MacRae REMEMBRANCE DAY

Stuart MacRae REMEMBRANCE DAY (2008)

An Opera in One Act

Vocal Score Libretto by

Louise Welsh Piano reduction by

Michael McCartney

NOVELLO

Commissioned by Scottish Opera as part of Five:15 Operas Made in Scotland, February 2009 Sponsored by Accenture With major support from the Binks Trust, The Scottish Opera Endowment Trust and Oran Mor

PREMIERE 20 February 2009 Oran Mor, Glasgow Scottish Opera

DRAMATIS PERSONÆ Douglas Grieve, an elderly man with dementia Frances Grieve, an elderly woman, Douglas’s wife Lyn, a young woman, and the Grieves’ cleaner

Baritone Contralto Soprano

INSTRUMENTATION Flute Oboe Clarinet in B-flat Contrabassoon Percussion (1 player) Bass drum Snare drum Kick drum Hi-hat Tam-tam (plus triangle beater) Gong Woodblock Piano / Harmonium Harp 2 Violins Viola Violoncello Contrabass

DURATION 16 minutes

2 Temple blocks 2 Log drums 2 Bongos (high, low) Glockenspiel (or Crotales) Chic cymbal Chinese cymbal Suspended cymbal

REMEMBRANCE DAY Libretto: Louise Welsh

Music: Stuart MacRae

Introduction [Douglas sits alone downstage, dozing in an armchair. Also on stage are a second = ca.50

armchair, an old record player, a cheval mirror and an old scrap book.]

Ob.

3

doloroso

3

Scene 1

A

5

Fl.

[Lyn and Frances enter together. Lyn is dressed in jeans, T-shirt and the kind of tabard favoured by domestic cleaners and home helps.

Frances is fitter than her husband, but walks with a stick.] giusto

poco

poco

5

sim.

5

5

5

slightly detached (non legato)

8

B

FRANCES

This

5

5

5

3

Copyright Š 2008 Novello & Co. Ltd.

imperiously

5

room

needs

a

2

12 3

3

3

x

F. good

x

dust ing.

Don’t 3

mind

my

hus

band.

3

3

14

[Frances hands Lyn a duster and polish then exits.]

with dark irony 3

C

[Lyn plugs herself into her iPod and begins to clean the room, giving Douglas a wide berth and moving to music we can’t hear.]

Scherzando

= ca.90

F. He sleeps

like

the dead.

3

6

3

leggero innocently; singing as if no-one else can hear

17

LYN

3

(wordless) Fl.

3

3

3

6

poco 3

3

3 3

3

8va

5

3

21 L. (wordless)

(bap

ba

du ru rup

du ru

(loco)

5 Temple block

D

26 L. )

3

5

3

3

5

[Old Douglas stirs in his chair.

Lyn stops. Her iPod is dead.]

29 L. (bap

bee)

(wordless) 8va

3

3

3

pi첫

3

3

3

E [She taps her iPod resignedly]

33

Oh!

[She continues to clean.]

Blood y thing!

3

Woodblock

5

3

3 3

3

3

4

38

thinking out loud

3

3

3

L. What

a dump.

No

3

di o.

3

3

3

ra

poco

3 3

42

3

3

3

stringendo

3

A tempo

L. No

mus ic.

Just dust,

dust,

dust.

giocoso

3

7

5

ossia:

46

air.

F

Yuck!

L. Old peo ple’sshed skin,

dead skin

clog ging the

air.

Yuck!

3

3

3

50

3

espr., aspirational

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

L. I’m

long

ing

to 3

Fl.

be

on my

way

to

u

ni

ver

5

G Poco pi첫 mosso

54

3

pi첫

3

L. si ty

All

3

58 L. night

par

ties

5

62

6

A tempo cheekily

3

triumphantly

= ca.90

3

L. full of

pos

si

bil

i ties.

New

5

6

3 3

66

ten.

H

5

Held back a little A tempo uncertain

3

( = ca.90)

dreamily

L. friends.

I 5

ten.

hope I make friends.

And

a

smoothly and sweetly

6

70

3

3

L. boy,

with

dark

hair.

