White Horizon, chamber opera vocal score: tenor, baritone & piano reduction
PDF piano vocal score for White Horizon
White Horizon is a chamber opera in 3 scenes for tenor, baritone, clarinet, bassoon, piano doubling on electric keyboard, and 1 percussionist.
In 1893, Fritdjof Nansen, along with a crew of twelve and five years of provisions, set sail aboard the Fram with a plan most of his fellow explorers thought foolish: to freeze the ship into the pack ice and let the east-west currents of the Arctic ocean carry them to the North Pole. White Horizon tells the story of the expedition from the perspective of Nansen and fellow shipmate Hjalmar Johansen, and attempts to capture the hopes, fears, triumphs, and frustrations they experienced along the way. The third character in the opera is the ice itself, represented by musical motifs, particularly in the percussion, piano, and keyboard. The explorers’ interactions with the ice as both a companion and an adversary mirror humankind’s restless relationship with the natural world.
White Horizon was premiered by Helianthus Ensemble in 2011.
To purchase full score and parts, contact Lisa.
Sliding scale performance rights licensing will be arranged with the composer with consideration for the performer's budget.
Characters:
Fridtjof Nansen (Baritone): Leader & mastermind of the polar expedition, a tall, athletic Norwegian man. 32 years old.
Hjalmar Johansen (Tenor): 26 years old, Norwegian sportsman, an expert skier and sledge runner, a member of the Fram’s crew.
Ensemble:
Clarinet in Bb
Bassoon
Piano doubling on Keyboard Synthesizer set to an organ flute sound
Percussion (1 player): Vibraphone, Finger Cymbals, Suspended Cymbal, Glass Wind Chimes,
Thundersheet, Bass Drum
Setting:
The Fram, an arctic expedition ship (Scenes I-II)
The ice floes near the North Pole (Scene III)
Time:
1893-1895
Length: 22 minutes