http://www.talkclassical.com/blogs/composerofavantgarde/ This is a classical music discussion forum. A leading musicians and listeners community on the web. en Sun, 26 May 2013 01:25:57 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.talkclassical.com/images/misc/rss.jpg http://www.talkclassical.com/blogs/composerofavantgarde/ http://www.talkclassical.com/blogs/composerofavantgarde/933-thematic-catalogue-my-works.html Sun, 22 Jan 2012 08:01:30 GMT My next instalment of my catalogue of works will list all of my sonatas for various instruments (including my two so called "trio sonatas" which are basically just pieces for three instruments, not as in the baroque trio sonata). In this instalment I will also include the three suites I have written: one for two violins, one for 'cello and one for violin and guitar.

Sonatas

Sonatas for Piano
"Pre-Avant-Garde" period

Piano sonata no. 1 in D minor (1st mvt February 2009, 2nd mvt added later in 2011)
Duration: 9'-10'
Description: The first movement was written after a year and two months of composing without any sort of formal training from anyone else, so I was completely self-taught and it definitely shows in the piece. The second half of the development section drags on for a bit and the second half of the recapitulation is a bit more like a coda than anything else. This is probably actually the best piano sonata I have written when you include the second movement. The second movement was composed as an assignment on rondo form for school last year. I bent the rules a bit there and wrote a five minute movement in sonata-rondo form for the assignment (which is tonal to fit with the first movement.)

Piano Sonata no. 2 in C major (February 2009)
Duration: 5'
Description: This was a one movement sonata still following normal sonata form and all very classical and boring not much to say really.

Piano Sonata no. 3 in C major (September 2009)
Duration: 7'
Description: A two movement sonata. The second movement is a slowish/moderate theme and variations. Very typically classical sonata.

Sonatas for Violin
"Pre-Avant-Garde" Period

Violin Sonata no. 1 in G major (December 2008)
Duration: 9'
Description: This is a four movement sonata for violin and piano. Typical in structure to any sonata from the classical period but the addition of a scherzo between the second and last movements.

Violin Sonata no. 2 in G major (July 2009)
Duration: 16'
Description: This particular sonata is modelled after the solo violin sonatas by J.S. Bach. Although I didn't write a fugue as the second movement!

Sonatas for Guitar
"Avant-Garde" Period

MicroSonata (October 2011)
Duration: approx. 3'30"
Description: This is an extremely short sonata (hence the title "MicroSonata") in three movements for a partly prepared classical guitar. All movements are devoid from any bar lines to give the piece more of an improvisatory feel to it, but all the movements use traditional forms such as binary or ternary form and the last movement could easily be described as a scherzo. I will perform it in a concert at school sometime next year and upload a video of myself playing it so you can hear it.

Trio Sonatas
"Avant-Garde" Period

Trio Sonata no. 1 (September 2010)
Duration: 7'
Instrumentation: Piccolo, Trumpet and Xylophone
Description: This was a very fun piece to write. It is in four movements and one might even describe it as a sonata da chiesa due to its slow-fast-slow-fast layout.

Trio Sonata no. 2 (March 2011)
Duration: 8'
Instrumentation: Vibraphone, 'Cello and Harpsichord
Description: Follows the same format as the first trio sonata. In this one I experimented more with complex rhythms and microtones.

Suites

"Pre-Avant-Garde" Period

Suite for two violins (January 2008)
Duration: 5'
Description: This is a very early work in three dance movements. Can't remember much about it so I'll leave it at that.

Cello Suite in F major (April 2009)
Duration: 12'
Description: This was modelled on the Bach 'cello suites. The movements are as follows: Prelude, Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, Minuets I and II, Gigue.