I’ll

break

his

3

3

3

3

Subito più mosso = ca.110 più

75

, cheekily

A tempo

(laughs)

( = ca.90)

3

breve

3

L. heart—

have an af

fair

with a lec

tur

er! breve

Vln. 1

Fl.

5 3

[Lyn kneels down and examines an old record player. She looks at Douglas who is dead to the world, then reads the title on the record.]

I

slightly below tempo, tornando al

slightly below = 90 tempo, tornando al

= 90

78

3

3

3

3 capriccioso

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

Poco meno mosso 81

3

3

3

3

83

7

[She looks towards Douglas again. He doesn’t stir. She puts on the record and an old tune starts up. Lyn begins to sway and resumes her cleaning.

Beyond her view Douglas sits suddenly upright, like Dracula risen from the grave.] (spoken, mock seriously) 3

J

G.P.

confused and slightly off-key 3

DOUGLAS

”The lov ers.”

3

Who is it?

[Pre-recorded music]

G.P.

light and bouncy

più

88 3

x

D. Who’s

x

Fa ther?

there?

[Pre-recorded music continues]

K 92

LYN (aside) 3

Shit.

leggero breezily

rush 3

3

It’s on ly me Mis ter Grieve.

3

Lyn,

3 3

3

the clean ing Las sie.

wistful and lyrical

D. Beau

K

rush

3

3

ti

ful

8

95

[ He stretches out a hand to stroke her hair. Lyn laughs, she’s used to receiving compliments and is out of his reach in every way. She ignores his words and carries on cleaning and dreaming of her future.]

[ Douglas holds his raised hand in the air, looking at it in wonder. ] disbelieving

[Lyn laughs gently.]

D. hair.

These hands.

3

3 5 5

3

3

playfully, in her own world

98 L.

I’ll

D. These

old

and wrin

kled

hands.

[Pre-recorded music]

Cb.

5

101

L

3

be

an

e

3

3

nig

ma.

3

The

girl

who says

Vln.

3 3

9

103

3

3

3

L. no thing.

DOUGLAS

piĂš

indignant

Not

mine

My

hands

are young

The girl

3

3

and

who’s

strong.

3 3

106

3

3

L. clev

er

and

cut ting.

D. They

touch

your

hair,

stroke

your

cheek,

Cl.

109 . L The D. trace

your

jaw,

down

to

3

8ba

your

neck.

girl

they

10

112

M

5

5

L. all

re

mem

ber. slightly angry, confused 3

D. Who

Pno./Vln.

114

3

3

3

5

took

3

3

3

D. my

hands?

Who

shriv elled

my

flesh?

8va

Fl.

cantabile

Slower

= ca.80 hopefully and dreamily 116 LYN

N

3

They’ll al

ways re mem

Lento (meno mosso) = ca.60

ber. realising something

D. 8va

He

re mem

bers.

3

una corda col Ped.

11 alternately playful and seductive

120

I’ll have to stud y

bor

3

ing books,

3

3

cast

ing

3

3

Fl.

looks

3

tre corde

dolce

122

5

O

3

3

L. a cross the li

brar y

and

then he’ll

see

me.

falsetto or half-voice remembering the past 3

DOUGLAS

A

doll.

3

più espr.

125 D. pret ty

lit tle

doll

with

long

Cb. (pizz.)

hair

so

3 3

soft.

A

12

131

piĂš

D. She

wore

a

blue

dress.

And un der

neath

she was

8va

poco 3

3

135

more resolute

D. pink

and

per fect.

Per fect

pink.

But a

doll

is just

a

8va Vln.

3

3

140

Q

LYN

And

D. doll,

and

a

real

girl

is

ev’

ry

thing.

8va

3

3

3

13 3

144

5

5

L. though my eyes drop to my book

we’ll

both know

the fi

nal chap ter. cantabile

D. Like 8va

loco

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

(loco)

3

3

3

3

146

more energised

3

D. a

er

hunt

like

a

lov

er

he

spied

his 3

3 3

148

3

3

D. prayer

slip ping

by.

Her

se

3

espr.

Cb./Cbsn.

3

cret

hus

band

14

150

rather darkly

meno

D. saw

her

pas

sing,

saw

send

her

a

val

en tine

8ba

R Tempo precendente

= 60 darkly, as if in a trance

Meno mosso

153

3

3

3

D. with her

eyes.

