Sarah Kirkland Snider
text after Hildegard von Bingen
HILDEGARD
Act
II
Full Score
From the G. Schirmer Rental Library
Date of Printing________________
Music Sales Corporation
New York, NY
Rights administered by G. Schirmer, Inc. New York, NY
Sarah Kirkland Snider
text after Hildegard von Bingen
HILDEGARD Act II
Full Score
Commissioned by Beth Morrison Projects and the Aspen Music Festival and School with additional commissioning support by William Kennedy
Developed and produced by Beth Morrison Projects
Music Sales Corporation
New York, NY
Rights administered by G. Schirmer, Inc. New York, NY
Instrumentation:
Flute
Clarinet in Bb
Bassoon
Harp
String Quintet
duration ca. 125’
Dramatis Personae:
Hildegard von Bingen, late 30s/early 40s. (soprano)
Richardis von Stade/Angel 3, 20s. (soprano)
Guda/Angel 1, 30s or younger. (soprano)
Clementia/Margravine von Stade/Angel 2, 40s. (mezzo-soprano)
Volmar, 40s. (tenor)
Mechtild, 20s/30s. (tenor)
Abbot Cuno, 40s/50s. (baritone)
Fourth Monk, 30s-50s. (baritone)
Faceless Woman: via projections
Synopsis:
Late 1147 into early 1148, at Disibodenberg Monastery in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany
The year is 1147, and German Benedictine abbess Hildegard von Bingen has begun transcribing her visions of God to obtain Papal imprimatur, at grave risk of ex-communication. She enlists a young convalescent, Richardis von Stade, to help illustrate her visions, and the two women quickly develop a transformative partnership that awakens them creatively, spiritually, and – much to the internal conflict of both women – romantically. In the meantime, a dispute with Hildegard’s superior costs her and her novitiate daughters the right to make music, underscoring Hildegard’s fundamental lack of agency in the male-dominated monastic culture and jeopardizing her standing within the Church. As Hildegard anxiously awaits the Pope to declare her prophet or heretic, the love between Hildegard and Richardis becomes impossible to ignore, and an unforeseen crisis threatens both their hard-won accomplishments and the intimacy – in all its complexity and secrecy – that has become their salvation.
Immersive and intimate, Hildegard is a tale of two gifted women struggling to find their voices in a time and place where female voices weren’t meant to be heard. A story of love, faith, and enlightenment, the opera is about the desire for connection – to wisdom, to spirituality, to humanity – and the conflicts that compete therein.
Table of Contents:
Act I
Scene 1: 1
Scene 2: .................................................................................................. 32
Scene 3: .................................................................................................. 54
Scene 4: .................................................................................................. 97
Scene 5: 119
Scene 6: ................................................................................................ 160
Scene 7: ................................................................................................ 177
Scene 8: 191
Scene 9: ................................................................................................ 230
Act II
Entr’acte: 251
Scene 1: ................................................................................................ 258
Scene 2: ................................................................................................ 302
Scene 3: 343
Scene 4: 382
Scene 5: ................................................................................................ 403
Epilogue: ............................................................................................... 437
(HILDEGARDandRICHARDISaloneinthe ScriptoriumThey’restandingclosetogether, conferringinfrontofaneaselandsharinga gentlelaugh,withHILDEGARD’shandon RICHARDIS’sback)
ACTII,SCENE1
(...THEYhearthesoundofamanclearinghisthroat, andturntoseeCUNOstandinginthedoorway. HILDEGARDquicklystepsawayfromRICHARDIS.)
CUNOlooksovertoRICHARDIS workingathereasel)
(HILDEGARDapproachesCUNOand handshimapileofmanuscriptpages.)
(CUNOlooksbackandforthdisapprovingly atRICHARDISandHILDEGARD)
(CUNOlooksdispleased, clearshisthroatagain, andexits)
Mindyourallot - -edtimehere
My
child youmusthavefaith Yourmother's - hispatron
willtakeme,they'llbeatmeagain - Perhaps
Cuno - caninter - -vene? Convince - heryou
don'tknowmyMother
(HILDEGARDleadsRICHARDISintoan adjacentroom,inwhichtherearetwoshallow gravesmadeofdirtandtwigs)
(HILDEGARDleadsRICHARDISoverto thetwograves,andkneelsbyone)
& & B ?
