Husband and lover. In the Woman’s memory, they are not the same man.

At the close of the previous section of Beyond (Jenseits), the “little night opera” I composed for my mother, the lullaby for her Son transitions to an introduction to the Woman’s Husband. (Catch up on all previous installments on the opera’s homepage.)

Section VIII combines the Woman’s childhood memories of vocal exercises and fantasies of kissing a frog to find her Prince Charming.

Then she sees herself as a ghost watching her husband at home, wondering when he will get the call about her accident. Musings on life’s impermanence are followed by unheard reminders about watering the roses and paying the cleaning woman.

Pulsing piano chords of a steady and stultifying nature are momentarily interrupted by slashing dissonances, but the shock quickly adjusts back to the steady routine.

In the end of Section VIII the Woman sings the fear motif, which transitions to the baroque melody of her rehearsal with the Conductor. Section IX.

This time the flirt between the two has progressed into a full blown affair.

Climaxing in a musical orgasm:

After which the Woman feels herself whisked back to the steady metronome of life with the Husband.

Whom we now hear quote passages from German jurisprudence (To properly translate these texts into English I went to Bryant Library to find New York State law books and look up equivilent passages in US jurisprudence). Apparently je is a lawyer. Whenever we hear him speak, he is quoting from the law.

Perhaps these quotes are a reflection of the Woman’s guilty conscience over the affair.

Section XI ties these competing scenarios together in an aria about longing: “Sehnsucht” in German, a beautiful word – literally “yearning addiction” – that is just so much more potent and resonating than English’s more simple “longing” or “yearning”.

All four of these sections flow together so closely that in the English language concert version they are all presented in one uninterrupted track.

The German studio recording keeps each section separate.

VIII, IX, X, XI

English Language Live Concert Recording

VIII

German Language Studio Recording

VIII

Childhood memories.

WOMAN
You must kiss him
I don’t want to kiss him

Kissing is yucky
Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah

Splish splash splish splash
And the hideous frog transfigured himself into a sweet Prince Charming

(to Husband) Not until death shall part you

The time has come, have you been told?
Do you think I’m just running late?
Don’t drive so fast, you always said when I left

Life can be fleeting like lightning striking

It falls so fast like a waterfall down the mountain

Remember to water the roses
The tawny tomcat who always comes calling likes canned milk and tuna

In our freezer you’ll find ziplock bags of cherries
I thought I’d bake cherry cobbler
Your favorite kind

The maid comes on Mondays
You’ll have to leave money for her

Your brown suede jacket is at the drycleaners
AH! …ah….

IX

German Language Studio Recording

IX

The Woman and the Conductor. A secret meeting. Passion. Lust.

WOMAN Ah, ah-

CONDUCTOR

The delicately sloping nape of your neck

WOMAN

(aroused) ah-

CONDUCTOR
The colors in your middle range

Yes, molto, molto
Hmm…well rounded high tones

Lentamente…

WOMAN

Oh-

CONDUCTOR

Lentamente…

WOMAN

Ah, ah,

CONDUCTOR

Vivace

WOMAN

Ah, oo,

CONDUCTOR
I lead the way and you fly

WOMAN

Ah, ah,

CONDUCTOR

Crescendo

WOMAN

Ah, ah

CONDUCTOR

Crescendo

WOMAN

Oh, ah, ah

CONDUCTOR

Letting go now…

WOMAN

Ah, ah, ah

CONDUCTOR

I adore you!

WOMAN

Ah…ah…ah…

They climax

AH!

CONDUCTOR

Bella!!

WOMAN
Be greeted O Virgin Maria
Dear unsullied Virgin
Most high and holy of all women

I don’t even know how to pray…

X

German Language Studio Recording

WOMAN
(her thoughts with her Husband) Henry
Remember to water the roses
The tawny tomcat who always comes calling likes canned milk and tuna

CONDUCTOR
When can I see you again?

WOMAN
(pulling away) mm…

CONDUCTOR
She is the woman of my dreams. She has perfect pitch. And the sweetest ass to ever grace the concert halls.

HUSBAND

(mumbling law-speak – he is an attorney)

According to paragraph 27 the facts of this case point to self defense… We are clearly dealing with diminished culpability.

WOMAN
Coffee?

My safety and my well-ordered comfort
My sweet security
My feathered nest

Passion brings you far too much peril, far too much peril

It can crush you, it can break you in two

Last evening’s secretly lapped up lust is quickly cut down

HUSBAND
Every person who suffers detriment, a loss or harm suffered in person or property, from the unlawful act or omission of another may recover from the person in fault a compensation therefore in money which is called damages. Paragraph 1832.

XI

German Language Studio Recording

WOMAN
For there is the longing that never leaves me
I thought that a man could fulfill me
Feed me and still me
But still the longing, it stays

I thought that success could fulfill me
Feed me and still me
But still the longing, it stays

I thought that a family would have fulfilled me

But still the longing, it stays

There’s always the longing
For what I don’t know

CONDUCTOR
Da capo…da capo…piano, pianissimo…dolce…mi amore, bellissima…

HUSBAND
(simultaneously with Conductor) Damages may be awarded in a judicial proceeding for detriment resulting after the commencement thereof, or certain to result in the future.

WOMAN
The spell cannot endure

Unceasingly it will fade

I’m turning around in a daze

Two havens

Higher and lower

Two havens that are enfolding like one being

I can hear it sing inside and outside

The next installment will introduce us to one more major character impersonated by the 1. Angel: the Therapist.