"Avant-Garde" Period

Suite for Violin and Guitar (November 2010)
Duration: 20'
Description: This could be described as a "neo-baroque" work as I have basically written a six movement baroque dance suite with a modern harmonic language. ]]> ComposerOfAvantGarde http://www.talkclassical.com/blogs/composerofavantgarde/933-thematic-catalogue-my-works.html http://www.talkclassical.com/blogs/composerofavantgarde/928-thematic-catalogue-my-works.html Wed, 11 Jan 2012 01:45:50 GMT Yet another instalment in my series of blog posts about my life's work (or rather, everything I have done since November 2007). In this blog post I will talk about my operas, two of which are complete and one which is abandoned. This instalment might not turn out to be particularly long, so I will also write about some of the operas I intend to write probably starting next year.

Pre-Avant-Garde Period

The Swineherd, a fairy tale opera I hoped would be in 2 acts (Abandoned) (worked on it on and off between December 2008 to August 2009 and then decided to start again on it at various points in 2010)
Libretto by the composer.
Duration of original version 2008-2009 (ie. overture and first three numbers): 17'
Voices:
Prince - tenor
Princess - soprano
Never got around to writing anymore voice parts.
Orchestra (2008-2009 version): 1.2.0.1-2.0.0.0-Perc.(Timp.Glock.)-Str.
Description: This first attempt was started right after I completed my first symphony. It was based on the story "The Swineherd" by Hans Andersen. I decided to re-write this opera once my style of composition suddenly and unexpectedly changed, but I never really felt like finishing it. I tried to restart the opera two more times in 2010 but I never got around to writing more than just a few bars. Thus, it was abandoned, but the libretto to the first act is complete.

Avant-Garde Period

The Death of Osiris, a mythical Egyptian opera in 3 acts (September 2010 to February 2011)
Libretto by the composer.
Duration: 90'
Voices/Characters:
Isis - Soprano
Seth - Bass
Osiris - Tenor
Horus - Child soprano
King in Byblos - Tenor
Queen in Byblos - Alto
A Maid - Alto
Two Builders in Byblos - Baritone and Bass
People of the Afterlife - Soprano, Alto, Countertenor and Chorus
Slaves, conspirators, hunters - Chorus
Dancers, acrobats and onstage musicians.
Orchestra including onstage instruments: Piccolo/bass flute, oboe/heckelphone, bassoon, four horns, three tenor trombones, three bass trombones, triangle, wood block, tambourine, sizzle cymbals, tam-tam, five tom-toms, 2 pianos (one prepared one normal) and strings.
Description: This is the longest work I have ever composed so far. I first came up with the idea to write this opera in February 2010 when I was flicking through a very informative 512 page book on the subject of Ancient Egypt and came across a section in the book called "Myths and Their Settings." I read through the myth "The Death of Osiris" and thought that it would make a terrific opera. I showed my parents and told them that I would cut out the indecent parts. They told me not to, which baffled me. I ended up writing the first act during two weeks of holidays in spring and the second and third acts during the summer/christmas holidays and a bit into February 2011. I have given a photocopy if the handwritten score of the first act to Richard Gill, but he hasn't got back to me on that one yet.

The King's Horn, a comic Macedonian folk tale mini chamber opera in a prologue and two acts. (sometime in 2011)
Libretto by the composer
Duration: 35'
Voices/Characters:
Barber - Bass-baritone
King - Tenor
King's Mother/Villager 1- Alto
King's Father/Villager 2 - Bass
Shepherd Girl - Child Soprano
Shepherd Boy - Child Soprano
Instrumentation: Flute/Piccolo, Clarinet/Bass Clarinet, Percussion (1 player: Tom-toms, tambourine, triangle, bass drum, roto-toms, xylophone, tubular bells), Theorbo, Violin, Accordion.
Description: This was originally going to be written for a competition, but didn't get finished in time as my parents told me about the competition one month before it was due. I could only use six instruments and six voices in the opera because if competition guidelines. You can view the libretto for the prologue and the first act on this very blog.

Yet to be composed in my Avant-Garde Period:

Here I will write about some operas that I hope to compose in the near future.

Foundling, a fairy tale opera based on the story by the Brothers Grimm. I first read this story in 2009 and at the time I wanted to use the story for my second opera. As my abandoned opera was planned out to be about 135 minutes in total if I had managed to complete it, I wanted this still-yet-to-be-composed opera to be only a hour in length.

