Sankaram | Monkey and Francine in the City of Tigers

Libretto by David Johnston

Monkey and Francine in the City of Tigers PERUSAL SCORE

PERUSAL SCORE

Monkey and Francine in the City of Tigers

an Opera in One Act

PERUSAL SCORE

Commissioned by Houston Grand Opera and developed in partnership with American Lyric Theater

Performance Notes

CL = Clap

SN = Snap

SL = Slap legs

All performers take turns serving as a NARRATOR.

NARRATOR text is spoken, and is indicated with "x" noteheads. Performers do not need to approximate pitch, as in sprechstimme. Rather, the performer should follow the approximate contour of the notes. Notated rhythms should be exact.

PERCUSSION- The basic Son Montuno pattern is as follows:

Performers who feel comfortable with this pattern may improvise fills and other stylistically appropriate gestures.

Additional Notes

This piece includes several non-Western modes and scales. Here is a little more information about them, in case you'd like to become more familiar with them.

RAGA- Ragas are found in Hindustani music, a form of classical music from Northern India. Ragas are most similar to Greek modes, like the Dorian and Phrygian scale. Ragas gain their character from the number of notes within a scale, the actual pitches, the order of pitches in ascending v. descending passages, and the relative importance of notes within the scale. Scales are notated using swara, which is similar to solfege in Western music:

Sa (Do), Ri (Re), Ga (Mi) Ma (Fa), Pa (So), Da (La), Ni (Ti)

Notes may be raised or lowered by a half step. This is usually indicated by case, so in a scale starting on C, an E flat would be written as lowercase "ga." Descending (avaroha) passages may use different notes than ascending (aroha) passages, so you'll usually be given the swara for each.

PERUSAL SCORE

Additional Notes Cont.

Ragas used in this score include:

Sudh Sarang

Aroha - S m R M P N S

Avaroha - S N D P M P D P m R S

Chandranandan (Raga for the moon)

Aroha - S G m d n S

Avaroha - R S n d P m G m g S

MBIRA - An Mbira (also called a Zanza, Kalimba, or thumb piano) is an African instrument. It consists of a wooden resonator and metal keys or tines. There are seven typical tunings for the Mbira, which are made up of specific intervals, rather than notes.

This piece uses a tuning called Mahororo.

Performing Forces

Francine .................................................................................................................................................................Soprano

Monkey Queen / Lord Tiger .....................................................................................................................Mezzo-soprano Monkey .......................................................................................................................................................................Tenor

Monkey Kind / Crocodile / Lady Tiger ................................................................................................................Baritone

Piano

Optional Hand Percussion

Bongos/Shaker/Guiro

Note: ideally the shaker will be a caxixi, but an egg shaker or maracas will also work.

As the Guiro is only used as a sound effect, it can be omitted if unavailable. Guiro can also be substituted by Guira or washboard.

Duration: 40'

PERUSAL SCORE

First printing, March 2024

Copyright ©2018 Kamala Sankaram. All Rights Reserved.

Program Note Copyright ©2018 Kamala Sankaram. All Rights Reserved Published by Just a Theory Press | www.justatheorypress.com

SCENE

Monkey and Francine in the City of Tigers

Raga Sudh Sarang

The scene is The Royal Monkey Palace. The MONKEY KING AND QUEEN, the MONKEY PRINCE and his sister FRANCINE. FRANCINE carries a book.

We'retheRoyal-Monkey- Fami- ly - in theRoyal-Monkey- Pa lace - in the

We'retheRoyal-Monkey- Fami- ly - in theRoyal-Monkey- Pa lace - in the

We'retheRoyal-Monkey- Fami- ly - in theRoyal-Monkey- Pa lace - in the

We'retheRoyal-Monkey- Fami- ly - in theRoyal-Monkey- Pa lace - in the

King

King

King

King

SCENE 2: THE DUMPLING

The scene is MONKEY AND FRANCINE’s bedroom. They are in bed. Night. There is a window, a tree branch and a moon. FRANCINE is reading.

Raga Chandranandan

Francine, reading her tiger book

J

Piano leaves of the branch es - of the tree! It's right there. Right be yond - the

Monkey

Piano leaves. A big fluf fy - dump ling - filled with meat, or cheese, or

Monkey

Piano

Peach es,

Bongos

Crocodile

Hel mf lo. - I f was reach ing - for a dump ling - out e=e 247

cro co - dile. - Hel lo -

Piano Bongos

Monkey

Crocodile

Piano Bongos side of my win dow. - I fell out of the tree.

Monkey Queen

Monkey

Crocodile

Piano Bongos

May I be of as sis - tance? -

It hap pens - to all of us.

Don't speak to croc o - diles. -

So mf you're a croc o - dile? - I'm not sup posed - to speak to you.

