macomb, Illinois.

(The text is granted by permission of the Estate of Gertrude Stein, through its Literary Executor, Mr. Stanford Gann, Jr. of Levin and Gann, P.A..)

THE WORLD IS ROUND Based on the book by Gertrude Stein (Libretto and Music by Paul Paccione) Cast Narrator: Baritone Rose: Mezzo-Soprano Willie: Tenor Moon Girl: Soprano Chorus of Owls: (SATB: 4-8 vocalists) Instrumentation Flute Oboe Clarinet Bassoon Violins I Violins II Violas Cellos Double Bass Keyboards (Roland C30: Harpsichord/Celeste/Organ) Percussion (glockenspiel, triangle, claves, wind chimes, castanets)

TABLEAU I: ROSE AND WILLIE 1. Instrumental Prelude (Narrator to the right of the stage – Owls, stage right and left, sit in trees.

There is a mountain in the background.)

Narrator “Tableaux One: Rose and Willie” Once Upon A Time the world was round and you could go on it around and around.

Everywhere there was somewhere and everywhere there they were men women children dogs cows wild pigs little rabbits cats lizards and animals.

That is the way it was.

And then there was Rose.

Rose was her name.

Would she have been Rose if her name had not been Rose and would she have been Rose if she had been a twin.

This was her song.

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2. Rose’s Song (Daylight in a summer garden - enter Rose.)

Rose I am a little girl and my name is Rose, Rose is my name.

Why am I a little girl And why is my name Rose And when am I a little girl And when is my name Rose And where am I a little girl And where is my name Rose And which little girl am I Am I the little girl named Rose which little girl named Rose.

3. Why Am I A Little Girl Rose Why am I a little girl Where am I a little girl When am I a little girl Which little girl am I. Narrator And all this time the world just continued to be round.

(Exit Rose) 4. My Name Is Willie (A moonlit night in the garden - enter Willie.)

Narrator Rose had a cousin named Willie and once he was almost drowned.

Twice he was almost drowned.

That was very exciting.

Each time was very exciting.

Now Willie liked to sing too.

He could only sing in the evening but he did sing in the evening with owls.

Owls (Chorus) Who… who…

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Narrator And every evening Willie sang with owls and these are the songs he sang.

Willie My name is Willie I am not like Rose I would be Willie whatever arose, I would be Willie if Henry was my name I would be Willie always Willie all the same.

Owls Who are you who are you who is Willie.

Solo Soprano and Tenor Owls Is it His it Any eye of an owl is round.

Willie Drowning Forgetting Remembering I am thinking 5. I Willie Narrator So there was a moon and the moon was round.

Not a sound.

(Silence) Just then Willie began to sing.

Willie Once upon a time the world was round The lake was round And I was almost drowned.

Once upon a time nobody sees But I do as I please Run around the world just as I please.

I Willie.

(Moongirl appears at the top of the mountain.)

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6. Willie Is Your Name Moon Girl Willie is your name And Willie is your nature You are a little boy And that is your stature.

Owls Hullo hullo (Exit Moongirl.)

7. I Willie (reprise) Once upon a time the world was round The lake was round And I was almost drowned.

Once upon a time nobody sees But I do as I please Run around the world just as I please.

I Willie.

(Willie stretches out his arms, yawns loudly and exists growning: “Round drowned.”)

8. My What A Sky (A starry night – enter Rose. She looks up at the stars. She holds a glass pen up to the sky.

Drawing imaginary lines in the sky, she connects the stars to one another.)

Narrator Rose did not care about the moon she liked stars.

Rose Oh my What a sky And then the glass pen 9. Little Glass Pen Rose Little glass pen Say when

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Owls When oh when When Then Pen (Exit Rose.)

10. Bread and Butter Narrator All this time Willie was living along Of course he could make a song.

(Willie enters boisterously.)

Willie Bring me bread Bring me butter Bring me cheese And bring me jam Bring me milk And bring me chicken Bring me eggs And a little ham.

(Rose enters to Willie’s surprise.)

11. Will He Again Be Willie Rose and Willie Oh will he again be Willie.

Oh will he be Willie again.

Oh will he again be Willie.

Oh Willie needs Willie to tell them so.

(Lights Out.)

TABLEAU II: BILLIE THE LION (In a child’s room, Rose and Willie play with various stuffed animals.

A bicycle and a blue chair sit in the corner. Two baskets of peaches sit on a table.)

Narrator “Tableaux Two: Billie the Lion.”

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If the world is round would a lion fall off.

If the earth is all round can a lizard fall off it.

If the world is round can wild animals come out of the ground.

12. Round Is Around Willie and Rose Round is around.

Lions and tigers kangaroos and canaries abound.

They are bound to be around.

Why because the world is round And they are always there.

Any little dog is afraid of there.

