Альфред Шнитке - Жёлтый звук
текст песни

"Yellow sound", stage composition
For pantomime, ensemble, soprano and mixed choir (1974)
Libretto by V. Kandinsky

In 6 paintings

The ensemble of soloists of the Bolshoi Theater:
Nelly whether (soprano)
Eduard Myasnikov (Claret)
Vyacheslav Prokopov (pipe)
Anatoly Skobelev (thrombone)
Rimma Stepatyan (violin)
Valery Bartsalkin (double bass)
Alexander Bhahgolts (Electrogitar)
Vera chapel (piano, Chelesta)
Tamara Lazareva (piano, organ)
Victor Grishin (drums)
Nikolay Grishin (drums)
Alexander Lazarev (conductor)

"Wooden Choir": Irina Pashninskaya, Alexander Golyshev, Sergey Burdukov, Igor Boguslavsky, Alexander Ivashkin

Moscow, Philharmonic, concert hall. P.I. Tchaikovsky, January 6, 1984

***

Introduction

Several indefinite chords. A curtain. Dark blue twilight, first whitish, then becoming intensively dark blue. After some time, light appears in the depths of the stage, which, as the color deepens, becomes more transparent. After some time, music arises.

Voices are heard from the scene, their performers should be arranged so that the listener cannot establish a sound source. The voices are measured, impassive, with interruptions indicated by points: “Stone-burning dreams ... and speaking rocks ... blocks of riddles of stones that are coming up ... melting stones ... The movement of the sky ... growing over an invisible shaft ... tears and laughter ... In the curses of prayers ... joy of unity and black battles ... Gloomy light ... On the sunny day ... (quickly and suddenly hiding) a sharply glowing shadow in the darkest night. "

The light disappears. Suddenly it becomes dark. Then musical introduction.

Picture 1

The scene should be as deep as possible. Ha in the background - a wide green hill. Behind the hill is a smooth, matte, blue, deep enough curtain. Soon music begins, at first in high tonality, directly and quickly turning into a lower one. At the same time, the backshot becomes dark blue (simultaneously with music) and receives a wide black frame. Because of the scene, singing without words is heard (“a-oh-o-oh-oo-and-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-I-and-and-and-and-and-and-and . At the end of singing, a general pause is no movement, no sound. Then the darkness.

Later, the same scene is covered. Five possibly greater giants come out to the left (this is like soaring directly above the ground). They remain in the depths of one by one - whoever raising, who lowered their shoulders. Their amazing yellow faces are barely distinguishable. They turn their heads very slowly to each other and produce simple movements with their hands. Music acquires certainty.

Soon, singing without the words of the giants (Pianissimo) is heard, and they very slowly approach the ramp. From left to right, a red creature, somewhat reminiscent of a bird, with a large head, remotely similar to human, quickly flies to the right out shape. The giants continue to sing quieter. At the same time, they lose the clearness of the outlines.

In the background, a hill slowly grows, becoming lighter. The sky becomes completely black. The same wooden choir is heard from the scene. Singing giants is no longer heard. The advance is becoming all blue and more and more unprotected. The ensemble fights with the choir and defeats it. A dense blue fog makes the entire scene unknown.

Picture 2

Blue fog is gradually giving way to the light-perfect and bright white. In the depths of the scene, a bright green hill is possible as much as possible, absolutely round. The back is purple, fairly light. The music is loud, stormy. These individual sounds are finally absorbed by loud bravura. Suddenly complete silence occurs.

<...>