Last winter a crazy thought came into my head. At 52 years of age I felt I hadn't done anything artistically significant in life, anything I could feel content with as I lay dying. So I thought it's time to write an opera. Then I thought, "yeah right." I'd written a few songs much earlier in life, well not even full songs. A few bass lines that band members had fleshed out into full songs. Lyrics? Almost never. Just had very little confidence that I could produce anything decent on my own. So the thought passed...
But I couldn't kill it. A few days later it returned, then again and again. Within a few days I had written the lyrics for a prologue, then soon after the complete chord structure came to mind. I met a guitarist from work and started jamming regularly. The next song came easily, then the next was a struggle. A few months have passed and I have a complete synopsis for eight songs and the music is pretty close to done. Now I've found a promising lead female vocalist and I'm considering staging it. I wish I could share the music but it's still too raw. I do want, however, to share the libretto. In a series of diaries I'll present each of the eight scenes with a few explanatory notes. Below I will begin by presenting the synopsis. I do hope it attracts enough interest for a few comments. Feel free to criticize.
Planet and Sky: A Love Story - Synopsis
Prologue – Something is Dreaming
Scientists from an advanced world are studying a small planet, presumed to be barren and lifeless. They discover a primitive life form beneath the surface which emanates brain waves, something akin to a dream. The Chief Scientist describes the situation and directs his staff in their investigation. Upon further analysis they observe that the dream appears to be a coherent narrative, some sort of creation myth. Hints of the nature of the myth are observed, the voice of a planet, isolated, and a newly born entity of surprising precocity floating above.
Scene 1 – Round
Planet awakes and ponders his solitary existence in the universe. He appears contented and proud of his position. Sky intrudes upon his reverie, introduces herself as a companion entity. Planet is confused and annoyed. He sees no need for this distracting presence and reacts dismissively toward Sky's entreaties. She is insistent that he is lacking something that she can provide. Sky demands time to think.
(a million years passes)
Planet decides to accept Sky as a lifelong compainion. He is in love. Sky celebrates the victory of her seduction. Planet and Sky unite in happiness.
Scene 2 – Travelers
In the far reaches of a star system distant from that of Planet and Sky an ice world is inhabited by bacterial organisms ejected by meteoric impact from their former home. The voices of three variants of these organisms discuss their situation. One assures the others that there is no need for concern. Just as they were ejected from their former home so shall they eventually return to a new one where they might thrive again and prosper. Another is certain that only doom and destruction await them. All options appear very grim. A third is indifferent. It takes a wait and see approach and can't be bothered with predictions of their fate.
A new star approaches and the ice world is drawn into this new gravity well. It descends rapidly toward the star, gaining velocity and as vapors tail outward it becomes a comet. The first variant is thrilled. The second is highly agitated. The third just enjoys the ride.
An impact with a potentially fertile world appears imminent.
Scene 3 – Eons of Joy
Planet and Sky romp lustfully in the joy of their new-found blissful union. Planet builds volcanoes, moves crust to build mountains and valleys. Sky whirls and dances in delight. She produces storms with winds and rain to sculpt Planet into miraculous new forms. Her waters fill his valleys and basins and produce fertile oceans. She allows further intrusions of comets and meteors to bring new life-giving substance and to generally rock Planet's world.
Scene 4 – Such is Love
Planet has matured from his youthful exuberance of adolescent joy of love and has a newer, more profound perspective. He serenades Sky with his philosophy of love; how it combines the thrill of combination with a creative impulse, fostering filial affection, while leading to a deep sense of responsibility for his mate and all within their fold.
Sky sounds a note of caution and entreats Planet to never fail his hold upon her.
Planet is carefree and happy. He ignores any doubts or concerns and resumes his joyful song.
Scene 5 – Planet My Love
Sky is now aware of a tragic reality. Planet is dying. The world is too small to stay vibrant and produce sufficient heat to make their biosphere viable. She informs Planet that she will happily die with him, but is angry that the universe is so unjust. She accepts their fate in the understanding that the love they shared is eternal and will live beyond them. Together they embrace and slowly fade away.
Scene 6 – Empty World
The world is now empty, desolate and cold. The life forms have retreated beneath the surface to enter a dormant state. Ghostly memories of Planet and Sky call out across the frozen landscape. A long good-bye to the life they shared.
Scene 7 – Wake Up!
The travelers are awakening beneath the surface. With astonishing rapidity the planet begins a transformation to a new and rich biosphere. The Chief Scientist reappears and directs a project of macro-engineering to bring the planet back to life. The travelers evolve to higher life forms and a new Planet and Sky appear. They are the distant descendants of that legendary couple that once lived and loved long ago. Their love remains and the new Planet and Sky welcome its embrace. All is well.
Thu Dec 27, 2012 at 11:13 AM PT: Thanks to some excellent feedback in the comments (zenbasson especially), I've made some changes to the libretto. The 'travelers' are now a prominent parallel subplot. I added a scene between the two principals' arias (the upbeat Such is Love sung by Planet and the decidedly downbeat Planet My Love sung by Sky) featuring a return to the travelers' conversation. At this point they have evolved and flourished on the planet that has become lush, but is now threatened by a cooling trend. Planet is still optimistic and Sky is negative, but this time she's right. They are in trouble. I named the song Beautiful Life and used the same chord changes as in the original Travelers. For a long time I had great trouble with how to distinguish it from the original, and finally decided to use something of a gimmick. The song has three verses, each one progressively slower in tempo until the final ritardanto comes to a halt before the final resolve on the Bm. The planet has frozen up solid. This sets the stage niceley for Sky's tragic aria.
Also, I made the travelers the starting point for the final ressurection song Wake Up! It begins with a new conversation as they awaken from dormancy and proceeds into the Chief Scientist's planet engineering rap and a chorus featuring a return of the reborn Planet and Sky.
I do believe the DailyKos community will deserve some credit for making the libretto, and by association the opera itelf, a deeper and richer work.
Thank you all for your participation! Expect a debut in 2013.