Chorus Suppose it should rain Suppose it should never be the same.

13. Yellow Peaches (Rose and Willie play tug of war with the baskets of peaches.)

Rose and Willie There were only two baskets of yellow peaches And I have them both (Rose wins the tug of war. Willie reaches down and holds up a stuffed lion.)

Willie The lion is what I choose!

14. If A Cat Is In A Cage Narrator The lion had a name, his color was not blue but he had a name too just as anyone has a name and his name was Billie.

Willie was a boy and Billie was a lion.

(Willie gives the stuffed lion to Rose.)

Rose & Willie If a cat is in a cage Does that make him rage.

If a dog is on a roof

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Does that make him aloof.

Or is there any proof.

Or is there any proof.

If a cat is in a cage Does that make him rage.

If a dog is on a roof Does that make him aloof.

15. Why Are They Wild Rose I wish, I wish I knew Why wild animals are wild.

Why are they wild why why.

Why are they wild oh why.

Owl Chorus If I am wild are you wild.

Rose & Willie (Rose and Willie dance with each other and with Billie.)

Why are they wild.

Oh, why are they wild.

16. Either Or Neither Nor (Willie rides the bicycle in circles around Rose.)

Narrator Either or either or, either there is a lion here or there is no lion here, either or.

Rose & Narrator He is neither here nor there, no lion is here, no lion is there, neither nor, he is neither here nor there.

Rose & Narrator Neither nor, either or.

(Willie gets off the bicycle.)

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17. Oh Willie (A love song) Narrator It is not easy to give a lion away.

Owls What did you say.

Narrator I said it is not easy to give a lion away.

(Rose gives Billie back to Willie.)

Rose (whispering) Billie is going back to Willie.

Willie (questioning) Willie is getting back Billie.

Rose Oh Willie Willie yes there is a lion for you, a brown lion for you a real lion for you.

Dear Willie sweet Willie take back oh take back your lion to you.

Dear Willie sweet Willie there is no blue no lion in blue no blue in lion, Owls neither nor, either or‌.

Rose Because if a lion could be blue I would like a lion to come from you either from or to you.

18. Bringing Billie Back Again Narrator Once upon a time Willie was always there of course he was there that was where Willie was and the lion he had almost forgotten that there had been a lion and he had almost forgotten that it had a name.

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Willie & Rose Bringing Billie back again.

Bringing Billie back..

How could Billie come back..

How if there is no h in how, how could Billie come back, how, how.

Owls How…how…

(Holding hands, Willie and Rose laugh and exit.)

Narrator So that is all there was about Billie the lion and he was never there anymore anywhere neither here nor there neither there nor here, Billie the lion never was anywhere.

The end of Billie the lion.

(Lights Out.)

TABLEAU III: ROSE AND THE MOUNTAIN (The blue mountain appears lit.)

Narrator “Tableaux III: Rose and the Mountain.”

Her name is Rose and blue is her favorite color.

And so Rose would look and see and dreary me the mountains would be blue.

And then one day she saw a mountain near and then it was all clear.

This is the way Rose knew what to say.

Listen.

19. Song of the Mountain Rose When mountains are really true they are blue.

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Owls Mountains are high, up there is a sky, rain is near, mountains are clear, mountains are blue, that is true.

Rose One mountain two mountains three mountains or four when there are mountains there always are more.

Oh dear blue blue just blue, dear blue sweet blue yes blue Dear mountain tall mountain real mountain blue mountain yes mountain high mountain all mountain my mountain, Owls Mountain so high, who cares for the sky.

Yes mountain no mountain yes I will be there..

Yes mountain yes I will be there Rose I will with my chair come climbing and once there mountain once there I will be thinking, Yes there I will put a chair and I will sit on that chair, yes there.

20. Well Shall I Go (Rose carries a blue garden chair. Willie, among the owls, watches over Rose. Moongirl appears at the top of the mountain.)

Narrator All she took was a blue garden chair to go there.

It was a long way to go.

And so

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as she began to go it was early morning you know.

Chorus Well shall I go nobody does like to go nobody does say no.

Rose A hill is a mountain, a cow is a cat, A fever is heating and where is she at.

Willie She is climbing the mountain a chair in her arms, and always around her she is full of alarms.

Moongirl Blackberries are black and blue berries are blue strawberries are red and so are you.

21. A Spider At Night (With the sun just below the horizon, a red horizon appears.)

Narrator It all grew rosy they call it an alpine glow when it does so.

And then she knew yes she had heard it too.

Moongirl & Willie A spider at night is a delight.

A spider in the morning is an awful warning.

22. Is It Rose Or Red (Nighttime descends.)

Rose Is it rose or red.

Is it morning or evening.

Am I awake or am I in bed.

Is it rose or is it red.

If you see the new moon through a window with glass not any trouble will pass

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no it will not.

