Clarges - the Opera
'Clarges - the Opera' takes its story and characters from the 1956 novel 'To Live Forever' by Jack Vance (1916 -2013), acclaimed Grand Master of Science Fiction. In some far future the nation of Clarges is an island of civilization in a world of primitive barbarism. The civilization has been hard won from the chaos and savagery of overpopulation: caused by the discovery of techniques that conquered the aging process and allowed people to live forever.
Population is regulated by the rules of the 'Fair Play Act' and the Actuarian computer. Signing up to gain the benefits of anti-aging techniques is a voluntary act that carries with it a surrender to the decision of the computer as to one's time of death. The benefits of longer life are doled out according to meritorious service for the community. The most worthy become 'Amaranth' and are given immortality. Society is a meritocracy par excellence, which produces mental illness for many who fail to succeed.
Joe St.Johanser has produced an opera libretto from the novel, eliminating much detail but leaving the gripping plot intact.
Content
Clarges - the Opera is a 2 CD package which can be downloaded from the website immediately after purchase. The package also contains the CD cover, a libretto for reading along, the vocal score and the full musical score, all in PDF-format.
| CD 1 | ||||||||||
| Track | Act | Scene | Music | Incipit | ||||||
| 1 | 1 | 1 | The Spaceport | 1 | Prologue | 'I am an old woman' | ||||
| 2 | 2 | The House of Life at Carnevale | 2a | Carnevale | 'Carnevale' | |||||
| 2b | Upslope Chorus | 'Our brains clogged by work' | ||||||||
| 2c | Duet | 'Drift on the current' | ||||||||
| 3 | 3 | A bar at Carnevalle | 3a | Bar table quintet | 'Gavin tells me very little' | |||||
| 3b | Entracte | |||||||||
| 4 | 2 | 1 | Morning - Esterhazy Square | 4 | Cafe Dalmatia and Actuarian | 'I... I...It's about my husband' | ||||
| 5 | 2 | Later that evening | 5a | Cage of Shame | 'Quite a sight isn't it?' | |||||
| 5b | Aria | 'So how simple it was' | ||||||||
| 5c | Cage of Shame Chorus | 'The cage of shame for those who aim to steal our lives' | ||||||||
| 5d | Entracte | |||||||||
| 6 | 3 | 1 | The Balliasse Palliatory | 6a | Balliasse Palliatory | 'Perhaps I can help you?' | ||||
| 2 | Later | 6b | 'I'd like to see Mr. Basil Thinkoup please' | |||||||
| 3 | Some days later | 6c | 'Sara it's a hard thing to say' | |||||||
| 4 | Later that evening | 6d | 'I am to read this message' | |||||||
| CD 2 | ||||||||||
| Track | Act | Scene | Music | Incipit | ||||||
| 1 | 5 | The Mind Read Facility | 7 | The Mind Read | 'Gavin Waylock, you are to be questioned' | |||||
| 6 | Later in the Balliasse Palliatory | 8 | Balliasse Wingding | 'There's a rumour going round the palliatory' | ||||||
| 2 | 4 | 1 | The Pan-Arts Union Hall | 9 | Acqua sculpture Recit. Chorus and Dance | 'After the shambles' | ||||
| 10 | Aria and Duet | 'The crime is abstract and fundamental' | ||||||||
| 11 | Performance of The Anastasia Fancourt | 'There is a world I seldom speak of' | ||||||||
| 3 | 2 | Anastasia's dressing room | 12 | Dressing room Duet and Scena | 'Renata Biebursson, I am honoured' | |||||
| 4 | 5 | 1 | The Prytaneon | 13 | Prytaneon Scena and Chorus | 'I will waste no time' | ||||
| 5 | 6 | 1 | Street scene | 14 | Street scene | 'Of course that was not the end' | ||||
| 2 | Esterhazy Square, Actuarian and Spaceport | 15 | Finale | 'Give us our lives' | ||||||
Sample
 |
Act 6, Scene 1 and 2 |
Buy and download
Clarges - the Opera can be purchased from the Music Shop.