Joo

MacDowell

A Trilogy
very short operas
for the Twitter Age
2
 3

Composers' Notes

I had a conversation with a marketing specialist.

She told me about contemporary attention span and the ideal efciency
of our times: to convey a message in 20 seconds.

I did some research into extremely short stories.

The most famous example is attributed to Hemmingway:

"For sale: baby shoes. Never worn."

As touching as it is concise.

There is a whole genre that grew out of this premisse. The second opera of
the series pays a tribute to this "6 word novel" scene.

I gave myself some freedom with the concept of time. The rst
opera can be performed in 20 seconds, the second is divided into
two "20 second acts," allowing for the slow tempo,
and the third is likely to last about 30 seconds.

Each orchestral score is within a two page limit. Text is always under
40 words in lengh.

Brecht and Weil also wrote the "Three Penny Opera" but that's something
entirely different.

Enjoy.
4

Instrumentation:

2 utes
2 oboes
2 clarinets in Bb
2 bassoons

2 horns
2 trumpets in C
2 trombones

timpani

violins I,II
violas
cellos
basses

(Digital instruments may be used)

 5

Dramatis Personae:

1. Life: 2. Death: 3. Hope:

Angela - Soprano Anne - Soprano Johanna - Soprano

Kate - Mezzo-Soprano Mary - Mezzo-Soprano Daughter: Mezzo-Soprano
Tim - Tenor Mourners - Chorus SATB Costumers - Chorus - SATB
Paul - Baritone
Crowd - Chorus SATB

Libretti:

1. Life 2. Death 3. Hope

- 20 sec. - 40 sec. (2 acts) - 30 sec.

I have been trampled I found my mothers suicide note. My father was buried
I've been crumbled No owers, no funeral, no nothing. on the morning of a sunny day.
Ive been scorned
Ive had to ght. That night,
when the rain came
Ive been left my daughter was born.
I have regrets
And I often
need to cry.

Life is a mess
And then you die.
6 A Trilogy
A Trilogy - Full Score

1. Life
for Alexandra Filipe
Scene at a bar.
Joo MacDowell

Allegro q=120 b .
2 J
Flutes & 4
f

.
2 j . b b b
Oboes & 4 J J
f f

j .
#2 j
n b n
Clarinets in Bb & # 4 .
J

f f

? 2 .
Bassoons 4 b
J
f

#2 j j
Horns in F & 4 b <n>.
f

2 b b.
Trumpet in C & 4 J J
f

? 2 bb b<n>.
Trombone
4 J J
f

? 2 j j
Timpani
4
f

Angela f
2 bJ b b
Soprano & 4
I've had to ght

Kate f
Mezzo
2
& 4 b
I've been scorned

Tim f sfz sfz

2 j b
Tenor & 4
I've been trum-pled I've been left

? 2 Paul
f
# b b
Baritone
4 J J
I've been crum-bled I have re -

Allegro q=120
2 . pizz.
j j
Violin I & 4 J
#
j b
f

pizz.
Violin II
2 j
& 4 . j j j
J # b n b
f

. pizz.
j
Viola B 42 J J #j j
# b b n b b
f f 3

arco
pizz. pizz. 3
Violoncello
? 2
4 . j
J
j b j

j b b
f f f

pizz. pizz. 3
arco
Contrabass

? 2
4 . j
J
j b j

j
b b
f f f
 7

U Presto q=160 >.

> > #>
10
J
Fl. &
ff
U > > > >.

Ob. & J
ff
U > > > >.
#
J

Cl. &#
ff

U
j > > >.
Bsn.
? #
>
ff
>
#
j j j j .U
Hn. &
. . .
p ff
f

>U
.

j
. . J
.
J
C Tpt. & J
p f ff

>U
.
. . .
Tbn.

? J J J J
f ff
p

? j j j j
Timp.

p f

U



p

ff

J .
S. &
And I of - ten need to cry Life is a mess. and then you die.

ff
p U

M-S. & b # .
J
And I of - ten need to cry Life is a mess. and then you die.

p ff U

T. & r
j J .
I had to I had to ght Life is a mess. and then you die.

pr ff U
Bar.
? j .
J
grets I had to I had to ght Life is a mess. and then you die.

p
ff U j
& S.
A.
j




.
I need to cry. Life is a mess. and then you die.
Chr.
p ff
U
.
? T.
J
B. J
I need to cry. Life is a mess. and then you die.

Presto q=160
arco

ff
U > >. #>. >.
Vln. I & b J J J J J J J
p
U
arco ff
> >. >. >.
Vln. II & b J
J J J J J J
p

arco ff U > >. >. >.