It is so easy to believe whatever they sqy when you are all alone and so far away.

23. Devil Round (A moonlit starry night.)

Narrator So she went on climbing higher and higher and higher and blinking the stars were blinking.

And there was the moon it was setting a little flat but it was a little round oh dear and it looked as if there was a little girl way up there in the moon.

Rose and Moon Girl Devil round, was he around, around round, round around (Exit Moongirl. Rose goes to sleep.)

24. Anything Can Happen (A moonlit night –- Rose asleep) Narrator Was she awake or did she dream that her cousin Willie heard her scream (Her arm around her chair, Rose awakens from a bad dream, and screams.)

Rose Anything can happen when you’re going up a hill.

And a mountain is so much harder than a hill and still.

How many minutes go around to make a second how many hours go around to make a minute how many days do around to make an hour how many nights go around to make a day Willie (among owls) She never had been lost so how could she be found even if everything did go around and around.

(Rose goes back to sleep)

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25. A Bell Is A Bell (The dawn – an early morning light.)

Narrator Rose wake Rose (Rose wakes from sleeping to the sound of a tinkling bell.)

The dawn comes before the sun, And the dawn is the time to run.

Rose How can you tell if a bell is a bell How can you tell.

TABLEAUX IV: THERE (The sun is shining on a green grass meadow.)

Narrator “Tableaux IV: There.”

Rose (upon seeing the green meadow) Oh! Narrator Once upon a time way back, there were always meadows with grass on them on top of every mountain.

And here way up there was grass and it was going on and on.

26. The Green Grass Meadow: Instrumental Interlude 27. It Is Hard To Go On Narrator Rose did not say oh again she just went on.

Rose (Wearily, Rose carries her chair.)

It is hard to go on when you are nearly there but not near enough to hurry up to get there.

Where oh where is there.

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One two one two one two one two Owls Close your eyes open your eyes and count one two Rose & Chorus of Owls One two one two one two one two 28. A Rainbow: Instrumental Interlude Narrator And sooner than it could be true there she saw something that was not green nor blue it was violet and other colors it was high up as high as the sky it was where she could cry it was a rain-bow (A rainbow appears.)

29. Oh Yes, Oh No Owls Oh yes oh no it was a rain-bow.

High up high as the sky.

Oh yes oh no it was a rainbow.

(Rose walks through the rainbow and arrives at the top of the mountain.)

Narrator And Rose just went right through, she went right through the rainbow and then there she was she was right on top‌ and Rose put the blue chair there and she sat upon the chair.

And Rose was there.

30. Song: Am I Asleep Or Am I Awake Rose sits in the blue chair.)

Narrator She stopped and sat awhile not that she ever got up, she was so pleased with sitting she just sat.

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Rose Yes I can see I’m sitting. (She sighs.)

Yes I can. (Rose wriggles a little in her chair.)

I think.

Am I asleep or am I awake Have I butter or have I cake, Am I here or am I there, Is the chair a bed or is it a chair.

Who is where.

(It begins to get darker and darker.)

31. Song: Rose is Rose Rose I am Rose but I am not rosy All alone and not very cosy I am Rose and while I am Rose Well well Rose is a Rose.

32. Song: Where Is There (A starry night.)

Narrator So she took out her little glass pen and a little blue notebook.

And in her book she wrote.

Rose (Rose writes in her notebook.)

I am Rose my eyes are blue I am Rose and who are you I am Rose and when I sing I am Rose like anything: “Rose is a Rose is a Rose.”

Once upon a time there was a way to stay to stay away, I did not stay away I came away I came away away and I am here and here is there oh where oh where is there oh where where where is there.

Narrator It was getting darker and darker and there was no moon and the world was rounder and rounder.

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And then just then what was it it was a light, a light and oh so bright.

And there it was way off on another hill and it went round and round and it went all around Rose and it was a search light surely it was and surely Will surely he was on another hill and he made the light go round and round.

33. Song: Oh Will, Oh Will (A starry night. A search light circles around Rose - front center stage.)

Rose, Willie & Owls Oh Will oh Will A little boy upon a hill.

A little boy upon a hill He will of will..

Oh Will oh Will.

Chorus Oh Will oh Will oh Will (Willie emerges from the darkness and approaches Rose.)

Rose, Willie and Chorus And I am here and you are there and I am here and here is there And you are there and there is here oh Will of Will on any hill.

Will you Will Oh yes you will Oh Will you Rose Oh yes you will.

Oh will you Rose Rose: Yes! (Rose and Willie hold hands on the top of the world, they raise their arms in triumph and exit.)

Narrator: In the end Rose and Willie turned out not to be cousins, just how nobody knows, and so they married and had children and sang with them and they lived happily ever after and the world just went on being round.

(Exit Narrator) The End

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