BARBIE BLUE - Opera in One Act The idea of Barbie Blue (credits for the title go to Hungarian writer, poet László Garaczi) was conceived for the 125th anniversary of Béla Bartók’s birth. It was written as a proceeding ‘comic version’ to its inspiration, Duke Bluebeard’s Castle. It is composed for the same voices and for similar size orchestra as Bartók’s only opera. At crucial structural points and at the level of fundamental musical processes, the opera continuously makes references, albeit concealed, to its ‘dramatic pair’. The libretto was written by András Almási-Tóth, inspired by Anatole France’s short story Les Sept Femmes de la Barbe-Bleue, and Béla Balázs’s libretto for Bluebeard’s Castle. The characters in this tragicomic musical satire are Barbie and her husband Bernard, and three almost naked ‘Chippendale’ male dancers. The latter ones are silent roles. Barbie, the woman is the central character of the opera. She is the one who drives the dramatic action. She prompts the man to react continuously. Barbie is the initiator and her behaviour and musical style change from scene to scene, from ‘woman to woman’. The seven doors of Balázs-Bartók here have their equivalent in the Barbie’s seven modes of existence. While the dramaturgy of Bartók’s opera follows the arc: dark–light–dark, Barbie Blue goes almost the reverse way: light–dark–...light(?). GULLIVER IN FAREMIDO “As if someone pounded on the door of our soul from outside, from the world of Beauty and Reality; but we no longer understand the voice. It is this language they speak in Faremido. Gulliver, the wanderer, believed for a moment that he almost understood it.” – writes Frigyes Karinthy (1887-1938) humorist, poet, playwright, one of the most original, versatile and popular Hungarian writers of his era. In his short story Voyage to Faremido (1917) he presents a vision of a planet ruled by machines, the solatis whose language is music. Through the eyes of these inorganic and immortal supreme beings humans are only unimportant and irritating, parasitic germs. Man's ideals and beliefs are ridiculously short lived and insignificant. Karinthy’s story, I believe is just the perfect topic for a composition mixing music and spoken words. American poet David Hill (who spent years living and working in Hungary writing – among other things – song) and I decided to make Gulliver our contemporary and rewrite the story in everyday American English. This composition was commissioned and first performed in 2010 by the Third Angle New Music Ensemble in Portland, OR. There are two woodwind instruments in Gulliver in Faremido. The alto flute, shadowed by the clarinet represents the familiar character of Swift's traveller and his attitude towards the world. When we first hear one of the solatis speak the clarinetist switches to a so called “woodwind synthesizer”. By using this special MIDI interface I wanted to create a special, otherworldly sound colour to represent the singing robots. By adding metallic percussion instruments (vibraphone and tubular bells) to the mix I was able to achieve a constant “vibe” throughout the piece. This “vibe” is somehow mesmerizing but kind of cold sounding to us, humans. Just like solatis themselves. Violin, cello and piano make the chamber group complete and give variety to the soundscape. At certain points of the story the narrator is required to sing. He is after all talking to the robots or trying to translate what they are saying. Does the story have a happy ending? No, it does not. Yet it is told without bitterness and pessimism and with a lot of sarcasm. My hope as a composer is that even for just a few minutes I can help you understand the most perfect way of communication there is: the language of Faremido. CONVERSATIONS WITH CHILDREN This five-player, nine-minute long composition was inspired by a short book called Conversations with Adam and Natasha (New York: Pantheon, 1977). The book was written by renowned Scottish psychologist Ronald David Laing (1927–1989). I chose the five snatches of conversations of Laing and his son, Adam and daughter, Natasha as the base of my composition. I have tried with my music to convey the playfulness of ‘kids’ talk’, the way of thinking that is far from innocent yet not yet spoilt by expectations, the philosophical depth, which my sons Balázs and Vince also had at age three to six. The five movements of the piece are played without a break. Conversations with Children received special mention of the jury at the “…a Camillo Togni” international composition competition in Brescia, Italy. Gergely Vajda

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