Cesario in Illyria, a comic opera in four acts based on "Twelfth Night" by William Shakespeare. I have already planned the story line out to fit into four acts rather than the original five acts of the play. Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" is my favourite of all of his plays. I have read it about five times and have decided that I want to turn it into an opera. Probably a chamber opera though as I seem to prefer that genre. Lengthwise, the opera might turn out to be somewhere between two and three and a half hours. ]]> ComposerOfAvantGarde http://www.talkclassical.com/blogs/composerofavantgarde/928-thematic-catalogue-my-works.html http://www.talkclassical.com/blogs/composerofavantgarde/927-thematic-catalogue-my-works.html Sat, 07 Jan 2012 05:16:07 GMT To continue my long thematic catalogue of my works I will now describe my compositions that fall under the category of overtures and stand alone orchestral pieces. I am glad there are more pieces here from my so called "avant-garde period."

Pre-Avant-Garde period

Concert Overture no. 1 in F major (2008)
Duration: 4'
Instrumentation: 0.0.0.0-2.2.2.0-Perc.-Str.
Description: This was one of my earliest ventures into the sonata form. This overture was originally only for two horns, percussion and strings, but in later revisions I made that year, I added trumpets and trombones. This composition is so terrible it makes me want to pull the hair out of my head in anger.

"The Swineherd" Overture 1 (to an abandoned opera) in C major (December 2008)
Duration: 6'
Instrumentation: 1.2.0.1-2.0.0.0-Perc.(Timp.Glock.)-Str.
Description: I decided to include this overture because it (and a few numbers from Act I) are complete even though I have attempted to rewrite it in 2010. The opera was based on a story of the same name by H.C. Anderson whose works have often influenced my compositions.

Concert Overture no. 2 in C major (2009. Completed a few weeks after the Cello Concerto.)
Duration: 6'
Instrumentation: 2.2.0.2-0.2.0.0.-Perc.(Timp, Triangle, Cymbals, S.D., B.D)-Str.
Description: This was written for a competition that I didn't win. I'm not surprised. It was yet another work for orchestra in sonata form that doesn't break any rules of harmony and sounds like it was written in the 18th century.

Avant-Garde period

Piece for Chamber Orchestra (January or February 2010)
Duration: 3'
Instrumentation: 2 Piccolos, 4 trumpets, Twelve timpani (pitched F#, G, G#, A etc. all the way up to the next F natural), tubular bells, whip, cymbals, eight violas (four firsts, four seconds.)
Description: This is possibly the scariest thing I have ever written. It is not strictly dodecaphonic but uses a note row (with its retrogrades and inversions etc.) that is incorporated in the music. I found the strange instrumentation interesting and wanted to use it again in a lot of other works, but I decided not too as the amount of timpani that I used makes it quite inaccessible. (Not to say that the music itself was inaccessible anyway.) This was also the first time I ever used any serial elements in my music.

"The Swineherd" Overture 2 (to an abandoned opera) (February or March 2010)
Duration: 5'
Instrumentation: the same as the above Piece for Chamber Orchestra.
Description: I decided that I was determined to compose this opera "The Swineherd" so, because of my sudden (and dramatic) change in style, I wrote another overture, hoping that I would complete the entire opera that year. I ended up only writing the overture because the fact that I had been trying to write it since the end of 2008 really got on my nerves. I decided I would abandon it completely after starting two more versions (each for chamber ensemble) that I never wrote more than eight bars of.

A Short Movement for Three Orchestras (November 2010)
Duration: 4'
Instrumentation: Can't find the manuscript in my large unorganised pile of music and mess (ie. my bedroom), so I can't exactly say. I know it was something weird for each orchestra though.
Description: This work is a cycle of patterns (with a different group of patterns for each orchestra) that swap around ... somehow ... I dunno it's too complicated for me! Anyway this piece was originally intended for a symphony for three orchestras that I never got round to composing because of other more important things. I have renamed the work "A Short Movement for Three Orchestras" but I still intend on writing a completely new symphony for three orchestras later in life.