And

3

knew then

what she

3 3

3

155

he

Meno mosso

3 3

3

3

D. want ed,

how to make her

tru

ly

his.

How

to bend her.

8va Glock./Vln.

3

158

3

Adagio

How 8va

to

break

her.

How

to

make

her

tru

ly

15

161

[Douglas gets to his feet and takes a step towards Lyn who has her back to him.] playfully Meno mosso LYN

= ca.60

He’ll be mine,

and I’ll be his,

tru

ly

his.

D. his.

Meno mosso

= ca.60

3

3

3 3

3

3

3

3

3

una corda Hp.

sonore

164

S Scene 2

accel. molto

S Scene 2

accel. molto

L.

Adagio 168

[ Frances puts Douglas back in his chair. ]

= ca.50

FRANCES scolding

Don’t you know

3

not to

touch things that

are

n’t yours?

3

Adagio

= ca.50

16

172

(To Lyn) 3

3

3

3

F. That’sa way

to lose

your fin

gers.

dreamily (to Lyn)

DOUGLAS

ti

Beau

ful

hair.

3

3

dim.

174

3

T Lento

3

espr. = ca.60 noble

5

F. I

cut mine

short

like

a

vir

gin war ri

or

Strings (harmonics)

3

3

molto

178 F. like a man,

like

a

wo

man

for

bound

8va

3

3

the

gal

17

185

LYN

poco

spoken

Meno mosso (recit.)

I should go.

recit.

3

3

F. warmly

lows.

Fin ish what you start ed.

When you’re

Str.

[Lyn begins to hurry through her tasks. Frances fusses round her husband, settling him back in his chair, plumping his cushions, adjusting his blanket.]

186

in tempo

U Allegretto

= ca.60

3

5

= ca.80 tenderly but firmly (to Douglas) 3

F. done

we’llpay you well.

Mus Ob.

ic

is

for

when

capriccioso

3

5

3

3 3

3 3

poco

3

189

3

we’re

to geth er,

when

it’s

time

to

re

cantabile 5

5

3

cantabile

3

3

18

Poco meno mosso

191

= ca.70

F. mem

ber

all

that

we’ve

lived. irritated and confused DOUGLAS x

x x

x

Go a way.

Old

Poco meno mosso = ca.70 3

(Ob.)

3

3

5 5

3

3

194

Allegretto

= ca.80

3

F. Can

you

re mem

ber

3

D.

x

x

x

x

wo man.

Allegretto

= ca.80

cantabile

3

3 3

3

3

3

3

3

19

196

3

3

rall. molto

3

( = 50)

F. how

it

used

to be?

Our

3

drives

in the coun try side?

3

3

5 5

3 3

5

5

198

V

arco

3

5

= ca.70 appassionato grandly

3

F. We

trav elled

all

of Eu

rope.

5

5

3

ders

could hold

us,

5

Adagio

Meno mosso = ca.60

200 breve meno

No bor

3

= ca.50 teneramente

←

=

→

←

=

→

F. we knew no bound a ries, breve

breve

no lim its.

I

loved

you,

teneramente

and you espr.

loved

20

203

W Allegro

= ca.150

F. me.

DOUGLAS

more spoken than sung 3

x

x

x

Leave

x

x

me a

lone! poco

poco

poco

Cl.

207

3

more spoken than sung x

D. sim.

x

You’re not

3

x

x

x

x

worth

the

ef fort

x

x

x

of

a

x

x

x

x

kick

in

the head!

5

[Lyn gives Francis a sympathetic look.]

210

rit.

A tempo

X ←

= 100

slightly defensive (to Lyn)

= →

F. sung D.

3

x Old

If

(come prima)

x

wo man! ←

= →

you

had

21 con rubato

214

7:6

F. seen

him when he was young.

He

was a match for an y man.

Wo poco

poco

poco poco

3

217

3

Meno mosso

3

= ca.90

F. men a dored

him,

and

he

knew how

to

Harm.

Ob.

3

espr.

3 3

220

accel.

F. treat

them.

Vlns. (trem.)

3

cresc.

Fl.

3 3

Ob.

3

cresc.

cresc.

22 = ca.120 5

3

224

3

3

3 5

sub.

