Music Text
Libretto by Stephen Plaice (E)
Scoring
Professional roles: S,M,M(or good amateur voice),2bar
Children's main roles: 2 boys,1 girl,1 child as ink-monkey (dancer)
Children's minor roles: group of 10 mixed voices,group of 10 girls' voices
Children's chorus: 'books','ink-monkeys',actual children
2(I=picc,II=afl).1.corA.1.2bcl.1-4.3.3.1-timp.perc(5):I=marimba/bass marimba/shakers/tom-t/2bongos/
cyms/chinese cym; II=xyl/tgl/shakers/BD; III=mark tree/shakers/tpl.bl/tom-t/SD/BD/ride cym/hi-hat/
chinese cym; IV=glsp/shakers/tpl.bl/BD/cyms; V=t.bells/mark tree/tom-t/4gongs-pft-strings;
alternative reduced scoring by John Mortimer: 1(=picc).1.2.1-0.1.0.0-timp.perc(2):2gongs/2shakers/tgl/marimba/vib/2tpl.bl/drum kit/Chin.cyms/mark tree-pft-strings
Territory
This work is available from Boosey & Hawkes
for the world.
Opera
For full details on this stagework, including synopsis and roles, please visit our Opera section.
World Premiere
27/02/1997
Glyndebourne
Stephen Langridge, director / Alison Chitty, designer / Glyndebourne Festival Opera / Andrea Quinn