Eight Pieces for Eighty Musicians (November 2011 hopefully (if I win) to be premiered sometime this year)
Duration: 8'
Instrumentation: 3(d.Picc.).2.2.2-2.2.3.1-3Perc.-Str.(16/14/12/10/8)
Description: This is definitely the best orchestral work I have ever written. I am very proud of my output in 2011. I wrote these eight pieces for a composition competition to celebrate 80 years of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. If I win, the piece will be performed by the SSO, under the baton of their chief conductor and world renowned pianist, Vladimir Ashkenazy! Here he is right here:



The work focuses on motifs I created from the acronyms SS (Sydney Symphony), SHB (Sydney Harbour Bridge) and ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) Each piece continues into the next one without stopping. Here is a quick description of the instrumentations and ideas I used in each piece.:
1. For full winds, brass and percussion but solo strings quartet. 24 instruments in total (the amount of musicians the SSO had when they first formed in 1932)
2. For full orchestra.
3. For 60 solo strings
4. For winds.
5. For brass
6. For percussion. This is the first of the three pieces that tell the story of the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge
7. For full winds, brass and percussion but solo strings.
8. For full orchestra. Big loud finale. ]]> ComposerOfAvantGarde http://www.talkclassical.com/blogs/composerofavantgarde/927-thematic-catalogue-my-works.html http://www.talkclassical.com/blogs/composerofavantgarde/923-thematic-catalogue-my-works.html Wed, 04 Jan 2012 01:39:56 GMT To continue my thematic catalogue of my works I will have Part II for my many not-so-fantastic (and two quite good) concerti. Most were written in 2009 so there are going to be lots that are actually tonal. _Pre-Avant-Garde period_ *Recorder Concerto in A minor* (a couple of weeks in... To continue my thematic catalogue of my works I will have Part II for my many not-so-fantastic (and two quite good) concerti. Most were written in 2009 so there are going to be lots that are actually tonal.

Pre-Avant-Garde period

Recorder Concerto in A minor (a couple of weeks in September 2008)
Duration: 12-13'
Instrumentation: Alto or Sopranino recorder and strings.
Description: This concerto was written right after I found out I didn't win a certain composition competition with a fugue I wrote for various types of recorders. The concerto uses the standard three movement form.
I. Allegro
II. Andante (decided to use theme and variations here instead of ternary form)
III. Allegro vivace

Violin Concerto no. 1 in C major (composed on the 8th of February 2009)
Duration: 9'
Instrumentation: Solo violin and strings.
Description: This was the first of my four violin concerti written in 2009. Very standard in structure and very boring musically.
This was my schedule for the day:
7:00am Wake up have breakfast etc.
8:00am Write the first movement of the concerto until 11:30
11:30am Break for an hour. During this time I ate lunch
12:30pm Write the second movement until 3:30
3:30pm Half-hour break in which I ate a snack
4:00pm Write the last movement of the concerto until 9:00pm with a break for dinner somewhere in there
9:00pm Jump up and down excited as I have successfully completed my fist violin concerto in one day.

Violin Concerto no. 2 in D minor (composed 1st of March 2009)
Duration: 12'
Instrumentation: Solo violin and strings.
Description: My daily schedule was the same as the one above when composing this. It is my absolute favourite of the violin concerti I wrote before my switch to atonality. Standard in structure also, but with the appearance of a fugue to start off the last movement. I still think this was one of my best tonal works.

Violin concerto no. 3 in A minor (can't remember the date exactly but it was in May 2009)
Duration: 11'
Instrumentation: Solo violin and strings.
Description: Another one of my compose-in-one-day concerti. Harmonically more interesting than the first two, it is still pretty standard and boring. The last movement also starts as a fugue.

Violin concerto no. 4 in F major (21st of June 2009)
Duration: 9-10'
Instrumentation: Solo violin and strings.
Description: standard form as the rest. This one bears more resemblance to the C major concerto I wrote in February. I think this one is the worst concerto I've written. No fugue in the last movement.

