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Café Buffé is a
one-act comic opera, basically about food. Set in a
café/restaurant/bar, the cast consists of a waiter and several
patrons. They discuss the menu, order food and each
character also tells his/her own absurd Astory.@
The text itself is filled with absurdities: endless plays on words,
completely illogical statements, extreme exaggeration. The
eighteen musicians -- who play a mixture of conventional, electronic, Harry
Partch and Dean Drummond instruments -- are
onstage throughout. They are the café=s house band and they
demand and are served water. Everyone=s
voices are brought together at once for a grand finale.
Café Buffé was
formally initiated in 1991, when I invited Charles Bernstein (who I knew as
a fellow Upper West Side preschool parent) to create a comic farce about
food. My idea was that it would be set in a café in which my
microtonal ensemble Newband, performing on the Newband/Harry Partch Instrumentarium, would be the accompanying orchestra in
the form of an on stage café house band. Very
importantly, Charles and I were agreed that I would make every attempt to
set the text so that all words would be clearly understood.
Café Buffé is my
first opera, but hopefully the first of several to be composed in the next
decade or so. It is also something I have been pondering for a
long time. As I see it, I am someone who set out to compose
operas, but who got sidetracked into microtonality,
building instruments and directing a chamber ensemble to perform my
microtonal chamber music. For me this has been a large learning
curve because I needed to develop a personal musical language (which
happens to be microtonal) before composing an opera. Even
after Charles created his text I needed to compose Congressional Record
to develop an approach to setting text and The Last Laugh (a work
for live ensemble and silent film) to develop an approach to mixing music
with another medium.
I also have to credit and thank my first conducting
teacher, Hans Baer at University of Southern California, for warning me not
to conduct my own music (because composers always drag the tempo in their
own music) and not to try to compose a comic opera before composing
numerous tragedies (because it=s almost impossible to
compose a good comic opera). I have been conducting my own
music for many years, and when I drag the tempo, I am fortunate enough to
have musician/friends who tell me. Hans Baer=s
explanation, that Wagner and Verdi waited to compose Die Meistersinger
von Nürnberg and Falstaff
respectively, was futile. Perhaps I am merely a product of my
time, growing up with movies and TV, but for me, opera is an absurd medium
by definition. I am only interested in composing comic
operas.
CAST:
Bill Pell B baritone
Meadow Lake B mezzosoprano
Giles Swan B bass
Sylvia Swan B 18-year-old daughter of
Giles -- soprano
Hilda Honey B soprano
Band Leader B baritone
Waiters/ waitresses B at
least five B dancers who join band
chorus at end
The band, on stage B ASonic Light@ B
eighteen musicians:
Flute in C
Clarinet in Bb
Bassoon
Trumpet in C
Trombone
Violin
Double Bass B with C extension
Yamaha DX7II Synthesizer
Chromelodeon I
4 Harmonic Canons B 2 players
Diamond Marimba, Spoils of War, Juststrokerods,
Percussion
Bamboo Marimba, Percussion
Zoomoozophone B 4
players
Drum Set
SETTING:
Inside
the Café Buffé B early
21st century. The band should be set up like a dance
band with cardboard music stands with the name of the band in the front
row. Various tables are set about, spaciously to
allow much eventual movement. Later, the delivery of
water to the band and food and beverages to patrons should be very exaggerated, almost gaudy, an oversized beverage
cart with gleaming water goblets, gigantic portions,
etc. All waiters/waitressess,
busboys/busgirls are dancers or movement artists, extremely exaggerated in
motion. The band itself should always be active
when not playing: eating drinking, fiddling around, an
occasional prank.
SYNOPSIS:
The band begins to play the overture while Bill Pell, a
waiter, is quietly setting up. Meanwhile, Meadow Lake,
sips a cold drink at a table. .When the band quiets down, Bill
asks Meadow what she thought of the band: AWhaddya think
of that?@
AThat what?@ sings Meadow.
AThat band.@
AWhat band?@
AThe band.@
AWhich band?@
AThis band.@
ABand of
what?@
Bill and Meadow continue until the Band interrupts
(singing loudly) AWe sure
want some ice‑cold water!@ and
an elaborate water service is provided to the Band.
Bill and Meadow begin to discuss menu
options. Meadow asks AHow's the
tofu?@
Bill sings ANot so
good today, I'd suggest frogs legs.@
After much back and forth: ATripe's all
right. Sprouts with tripe it'll be.@
Now that the food is settled, Meadow asks: AWhat's your story?@
AGot no
story.@
AWhaddya do?@
AServe you.@
ABesides that?@
AWait for
facts,@ answers
Bill. A little later he explains more clearly: AI'm a
waiter. Waiting for the day to end.@
Up to this point, most of the singing has been rather
quick dialogue, but now each character has more to say. Meadow
sings: AI never knew the day to end. You know I never knew
any day to end. Just pulls out its plug. Or somehow
unplugs itself@
Bill sings: ADon't pull
the plug. I'm coming home. Don't pull the
plug. I'm almost there. Don't pull the plug.