"I
havegiven - you wings. Find
them,andflyhome. Fly over - thesemoun
tains, - this f sea Findyourwingsand fly home,
(HILDEGARDliesfacedowninthegrave,withherheadturned toonesideApause,andthenRICHARDISlowersherselfdown ontotheothergravenexttoHILDEGARDAfterawordless moment,RICHARDISreachesoutforHILDEGARD’shand HILDEGARDreciprocatesTHEYlaythereinthegravesfor afewminutes,completelystill,fingersentwined)
Vln1
Vln2
ABBOTCUNOandtheMARGRAVINEappear,stanndinginthedoorway THEYpauseforamoment,realizingthey'reintrudingonaprivatemoment. THEABBOTthenloudlyclearshisthroat,andHILDEGARDand RICHARDISjumpup,brushingthedirtofftheirrobes.
(quicklyjumpsup,dustsoffrobe,approachestheMARGRAVINE)
(movingtowarsRichardisCUNOnods,exits)
butnotlookingatHILDEGARD)
andwhatwayis that,praytell?
Throughdrawingandpaint-ing
torium - Hertal-ent isextr'or - -dina - -ry
-gle
Vln1
Vln2 Vla
(THEMARGRAVINEgivesHILDEGARDasmileofforcedpoliteness, hooksherarmthroughRICHARDIS’s,andescortsherawayfrom HILDEGARDslightly,forgreaterprivacy)
Andhersocalled
firsttimeIcanremem
Deardaughter,
(THEMARGRAVINEpullsRICHARDIStowalkwithheroffstage RICHARDISlooksbackbrieflyatHILDEGARD, who,instunnedfrustration,watchesthemleave)
(5/8patterncontinues)
(5/8patterncontinues)
(5/8patterncontinues)
(HILDEGARD,inthemiddleofthenight,liesinbedasleep,dreamingShehasa dreamofwomeninwhitetunicswithlong,flowinghair,bejeweledandflowered THEYdancejoyouslyunderaGoldenTent,inaplayfulringaroundtheFACELESS WOMAN,whositsonagrassyhillinfrontofanAbbeyunderconstruction)
Slightlylessq=76 (Fasterpulse,slowerfeel)
(Thedreamistheninterrupted byaknockatthedoor…HILDEGARD jumpsoutofbed,opensdoor.)
(RICHARDISentersInanumb stateofdisbelief,SHEwalks pastHILDEGARDandsinks intoachair)
Slightlylessq=76 (Fasterpulse,slowerfeel)
(HILDEGARDlooksathercompassionately, kneelsdowntoholdRICHARDIS’shands)
Leaningforwardq=80
Hisweightpinnedmedownand
(RICHARDISstepstoward HILDEGARD,slowlytakes herhands)
canitcomefromany - -thing buttheLight?
(...andslowlyleansintokissher,briefly.)
(RICHARDISthenquicklycatchesherself andpullsaway,leavingHILDEGARDdazed (RICHARDISstaggersagainstthewall, staringatthefloor)
(RICHARDISrunstoarefusecontainerand brieflyvomits,sinkingtothefloor. HILDEGARDrushestoherside, crouchesnexttoher)
(rubsherbackasRICHARDIS wipesmouth,settlesherself)
(TheFACELESSWOMANtakes stepstowardsHILDEGARD, stoppingjustafewfeetaway fromherHILDEGARDwatches herwithapprehension)
(RICHARDIS,realizingshe’sgoing tovomitagain,leansovertoretch intoabucketandsinksbackagainst thewall,herhandsmovingdown tohernauseated,swollenbelly)
WhenIgainPapal - Impri - -ma-tur, shewillchangehermind
(handonbelly) (RICHARDISwalksovertothewindowsill, andlooksattheTansy,whichisgrowing nexttootherherbs)
(RICHARDISliftsthepotofTansy offtheshelfandholdsit...)
(HILDEGARDwrapsherarmsaroundRICHARDIS. RICHARDIS,seeingnowayout,isquiet.Sherests herheadonHILDEGARD’sshoulder,relishing themomentarycomfort)
(HILDEGARDmeetswithCUNOHEhashisbackturnedtoher, arrangingthingsbehindhisdesk)
ACTII,SCENE3
And
withwhat coffers - willyoubuild?
Youwon'ttakeonedowry - from here!