Cello Concerto in (goodness gracious I forgot what key it's in!)(forgot the date, June 2009)
Duration: 14'
Instrumentation: Solo cello and strings.
Description: This one is unique compared to all the other concerti I wrote in 2008/2009. It is a standard three movement concerto but has a slow introduction in the first movement. All of the movements are joined together without a break which I haven't done since. The second movement includes an accompanied cadenza (something else I haven't done since) and the last movement ends with some kind of Andante Maestoso coda. It seems that all the minor key concerti I have written have been the most interesting.

Guitar Concerto in G major sometimes known as "no. 1" (forgot the date, July 2009)
Duration: 9'
Instrumentation: Solo guitar and strings
Description: This was one of the first things I ever wrote for my main instrument, the classical guitar. I realised how hard it was to compose anything good for classical guitar when still at an intermediate level. The concerto is known as my first guitar concerto because of an arrangement I made of another guitar work to be played by a guitar and string orchestra. This G major concerto also exists in a version for guitar, piano, violin and viola.

Avant-Garde Period

Two Movements for Guitar and String Orchestra (Guitar Concerto no. 2) after my Guitar Quintet (October 2011)
Duration: 5'
Instrumentation: Do I have to spell it out for ya?
Description: This work is one of my better works from last year. After I composed music by hand the kids in my class really wanted to hear it so I had to input it onto Sibelius. The jagged, grotesque, scherzo-like second movement made them crack up. I was proud.

Violin Concerto no. 5 (December 2011 to sometime later in 2012)
Duration: Still not finished yet, but will go for 15 minutes.
Instrumentation: Solo violin, 2 flutes, 2 soprano saxophones, 2 bassoons, 2 trumpets, 2 ondes martenots, percussion and strings.
Description: I have decided that this concerto will use my favourite four movement form that I invented when composing my Piano Quintet in 2010.
I. Slow and mysterious.
II. Fast and contrapuntal.
III. Fast and dance like.
IV. Slow and melodic. ]]> ComposerOfAvantGarde http://www.talkclassical.com/blogs/composerofavantgarde/923-thematic-catalogue-my-works.html http://www.talkclassical.com/blogs/composerofavantgarde/909-thematic-catalogue-my-works.html Wed, 21 Dec 2011 01:12:55 GMT I have decided to gradually put up a thematic catalogue of my compositions on my blog on TC. I'll start off with my symphonies.

My symphonic cycle (for want of a better word. It is hardly a real cycle) includes seven symphonies so far. Five of which are completed, one in sketch form and one has all the music written but just needs to be arranged into movements. I hate the first four immensely.

"Pre-avant-garde" period. (2007-2009)

Symphony no. 1 in (mainly) A minor. November 2007 to December 2008.
Approx. duration: 22'
Instrumentation: Mahlerian sized orchestra. I can't be stuffed listing the instruments.
Description: This was the second piece if music I ever completed in my life. From feeling the success of completing my (now very silly) first composition, I decided to move on to a more "proper classical" form: a symphony. I was very ambitious with this one and included as many instruments I could think of including organ, celesta, piano, guitars, euphoniums harps and so on. In the original fourth movement I even included a choir and soloists singing to the music I had set to Percy Bysshe Shelley's "Ode to the West Wind." I scrapped that idea and wrote a short rondo instead. The finished work is in four movements:
I: Andante-Allegro-Presto. This movement starts off in A minor before modulating to D major (strangely enough) for the Allegro and Presto sections.
II: Grave. This seven minute long monotonous movement in C minor is noted for including Wagner tubas.
III: Minuet, Allegretto. This is probably the only movement that makes any sense at all. It uses the proper minuet and trio form (the minuet is in G major, trio in G minor) and doesn't use any radical instrumentation.
IV: Rondo, Allegro. Back in A minor. The recurring A section is mainly canonic.

Symphony no. 2 in C major "Miniature." July or August 2008.
Approx. duration: 6'-7'
Instrumentation: some kind of keyboard instrument, guitars and strings (violins I,II,III cello.)
Description: This is my least favourite of all of my symphonies. Clocking at about the same time it takes for someone to go to sleep it is in fact my second shortest symphony, but written for the smallest forces. I wrote it in three days, one day per movement.
I: Allegro Moderato. This movement is quite stately and very boring.
II: Adagio. This is in ternary for. The B section features the unspecified keyboard instrument.
III: Allegro Vivace. Faster than the first movement. Probably the only one worth listening to.

