SUCCUMBING TO THE SONATA

Characters of the Play:

Schreiber LEIBEK – a blooming composer

CARLA Leibek – his spouse

FRANCES De Lour – Leibeck’s closest acquaintance

LOUIS De Lour – eldest brother of Frances

CELINE De Lour – Louis’ spouse

CORRIN – the Leibek’s house maid

○~
HUMPHERY – a commoner of Austria

BIZEK – another commoner of Austria

VIOLLO – a travelling merchant from Rome

PETRUSHKA – a travelling puppeteer from Russia; also a rival composer

PIERRELUIGI – a commoner of Austria; a frequent church-goer

Commoners, merchants and other miscellaneous folk, including incidental appearances of many famous
(and imfamous) composers of the classical and post-romantic periods.

Loose Synopsis:
In the city of Austria, as the rise of strong composers of the classical period, minority o the musical
department of the city have begun to seek publishing and reproduction of their music. But after scandal
rises from foreign fronts, the purest of potential rears its ugly head in the battle for success.
SURCUMMING TO THE SONATA
1.1 Enter Frances and Louis – Piano on stage, Frances is seated, fiddling.

FRANCES
Why, what fine music I have in mind.
LOUIS
Such pure tone, but yet the melody is not pleasant.
Your mish-mash of chordal isles create a somewhat
Unclear landscape, especially in such a mortalin key.
What key dost thou select?
FRANCES
Aye, but the ugliest of beginnings only create he most
Beauteous offspring. But nevertheless, thy key dost give
A morbid reflection, and depressed I am not.
LOUIS
Uncertain I am of your current state of wellbeing, for
The sudden uprising of so many a composer in the Austrian
City has led to multiple reclines from popular publishers.
All this fuss about characters such as Mozart and Mendelsohn,
Such cliché output, and unbelievable synopses supplied
In the news of their upbringings.
FRANCES
Now, now Louis. Hasty you always were in times of angst,
But yet I feel the same mediocre jealousy of the successful
Men.
LOUIS
And we forget the women, and the children!
FRANCES
And please don’t write me some scale runs. Where’s
The beauty in that? All it proves is the power of
Having strong fingers.
Share a chuckle
LOUIS
O course, but allow us not to discriminate against the future
Of the classical ear. Even if they do bleed for evermore.
Share a heavier chuckle
FRANCES
Sigh the beauty of the unsung song… it has the clearest
Melody without being drowned out by the cackling vibrato
Of the fattest soprano.
Share another chuckle
LOUIS
My dear brother, when did you become so humorous?
It must’ve been that friend of yours, what was his name,
Lievre? Lebhaft?
FRANCES
Leibek, Schreiber Leibek. Quite the composer he is.
Brought down the local Concert Hall with his cantankerous
Concoctions. Including a pipe organ!
LOUIS
Ha, that pile of pipes. Barely a sound comes
Out of those stops these days. Now, continue
Working on your melody if you wish to enhance your
Ability and learn to play a pipe organ. They
May have actually invented one of some merit
By that stage, and one that works…
Pair share a final chuckle; Exeunt
1.2 Enter Leibek and Carla – Leibek sits at a wooden desk,
An array of writing implements and papers are cascaded upon it.
LEIBEK
Now, it is finished.
CARLA
What my darling? What is finished?
LEIBEK
My latest work, the ‘Sonata’. It is just as I
Planned it, with scaled runs, flourishes of
The verily decorated cadence points, and no
My darling I did not seek the impression of Bach’s
Music, a more Leibek touch has been added to the
Formula this time.
Overjoyed, they embrace
CARLA
Ah, such sweet music will peel from the Pianoforte this evening,
Shall I invite the De Lours round for the evening. I’m
Sure Frances would adore it so.
LEIBEK
Perhaps, or should he listen he may snatch it from my
Mind, entwining it through his music. And some day,
People may see me as a plagiarist due to him being one year
My senior.
CARLA
What worry’s you have of a dampened flame,
For we both know the talent it amplified in
Greater volumes from you rather than Frances.
His music has a discordant remorse hidden amongst it,
And my guessing is that it was from the recent
Passing of his dear mother, Felice.
LEIBEK
Yes, right you may be, but no chance shall be taken
For the premier eve of the ‘Sonata’. I will play it clearly,
For you and myself to hear only. A commoner’s ear may
Hear it, but never shall they know it’s origin.
CARLA (with a tender sorrow)
Very well, no gathering shall be held
Tonight, but soon. I assure you that.
LEIBEK
I’m assured.
Exeunt
1.3 Leibek remains on the stage, alone
LEIBEK
Corrin? Where art thou hiding?
CORRIN (offstage)
Coming sir. Just finishing up tomorrows
Day itinerary.
Enter Corrin (hastily)
CORRIN
Yes sir?
LEIBEK
Why do you make such haste? The day is not undone,
And still many chores await you iron hands.
Yet still, I wish for you to run me an errand tomorrow.
Down, by the Julliard Manor, there is a travelling merchant,
Viollo I believe he goes by. Make sure to take at least half
A crown down, and don’t be sparing, the man is a thief of a
Merchant, asks for a steal of coin for the most measly
Of trinkets.
CORRIN
Aye, and a beggar too… I heard of the rag, took out my friend
Gervinsky, and stripped her clean of her coin, then passing
Her on for another woman later in the evening. Don’t worry,
I’ll keep my eye out for any trick.
LEIBEK
Very good, now continue to your evening
Chores.
CORRIN
Very good sir.
Exit Corrin
LEIBEK (monologuing)
What a day, finished my “Opus”, lectured by
My wife about our social life and confided within
By my server-girl about my choice in vendor.
Again, I must state, what a day. All uninterrupted during
My daydreaming, a powerful escape from the forlornness
Of the world around me. I hath been in need of a holiday
From all of this. I say I must confess that the world is
Full of distractions from the task at hand, and sometimes,
We must escape from the world of impurity and dissatisfaction.
But then there is the distraction of planning, and then
The frazzle of the dazzle of the location. Oh so
Many drastic discarding factors that I must attend to.
But my wife seeks to belittle my ability to socialise
With my closest acquaintances. No. I shall take the fight to
Her battlefield. I will take my vacation… with Frances.
Think of the places we’d go, the music we’d write,
A daydream come true it may seem. But ironically, I’d
Have to put up with his snoot of a brother. The blabbing
Bogart couldn’t write a tune to save his life and yet he
Criticises my way of writing. A misunderstood creature he is,
But yet his fine relation admires his cynicism. Bother, if
Only he could see the harm it does to one’s self esteem.
Crushes it, if there is any left. Must it be clearer, the man
Has a brain of a jellyfish and the heart of… well there is no heart
To slight. Anyway, bother to him, and bother to everything. I will
Have my vacation with Frances if it drowns my desk in ink!
Exit suddenly
1.4 Enter Corrin and Viollo
CORRIN
Mister, are you the one they call Viollo?
VIOLLO
Si, signorina?
CORRIN
Corrin, Miss Corrin.
VIOLLO
Si, and how may I help signorina Corrin?
CORRIN
Ah, well I came to buy some papers for the master,
Do you happen to be selling any presently?
VIOLLO
What is his purpose? A painter, a writer?
CORRIN
Of sorts, he writes music he does, and beautiful it
Is, just as good as any of those common prodigies.