Well, thisshouldbe inter - -esting - He reject - -edyourvisions - weeksago, - now! Oh yes, Sister -
Yousee,hefoundthemslightly
heret
(Withoutlookingather, CUNOholdsuphisfingertoher, asiftosilenceher)
#œœœ#œœœœœ # œœ œœ#œœœ#œœœœœ #
#œœœ#œœœœœ # œœ œœ#œœœ#œœœœœ #
Hilde
-gard, I pity - you
You
be-lieve you'vebeen chosen - byGod
But mf you'vebeen
Abitfasterq=72
Leaningbackq=63
Abitfasterq=72
(HILDEGARDkneels andclaspshandtogether inprayer.)
Leaningbackq=63
Abitfaster
=144(q=72,q=48)
Abitfaster
q=72,q=48)
whereheisbehindadesk)
ACTII,SCENE4
(VOLMARreachesintohisdeskandhandsherascroll HILDEGARDhesitates,putsitdown,unabletoopenit)
Leaningbackq=38 e=e
Leaningbackq=38
Whate-verhappens, - Godiswith you And so am I
(HILDEGARDISsuddenlysnaps outofherreverie,thinksofRICHARDIS)
(HILDEGARDrushesoff tofindRICHARDIS.)
#œœœœ#œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ#œœœœ#œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ
#œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ#œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ œœœœœ#œœœœ#œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ#œœœœ#œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ w w
#œœœnœ≈
#œ#œœœ #œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ
#œœœœ#œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ#œœœœ#œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ
œœœœœ#œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ#œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ
œœœœœ#œœœœ#œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ#œœœœ#œœœœœœœœœœœœœœœ w w
(HILDEGARDentersthenovicedorterItisemptybutforRICHARDIS, whoisasleepinbedRICHARDISiswearinghertunicbutnothabit; herhairislooseSheislyingonherside,turnedawayfromHILDEGARD, inaquasi-fetalpositionHILDEGARDtiptoesovertoRICHARDIS, notwantingtowakeher,andkneelsbyherbedside)
Wewillwriteandpaint,andsingandteach
(HILDEGARDleansforwardandplacesabriefkisson RICHARDIS’sforeheadRICHARDISisunresponsive HILDEGARD,suddenlynoticingthepotentsmellof Tansy,leansinagaintosniffclosetoherface,andrecoils)
know Youarenota-lone, notaloneinthis
(HILDEGARDtriestowakeRICHARDIS,tonoeffect SHEquicklyglancesaroundtheroom,underthebed, opensthebedsidedrawer,findingnothing)
(SHEthenrummagesthroughthepocketsofRICHARDIS’s tunic–outofwhichSHEpullsabouquetofcrumpled TansyflowersHILDEGARDlooksattheTansyfora splitsecond,andthenletsitfalltothefloor,eruptinginpanic)
(rushestoRICHARDIS,francticallytriestorouseher, pattingherontheface,etc) (todoorway)
(CLEMENTIArunstogetthewine; HILDEGARDcontinuestryingto rouseRICHARDIS)
(HILDEGARDquicklygetsbehind RICHARDISonthebed,pullingherup intoaseatedpositionCLEMENTIAenters withthejugofwine)
Wemustgetyoutopurge
(CLEMENTIAholdsRICHARDIS’sheadupright, whileHILDEGARDbringsthejugofwinetoherlips ButRICHARDISisunresponsive,anditjustrollsdown herchinontohertunic)
Richar - -dis,say no, sayno! Youwill not
(HILDEGARDandCLEMENTIAarrangeRICHARDISontoherstomach, hangingheadfirstoffthesideofthebedHILDEGARDbeginscompressions onherback,tryingtomakehervomit)
Slowerq=44 pocorit.
(HILDEGARD furiouslycontinues gentlecompressions)
(CLEMENTIAtakesRICHARDIS’s pulseonherneckRealizingthereisnone, SHEcrossesherself)
Slowerq=44 pocorit.
(HILDEGARDletsoutaskyward, gutturalscream,andthelightsgoblack)
Abitslowerq=69
daughter, - mymother, - youhaveravished
Abitslower
Vln1
Vln2
Leaningbackq=63 q
Leaningbackq=63 q
W X
pppasustainedghostlysound; asquietaspossible p
pppasustainedghostlysound; asquietaspossible p
pppasustainedghostlysound; asquietaspossible p
pppasustainedghostlysound; asquietaspossible
Vln1
Vln2
q=76-80
Warm,elegiac,q=76-80 CC
Warm,elegiac,q=76-80 CC
(HILDEGARDlightsacandle,aslightonthestagereveals twoshallowgravesoftwigs/branches/dirtonthefloor)