Symphony no. 3 in D minor. Probably sometime around March 2009.
Approx. duration: 12'-13'
Instrumentation: 0,2,0,1-2,0,0,0-str.
Description: My symphony no. 3 has all the necessary ingredients for any symphony by Haydn or Mozart written around 1770. I wrote it in about five days during one school holidays when I was feeling bored. This is also in three movements.
I: Adagio-Allegro. I finally wrote a symphony that uses sonata form in the first movement. The slow introduction includes a solo for a double bass.
II: Andante. A C major theme and variations movement for only strings.
III: Allegro. This rondo movement back in D minor starts off as a fugue for strings with many sudden syncopations. I am actually quite fond of it.

Symphony no. 4 in G minor "Inside Out" 31st of December 2009 to 1st of January 2010.
Approx. duration: 14'
Instrumentation: 0,2,0,1,-2,0,0,0-str.
Description: My experimental idea of an "inside out" symphony came to life in the (total of) ten hours of writing this symphony. I went back to a four movement form, but a very different four movement form than what was around in the 18th and early 19th centuries.
I: Grave. A very slow and mysterious section to start off.
II: Fuga (Allegro). A fast fugue in 6/8 time for the orchestra.
III: Gavotte. A stately dance movement for the strings.
IV: Andante. A very melodic slow movement to round off the work.
This four movement form (1: slow, mysterious. 2: fast, contrapuntal. 3: fast-ish, dance-like. 4: slow, lyrical) has stuck with me ever since. It can be seen in more recent works such as the Piano Quintet and the Violin Concerto no. 5.

"Avant-garde period" (late 2009 onwards)

Symphony no. 5. Written about mid October 2010
Approx. duration: 5'
Instrumentation: Flute, oboe, trumpet, crystallophone, mandolin, string quartet and string orchestra.
Description: This symphony is not my best work, but I do like it a lot. It is my shortest so far and I wrote the whole thing one night and the next morning before school started. It shows a lot of influence from Webern (two short movements, kalngfarbenmelodie).
I: Slowish I suppose. And quite weird. Has a section for string quartet halfway through.
II: Seems a fair bit faster but doesn't have the feeling of a "moderato." This movement is vaguely canonic.

Symphony no. 6. Started a few days ago.
Approx. duration: The first movement sketches last for about nine minutes, and the third movement would probably be about three to four minutes. In all it would probably be between 30' and 40'
Instrumentation: Undecided. The third movement is going to be played in December next year by the musicians at school. I will have to write for whatever instruments available.
Description: It came to me last week that I need to write a proper atonal symphony that lasts for a decent amount of time and has a more "normal" instrumentation to one day be played by an orchestra in a proper concert. I started writing the sketches a few days ago when listening to BBC Radio 3 on the Internet. It will be in four movements.
I: Slow. Basically a development of five motifs. This movement is palindromic.
II: Fast. Probably 6/8.
III: Fast. Some kind of "atonal fugue" if you get what I mean.
IV: Slow.

Symphony no. 7 "The Death of Osiris." An arrangement of orchestral and song excerpts from my opera of the same name written 2010-2011
Approx. duration: 29'
Instrumentation: Piccolo/bass flute, oboe/heckelphone, soprano saxophone (in place of Isis's voice) bassoon, four horns, three tenor trombones, three bass trombones, triangle, wood block, tambourine, sizzle cymbals, tam-tam, five tom-toms, 2 pianos (one prepared one normal) and strings
Description: The music is taken from all of the orchestral excerpts and some song excerpts of my first opera "The Death of Osiris." It is arranged into a symphony of several movements that flow into each other without a pause (so it doesn't become a suite.) The arrangement of the orchestral excerpts is as follows:
I: Prelude to Act I
II: Acrobatics (from Act II)
III: Horn Call (from Act III)
IV: Danse Macabre (from Act I)
V: Ballet Interlude
VI: Banquet Music (from act I)
VII: Prelude to act II
VIII: Isis's funeral song (from act III)
IX: Prelude to Act III and Final Four Bars. ]]> ComposerOfAvantGarde http://www.talkclassical.com/blogs/composerofavantgarde/909-thematic-catalogue-my-works.html http://www.talkclassical.com/blogs/composerofavantgarde/732-libretto-my-second-opera.html Wed, 14 Dec 2011 02:11:46 GMT Here is the libretto of the Prologue and Act I of my second opera. I'll put up Act II at a later date. So, until then, tell me what you think:

The King's Horn
A Short Comic Chamber Opera in a Prologue and Two Acts

Prologue
The palace. The baby king's bedroom.
The king's parents are in there admiring their new son.

King's Father: Just to think that our new baby boy would one day become the King of this entire country.
King's Mother: Look how beautiful he is!
King's Father: He would make a fine ruler.
King's Mother: Look at his little face!
King's Father: A fine ruler indeed!
King's Mother: I should flatten down that little tuft of hair on his head. (She goes to get a brush and tries to flatten down his hair but finds a horn growing out of his head.) What's happened to him?
King's Father: How on Earth is this possible?
King's Mother: A horn! Our baby has a horn growing out of the top of his head! This must have been from your side of the family!
King's Father: How could this be my fault? You're the one who gave birth to him!
King's Mother: He will be picked on at school.
King's Father: Ridiculed! He will be tormented for his whole life by voices chanting "The King has a horn! The King has a horn!"
King's Mother: He will be turned into a freak show! He will have to be kept in hiding. There's no other choice.
King's Father: He will have to wear thins crown for his whole life so no one finds out this terrible truth! If anyone sees him like this his life will be a catastrophe!


Act I
Scene 1
Many years have passed.
Another room in the palace. The King (now an adult) is not wearing his crown so the horn is clearly visible. There is also a laptop computer on a table in the room.

There is a knock on the door. The King puts his crown on.

King: Enter! (a barber rushes in and kneels down at the King.)
Barber: I saw your tweet, your Highness.
King: Already?
Barber: Well the broadband network is incredibly fast, your Highness.
King: Now, pay attention, Barber—
Barber: It is such an honour, your Royal Highness, to decrease the length of your royal hair on your Royal head! I have brought my very best too quality pair of scissors—
King: Barber—
Barber: —that I use for the most special occasions. My! What a most superb crown, your Highness! It shimmers like the sun setting on the horizon of a calm sea, but with the majestic power of a lion—
King: Now, please—
Barber: —And this fine palace you live in! It must be the biggest and grandest in the world! I truly am ashamed that I have taken such a long time to arrive, your Royal Highness, I had so many customers but none as important as you! I am so honoured by your gratitude towards people like—
King: Be quiet and pay close attention, Barber!
Barber: (Very startled) Yes, yes of course! As quiet as a mouse!
King: I have this secret that ha seen kept hidden since my birth. If you tell anyone you will have your head chopped off!
Barber: Oh! (Jumps up in alarm.) I am a talkative chap, your Highness, but I will meet this challenge to protect your honour!
King: This secret of mine … is … (the King is no longer acting strong and proud as his secret is revealed) I have a horn.
Barber: A horn? Is that all? What fine music you must play!
King: No, you stupid simple man! The horn is growing out of my head! (Out of anger, here moves the crown.) This is why I never go out in public!
Barber: (So frightened he goes and hides under the table.) Oh how grotesque, your Highness! I am terribly sorry for this terrible misfortune! (Crawls out and stands up.) Wait until I tell my wife about this! The King has a horn! The King has a horn!
King: No, you foolish barber! That's exactly what I told you not to do! All I want from you is for you to keep your mouth shut and style my hair to conceal this bloody horn!
Barber: Yes, yes, your Highness! I solemnly vow that I will never speak to any living soul about this tragedy! (The Barber unpacks his gear and proceeds to cut the King's hair.)