Been much too long. I feel like
floating. But I pant instead. Sometimes I
feel. I'm almost lost. Sometimes I feel I'm almost
found. Sometimes I feel. So pushed around. I
see her in my mirror. I hold her in my
dreams. But dreams are dreams. And dreams get
done‑‑What will you have to drink?@
After the drinks are quickly discussed, Meadow digresses
singing a quasi-blues: AThere's no
time like the present. And the present's already
gone. No time like the present. And the
present it's already gone. Got to get some reality. Or else
I'll lose what's left of my mind.@
She ends: AI just keep getting
up. Thinking I'm someone else than I am.@
Bill asks the Band: Whaddya
think of that guys?@
But the Band mostly wants more water: AChilly water. Chilly
water. We really want some. Ice cold chilly water.@
Bill promises to get the drinks, but before that can
happen, Giles Swan and his daughter Sylvia Swan
enter. Giles is fuming: AGoddamn hard
drive. Can't believe it. Four hundred bucks. Jesus
fucking hard drive. Crash, crashed.@
Sylvia and Bill discuss the menu, but Giles is too upset to
eat. He continues: AMy
data's gone. But my tears are here to stay. My
data's wiped. But my fears won't even stray. Got a
380 processor. Gonna blow these cares away.@ He ends AI
stare into the void. And don't know who to thank.@
Bill asks the band what they think, and once again they
demand water. Giles orders a drink, but Sylvia wants to leave: ALet's split. This place is
burning me up. Why do we always go to these flea bags?@ She complains for a while,
ending AWhaddya say,
Daddy-O. Let's go to the beach!@
Giles is too upset for the beach and Meadow tells him ATime to relax. Listen to the
band.@
AWhat band?@ asks Giles.
AThis band@ retorts
Meadow.
Giles attempts to hire the band for a party.
The Band Leader insists on cash payment. Giles asks AHow about Saturday,@ but the Band still never got its second
round of water: AOkay then
no problem. Where are our drinks!. Ice
water. Ice water. We really want some. Ice cold
chilly water. Ice cold chilly water.@
And a second elaborate water service is delivered to the Band.
Suddenly there is another patron in the Café Buffé, Hilda Honey, who appears magically. She sings,
first quietly: AIt must
be time. But I don't know where I am.@
Hilda=s is the longest song of the opera and she builds slowly
in agitation until: ANow if I
stopped complaining. What would I do instead.
Now if I stopped screeching. What would I do instead.
I'd give you a taste of my tuning. And throw you out of your head.@
Meadow sympathizes and they sing together: ASometimes that happens. A chord is
struck. The birds are blue. Lock is broke. They say
it's Synchronicity. Still I can't pay the rent
They
say throw the towels away. How deep is deeper than bent?@
Hilda asks for cheesecake and Bill claims the Café Buffé cheesecake is AOnly the
best cheesecake in the world.@ But
that isn=t all that Bill has to
say: AAvocado for
breakfast. Chevre for tea. My best friend's gone away.
Let's have cheesecake to drink! So don't say >some=
cheesecake. Always say ideal cheese pie. Unique
cheesecake. It never lies.@
After a brief interchange, Sylvia becomes insulted: ADidn't know I needed asking.@
Hilda answers: ADidn't know you needed asking. But you never do.
Things pile up. Nothing's through. Suddenly it's time to
go. Kitchen's missing. Pump's
untied. Sailboat keeps parting. Cannot find the
tide.@
When she=s through, Meadow sings: AI'm twice
as high as you. But I've got both feet on the floor,@
and together they sing: ASlowly, much
too slowly. I've learned it's fun to fall@
Bill interrupts: AGot a
chicken salad sandwich. For anyone who hears this call.@
Giles doesn=t want
chicken salad. He wants ham and egg, but Bill says: AWe don't
have any today. Just bouillabaisse.@
Giles and Bill sing together: AHot hot hot soup. Steaming hot
piping. Soup suits me very well. Chicken
noodle, cream and gumbo.
Everyone joins in the finale, singing in quick
alternation, almost simultaneously.
Giles sings: ACushion of
shocks. Bumps, knocks, slides.@
Sylvia sings: ALet's hit
the waves. Get out of here. Hey Pop -- Hey Dad.
Snap out of it. Are you listening?@
Bill: ANothing like
the taste of salsa and elk. Try some pimento peppered with felt.@
Meadow: AThis time
is my third time round. Once as tailor. Once as
teller. Once tailor once teller. Once sailor
once. Salt cellar.@
Hilda: AMy pie
is ideal pie. Ideal pie for me. Give me cheesecake.
Good old cheese pie. Until I die. Until I die.@ During the finale,
Hilda disappears as magically as she arrived.
Band leader: AAnd
remember. We're available. At the right price. At the
right time. No credit.@
The Band: AIce ice ice ice. Ice cold
water. Chilly water. Ice.
Cold. Chilly. Water. Chilly
water.
Sylvia gets in the last word with one last AAre you listening?@
Blackout.
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