NEWBAND CONCERTS
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Thursday September 10, 2009 – 7:30PM

The John J Cali School of Music
Montclair State University
presents

Newband

Alexander Kasser Theater
Montclair State University
 

Café Buffé

Music by Dean Drummond

Text by Charles Bernstein

FIRST PERFORMANCE - UNSTAGED

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.  

 

 

More information will be coming soon.

 

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