226

Y Scene 3

Allegro

= ca.144

spoken

LYN

(to Lyn) DOUGLAS

3

Get lost.

3

Play the mus

3

3

ic

a gain.

Fl., Ob.

3

3

3 Vla, Vlc. (pizz.)

3 3

230

Andante

= ca.80

softly and seriously 3

3

3

D. There is some thing I must re mem ber,

Cl., Vla. (arco)

Fl., Cl.

3

3

3

3

3

3 Vlc., Cb. (arco)

3

3

23

Sostenuto

PiĂš mosso

= ca.60 3

234

Z

3

= ca.72

freely

3 3

D. some thing

3

beau

ti ful.

Please

3

ic.

molto

5

3

3

play the mus

3

237

(ossia: spoken) 3

LYN

I must n’t.

5

D. A

love

so

beau

ti

ful

lurks

in

my

Vc., Cb. (pizz.)

molto

240

poco rit.

5

( = ca.50)

D. mem

o

ry.

Shin

ing

eyes,

shin

ing 3

sim.

Vlc., Cb. (arco)

24

Sostenuto = ca.60

243 D.

hair.

Fl. (Solo)

3 (G)

(C )

[Lyn puts on the record, the music starts up again.]

246

G.P.

LYN

3

3

Aa Scene 4

G.P.

You’llbe the death of me.

G.P.

(Pre-recorded music)

etc.

[ Douglas raises his hands in front of his face and stares at them. ]

Lento con moto

249

DOUGLAS

= ca.60+ stronger, with feeling

He pesante

Ob.

3

re mem bers

3

the first

3

time.

The

25 innocently, misunderstanding Douglas’ meaning

252

3

LYN

First

3

love

is the sweet est,

D. best

time and the worst time.

3

3 3

poco

Fl. (Solo)

3

5

256

3

Bb

3

L. so

they

say.

D. He hid in shade of the li

poco stringendo 258

3

Strings (trem.)

pesante

appassionato 3

3

3

L. Lov

ers

are

sly,

lov

D. lac

tree.

5 Fl., Ob., Cl.

5

26

= ca.69 3

260 L.

L. ers

are

shame

5

less.

3

3

3

3

5

Cc 262

slightly fevered and quite powerful

DOUGLAS

And

she

when

came

close

pesante

3

5

5

5

5

3

cresc. poco a poco

cresc.

3

263

3

D. he

caught

her

round

the

neck

and 3

5 3

(cresc. poco a poco) 3

5

27

264

LYN

No!

3

5

D. cut

Ru

her throat.

bies fell

from her,

3

5

5

3

Ob.

3

3

5

3

cresc.

5 3

266

bright

er

than blood,

bright

er

3

than

her

hair

caught in the

dim.

accel. molto 268

5

3

3

5

3

D. sun

light

caught in

his

jew elled

hands.

poco

stacc.

poco

Fl.

cresc.

3 3

28

Dd

270

Allegro

= ca.120

agitated

freely

LYN He’s

de men

ted.

He’s

lost

Fl., Ob.

3 Cl.

3

272

[ Douglas waves towards the scrapbook. ]

L. the plot.

marcato, agitato

DOUGLAS

me

Pass 3

Fl., Cl.

3

Fl., Ob., Cl.

my

Vlns.

3

Vlns.

Ob. Strings

274

cresc.

cresc.

D. my

book,

al

bum,

Fl., Cl.

sempre stacc.

3 5

3

3 3

3

my

mem

o

29

Ee

276

LYN

agitated but decisive

Nas

ty old

man.

D. ries.

8va

Fl., Cl. Vlns.

5

Fl., Cl.

3

3

3

3

278

pi첫 leggero 3

3

playful

3

L. I

sup pose

he was young once,

like

me.

I

8va

3

3

Meno mosso (pi첫 pesante)

281

3

= ca.110

3

3

L. won der

if

he

was

hand

some.

5 5

30

284

Tempo precedente

Ff

= ca.120 [She opens the book.]

bemused, slightly shocked

L. No

to graphs,

pho

3

6

6 6

dim.

cresc.

8

3

286

3

L. just

hair,

hanks

of

sempre stacc.

3

3

cresc.

dim.