Scene 2
The town outside the palace.
It is sunset and people are walking home from work including the Barber.

Barber: What a privilege it is for me to be the King'd royal barber! But this secret I have to keep will be unbearable. I just have to tell someone!

Villager 1 enters.

Villager 1: Good evening, Barber.
Barber: Good evening. You don't look particularly well tonight,
Villager 1: I'm not. My neighbour has been practising his horn all afternoon. It has given me the most frightful headache.
Barber: (Looking a bit stunned by what he's heard.) Horn? Head?
Villager 1: (Looking slightly confused with the Barber's reaction.) Um… The horn gave me a terrible headache.
Barber: Oh yes! Of course! Delightful then. I thought you were talking about the King's—the thing's! Sorry! The things that are worrying me today! Mustn't tell anyone of course! Well then! I'll see you around! I have to head off now. No! Not head off! Sorry, sorry! I need to go now. I don't want to lose my—the upper seventh of my body.
Villager 1: (Very confused now.) Sorry, but I can't get my head around why you're acting so strangely today.
Barber: (Panicking.) No! Don't say that! There's nothing wrong with his head! It's perfectly normal!
Villager 1: (Extremely confused.) Okay then… Good night.
Barber: Good night. (He waits until Villager 1 has left before he calms down.) What am I doing? How can I keep this secret to myself? I almost mentioned the … the … his secret!

Villager 2 enters

Barber: But I think I got away with it that time. I have to be careful!
Villager 2: Got away with what?
Barber: Oh! Nothing! Nothing! There's no secret! Anyway, how are you?
Villager 2: I'm fine, thank you Barber.
Barber: How is everyone? You don't know anything about any horns do you?
Villager 2: Horns? Ha! Funny you should mention that! I was just looking for my prize billy goat that has escaped from my farm for the third time this week. If you see him, let me know. He has the biggest horns on his head that you've ever seen!
Barber: (Looking stunned again.) Horn? Head?
Villager 2: Yes his horns are quite marvellous.
Barber: So you know too? (Panicking) Oh this will be the end of me! If the King finds out—
Villager 2: What happened with the King?
Barber: So you don't know about the King's … the King's …
Villager 2: No…
Barber: Sorry did I say "King?" I meant "Sing!" Yes I'm off to a concert where they sing and play horns and—no! Not horns! No horns at all! Not in this concert!
Villager 2: Is anything troubling you?
Barber: Oh dear, oh dear. No everything's fine! Everything's fine! I'll keep an eye out for your goat. Well, I must run off now. Busy schedule tonight!
Villager 2: Okay then. Goodbye!
Barber: Goodbye. (Waits for Villager 2 to leave while he calms down.) Oh no! Oh dear! I'm in terrible trouble now. I've nearly told two people about our monarch's monstrous secret! The pressure is building up inside me!

A young shepherd boy and girl enter singing and skipping

Barber: I feel like I'm going to explode, and out will come the words—
Young boy and girl: (Singing a nursery rhyme) Jack and Jill went up a hill
To fetch a pail of water.
Jack fell down and broke his crown,
And Jill came tumbling after.
Barber: (To himself) Crown? Do these kids know about this secret as well?
Young girl: Jack must have got a nasty bump on his head.
Young boy: He might have grown a horn!
Barber: Horn?! Head?! Crown?! (Panicking) Soon the whole world will know this tremendous secret that I have to keep hidden!
Young girl: What secret?
Girl and boy: Tell us! Tell us!
Young boy: We won't tell anyone.
Barber: Argh! This is just too much! I have to run away from all civilisation! I will live in an isolated cave for the rest of my life!
Young girl: (to boy) I think the Barber's being silly. (They both giggle and run off.)
Barber: I feel like a volcano ready to erupt. The molten rock from down below is pushing up, forcing its way out. The pain of not being able to talk is just too much!

The Barber runs off stage
End of Act I ]]> ComposerOfAvantGarde http://www.talkclassical.com/blogs/composerofavantgarde/732-libretto-my-second-opera.html