Crocodile

Crocodile

Bongos Yes. Real ly?263 Peach es, - cus tard, - ap ples, - figs! I know a place... I know a place...

Piano

Monkey

Crocodile

Piano

Bongos

Crocodile

Crocodile

Piano Bongos 273 on the o ther - side and just be cause - I like you kid, I'll take you for a ride.

Monkey

Crocodile

Piano Bongos

Can died - gin ger, - cher ries! - Fruit and cheese and dates!

Monkey

Crocodile

Piano Bongos

Crocodile Piano

Bongos

Monkey

Crocodile

Piano

Bongos

Crocodile

Shaker

Crocodile

have not been hon est. - I fear I told you lies. I will tell the truth right now.

Note: This is referencing the internet slang "sorry (not sorry)" and is not really a parenthetical statement.

Crocodile

Piano Shaker

Monkey

Crocodile

Piano Shaker

Crocodile

Piano

Shaker

Crocodile

Crocodile

Piano

You take me to that side, I'll climb up the tree. I'll take my heart and bring it back and that's the end of me.

Crocodile Piano

Crocodile

So, the cro co - dile - a grees- to take Mon key - back to the shore.

Crocodile

Piano

And the cro co - dile, - worn out from a

SCENE 4 : SKIN THE CROCODILE

MONKEY dashes up the tree and through the window, and startles FRANCINE from her book.

and FRANCINE’s bedroom

Grab a knife and shim my - down. And skin the cro co -

Shim my - down?

dile who thinks your heart's in thebranch es- at the top of the tree. You skin him while he's sleep ing! - By

SCORE

don't want you play ing - with that knife, so don't go in there!

The riverbank by the palace. PERFORMER #2 holds up a blanket in front of the CROCODILE and MONKEY steps behind, the knife hidden.

The blanket is removed. CROCODILE is in his boxer shorts. CROCODILE wakes up, realizes he’s in his underwear, sees the audience, shrieks and runs away.

He sees a loose page on the floor.

A page on the floor. It's crum pled - up and left right there. Like hop ing - I would find it...

He picks up the page and reads. As MONKEY reads, FRANCINE reads with him

SCENE 5: THE FOREST

FRANCINE is alone. She is tied to a tree outside the City of Tigers. She struggles against the rope.

Piano I read a book on ma gic - tricks, so all I have to do... Ex -

Francine Piano pand my wrists to build up slack and then I will be free...

Francine Piano STRETCH, FRAN CINE, - I've got it now! So then I ease my wrists,

She is still for a moment, trying to think of what to do next. Edge of fear and despair. She thinks of her family. This comforts her.

Francine

Francine

Francine

Monkey appears, looking for Francine.

Since we found each o ther! - What mp took you so long? You fin al - ly - found me. I missed you so much!

Since we found each o ther! - I mp fol lowed - your clues. I fin -al ly - found you. I missed you so much! mp Francine

He opens the little suitcase, takes out the knife, and cuts the ropes. They

was search ing - in the for est,

I was tied to this tree, it's where the ti ger - left me.

MONKEY hands her a banana from the suitcase. FRANCINE takes the suit from MONKEY’s suitcase.

And I brought a lit tle - food. Yes, I skinned the croc o - dile!

But what hap pened?

was brought here by

ger.

tied me to this tree be cause - I kicked her in the shins

When she re turns, - she'll take me to the Cit y - of Ti gers!rit.

rit.

Piano

Piano

That's where they eat the mon keys.accel. W

Why will she take you there? We cresc. poco a poco have to leave right now! cresc. poco a poco accel. W

Francine Monkey Piano We cresc. poco a poco can leave by the road! The road is clear, I'm sure!

We should go through the fo rest! - No, not the

Lord of Ti gers! - Mon key - and Fran cine - are tak en - pri son - er. -

X 694

SCENE 6: THE CITY OF TIGERS

THE LORD OF THE TIGERS sits on his throne, attended by the LADY TIGER. MONKEY and FRANCINE, stand before him awaiting judgement. MONKEY still carries his little suitcase.

Lord Tiger

Lord Tiger

Lady Tiger Piano Bongos

Lord Tiger

Lady Tiger

Bongos

Francine

stroy you. You laugh on your throne with Death stand ing - by! Let f us go now and you will be spared!

gi ven - me a good laugh!

D1

SCORE

steps out, wearing the CROCODILE skin.

FRANCINE holds up a blanket in front of MONKEY. MONKEY steps under the blanket, hidden from the view of the tigers, and slips on his crocodile suit.

MONKEY ‘eats’ FRANCINE. Pandemonium.

Mon key, - you're so brave! Some day, - my boy, you'll be king!

J1

J1

PERUSAL SCORE