3 3

288

with a mounting sense of panic

L. hair,

each 5

5 5

3

3

3

3 3

3

3

3

one

tied

with

31

290 L. rib bon.

Red

Hor rid!

(non stacc.)

5

5

3

3

cresc.

cresc.

3

3

3

3 3

3 3

3

3

292

Gg

[She looks closer.]

Ww. 3

Strings

3

5 Pf.

5

col Pedale

32

295

panic-stricken, horrified 5

3

3

5

What the fuck is that?

Some thing dried,

3

some thing dead.

God in

Heav en.

Flesh!

Fl., Cl.

cresc.

8va

8va

(loco)

298

3

Hh

3

[Lyn screams loudly and drops the book, Frances enters.]

L. Skin

and flesh!

Fl., Cl.

5

Fl., Ob., Cl.

6

7

5

5

5

33 [Lyn scrabbles in her pocket for her cell phone. The battery is dead.

She throws it down in frustration and heads for the door.]

Fl., Cl.

301 6

5

5

Ob., Strings

3 5

3

5

3

3

[ Douglas struggles to his feet and reaches towards her. ]

303 6

5

5

5

5

5

6

3

[Lyn pushes him and he falls. She looks back for just a moment.]

305

Fl., Cl.

5

3

5 6

5 8ba

6

cresc.

8ba

5

34 [Frances hits her across the head with her walking stick. Lyn staggers and then collapses.]

307 5

3

5

5

3

3

8ba 8ba

Ii

309 3

3

3

3 3

3 3

3 3

3

3

[Frances helps her husband to his feet and back into his chair. She reaches into her pocket and takes out a sharp knife.]

[Frances hits her again and the girl is spark out.]

(Pre-recorded music)

316

repeat ad lib.

313 Lento

= ca.60 etc.

Jj Con moto FRANCES

= ca.90

tenderly, comforting (to Douglas)

Re

mem ber

how

we trav

3

elled?

35

321

3

3

3

3

F. No bor

ders could hold

us.

There were no

bound a ries,

Kk

325

no

Slower, pesante = ca.72

F. lim

irritated and confused DOUGLAS

its.

x

x

Old

wo man.

I

(ossia: spoken)

x

x

x x

Ug

ly old

x whore.

Ob.

rall.

329

brought you

espr.

Lento

3

= ca.60

espr.

F. pres

ents

to

make

you

hap

py.

I

3

3

Strings

loved

36 [ She moves the mirror so that she will be able to see Douglas reflected in it when she sits in the second armchair. ]

332 F. you,

and you

loved

cantankerously, but no longer confused

me.

DOUGLAS

3

3

Not worth blunt ing a blade on.

Ob., Cl.

detached

336

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

D. Not worth cut ting a rope.

Not worth the price

of a bul let,

Ll

338

the ef fort

of a

[Frances laboriously begins to drag Lyn across the floor to within easy easy reach of her husband.] freely – semplice, remembering the past

F. dolce

I

ten.

3

D. kick in the head.

Old

wo man!

Ll

espr.

Harp

5

Harmonium

(+8vb)

3

37 held back

342

3 3

3

F. watched

in

the mir

ror.

Felt it was me

who did the kil ling, and the 3

3 (+8va)

5

a tempo

345

trenchantly 3

3

F. dy

My

ing.

Harp

6

blood 3

Ob.

on

the

floor,

veloce 3

(begin grace-notes immediately)

3

347 3

3

[She hands her husband the knife.]

coaxingly

F. my hand (Ob.)

on the knife.

veloce sim.

Is

he

here

yet?

38

[Douglas seems to come to, he gets to his feet.]

351

mosso Mm Pi첫= ca.66

espr.

F. Are you with

me

my

strongly, like a man half his age DOUGLAS

love?

He

is

Bass drum

(+8va)

356 D. here.

He

is

strong.

3

molto

3

Strings

[Frances smiles and settles herself on the armchair, ready to watch proceedings in the mirror.]

360 D. He

re

mem

bers. *

Strings

*

(+8vb)

365

Meno mosso = ca.56

freely, tenderly

LIGHTS OUT

D. She has beau

ti ful

hair.

Bass drum

3

* The strings glissando (trem.) smoothly over 3 bars. The intermediate pitches given here are only approximations.