B J J J J
Vla. J J J
p

ff U
arco j j j
Vc.
? j
j
j j .
> > >. >.
p

arco
ff U
? j j j j j j .
Cb.
b p j > > >.
>.
8

2. Death
Scene at a Wake, closed casket at center. for Hellskitchen Anne

Adagio q=60 attacca

1 # n b b
4 ACT I # 3
Flutes & 4 4
pp p

b
4 # n 3
Oboes & 4 # 4
p
pp

#4 a2 b n
& #4 # # n
3
Clarinets in Bb 4
pp p

a2
w
? 4
b # bb <n><n>
3 b b b
Bassoons
4 4
p
pp

a2
#4 n . 3
Horns in F & 4 w n # nb <n># 4
pp
J J J
p

4
& 4 . 3
Trumpet in C
J J J 4
p

? 4

. 3 j b bb
Trombone
4 J J J 4 b
p p

? 4 3
Timpani
4 4

p

ACT I Anne p
4 b j 3
Soprano & 4 4
I found my mo - ther's su - i - cide note

4
& 4 3
Mezzo 4

Mourners
pp
4
& 4 S. # 3
A. w # # 4 <n>
w
Ah... Ah... Ah...
Chorus
pp
w
# # 3

? 4
4 T.
B.
w 4 <n>
Ah... p
Ah... Ah...

Adagio q=60 attacca

4 wcon sord.
senza sord.
3
Violin I & 4 b 4
pp p

senza sord.
4 con sord.
w 3 b
Violin II & 4 # 4 b
pp p

B 44
con sord.
w b
senza sord.
# n 3 b
Viola # 4
pp p

? 4 # n
j
43 b j b
Violoncello 4 J J J J J J b
pp p

Contrabass

? 4
4
J

J

J
#
J
n
j
43 b
J j
b b

pp p
J
 9

ACT II U
>.
7
4 <n>
Fl. & 4
f pp
>.
U
4
Ob. & 4 #
f
pp
>. U
## 4 <#> j
Cl. & 4
f mf f p pp
>.
U
? 4 #
Bsn.
4
f # pp

#4
Hn. & 4

C Tpt.
4
& 4

f
. j j j j
? 4 #
Tbn.
4 #

mf p pp
f

? 4
Timp. 4

p

mf mp mf

ACT II
4
S. & 4

Mary (Ghost)

4
f p U
M-S. & 4
No ow - ers no fune - rall no no - thing.

mf
mf mp
4
& 4
.
Ah... Ah...
Chr.
mp mf
mf
.
? 4
4
Ah... Ah...

4 . U pizz.

Vln. I & 4
f mf f p
pp

4 . U pizz.
Vln. II & 4

f pp p
mf f

<n> . U pizz.
Vla. B 44 <n>
f mf pp p
f

U pizz.
? 4 . #
Vc. 4 J J J J J J J J p
f mf f pp

? 4 . U pizz.
Cb.
4
J

J

J

J
J

J #
J J pp p
f mf f
10

3. Hope
for Johanna Wilson

Scene at Beauty Salon

Andante q=90 b b
1
b
Flutes
4
& 4 bJ J

J
p

<n>
b j j
Oboes
4
& 4 bb b b

J
p

# 4 j j n
Clarinets in Bb & # 4 n bn b
J n # <n> n n n j
n
j
n p
pp

j
Bassoons
? 4
4 bb #

pp b J

# 4
Horns in F & 4w w b #
w w
pp

j
Trumpet in C
4
& 4 b b b
b j j
p

? 4
Trombone
4

? 4
Timpani
4 pp b n
p

Johanna mf f
p
Soprano
4
& 4 J J b b
J J # j
J b
My fa-ther was bur-ried on the mor -ning of a sun-ny day

Mezzo
4
& 4

Costumers and servers p

4 b
& 4 b #.
Ah... Ah...
Chorus
p

? 4
Costumers and servers bb ##. b

b


4
Ah... Ah...

Andante q=90
arco
4 pizz. j
Violin I & 4 b b b # n b bj b
p J b p

pizz. arco
4 b j <n>j n b
Violin II & 4




b b
#

j b
b
p
p

pizz. arco

Viola B 44 b b b # # <n> n j b
p
J J p

arco
b
Violoncello
? 4
4 j b b b b #<n> #
# <n> b
p

arco
? 4
pizz.
<n> b b
Contrabass
4 b b b
# # #
p
 11

b
8 # n <n> b <n> b

b
J
b b ##n# n <n> # b b
Fl. &
J
mf f

j <n> b
Ob. & b n # n # <n>. b bb
n
# ## b <n> b
J p
J
pp mf f

# j j <#> b n b

Cl. & # b
n
n


n #<#> # n b
b f
mf

b # <n>
Bsn.
? #
b bb

f

# j b j

<n>
Hn. & b
. . .
pp mf

& j b

C Tpt.

? # n
Tbn.

pp
.

?
Timp.
b
# n b b
pp mf f

p mf f
j J b b b w b b
S. & #w J
ah...
that night when the rain came my daugh-ter was born.

Daughter
b
M-S. &
ah...

f
mf -
. bYY w.
& b bw b


b
ah...
shhhhh uh ah...
Chr.
f
. mf
b YY -.
bw
?
w
b bb

ah...
shhhhh uh ah...

# n b <n> b
b b b # # n <n> #
Vln. I & b # # J
pp p
mf f

b b <n> b
&
j
b # n# #
Vln. II # b
p f
pp mf

b b b <n> b
B b b # n
Vla. n
p
J b b # # n <n>#
pp mf f

? j b <n> b b b b
Vc.
b
n b b n # n <n># # n
mf
b b b
f

? j b <n> b J J bw b
Cb.
b b
mf f