The Retroclassical Style

THER ARE NO RULERS!!!

(I wasn’t expecting those kinds of Retro Rockets!)

I forgot to include this blurb from a rare Facebook post earlier this evening about my “opera compositional style”:

I have coined a new musical term that describes my operatic composing style:

Retroclassical Style.

In the similarly named Neoclassical style, one composes an opera or composition in the style of a predecessor, sticking to the rules of that style.

In the Retroclassical Style, one composes using a mix or mashup of any and all kinds of styles. THERE ARE NO RULES!!!

Thus my antinuclear opera in progress called MELTDOWN AT BODEGA BAY borrows from the styles etc. of Donizetti (we share the same birthday), Verdi, Puccini, Wagner, Mozart, Johann Strauss, Antinuclear Protest Songs of the 1970s and 1980s and other influences.

The only guidance is that it should be fun to play, fun to act, fun to sing and fun to watch. Otherwise, what is the point?

I am so done with the modern thrust of trying to outdo Schoenberg. Have been since I dropped out of college in 1977 to study privately with Tomas Svoboda. He was the only one of my teachers and influencers who supported my decision to drop out. I worked with him getting his 4th symphony all parted out, back in the day before desktop computers. Instead, he had custom made rub on letters!

Although I have fallen behind in the workshop due a spasming lower back strain last month, I have been mentally busy - and composing the blocking and some music even for Meltdown. I wrote the following to my operatic friend Carole earlier:

Hi Carole,

Have some operatic things for the Meltdown opera plot to discuss. I want to tweak the Dixy Lee Radiation character in the plot so that she redeems herself at the end and only Johnny Watthour is dragged off to jail, after she decides to dump him, and dump her job as head of the NRC to go join the protestors. Dixy is moved by the heroine's Vissi d’arte (from Tosca) -like aria which Dixy overhears while the heroine (named Carole by the way, though she will be partly based on the climate activist Greta Thunberg) is locked in solitary confinement in the Nuke plant's prison - singing about the hopelessly sorry sad state of the planet and climate change and poisoning by nukes, wars etc.- with a hopeful refrain with shimmering strings at the end and quoting the Beetle's: "Here comes the Sun! Here comes the Sun! Here comes the Sun!" (cadenza). Thinking about this aria and imagining (and now singing knowing what it sounds like) brings me to tears, as does Tosca's aria.

I am actually now involved in the actual composing the structure and some music for this, helped by much guitar noodling and also by listening to various operas and listening to the blocking, usually while half asleep in bed at night. Lohengrin's structure in its 1st scene is perfect at the beginning. Here is the entire Scene 1. The music is based partly on our 1977 antinuclear protest songs!

OVERTURE

SCENE 1

All the nuke plant workers are there inside the control room awaiting the arrival of their big boss who is about to make a big announcement. They are all hoping he is announcing the Decommissioning because they know how worn out the Nuke plant is, and the San Andreas Fault has been acting up. After he is introduced by Withers, the nuke plant director, Johnny Watthour, the owner and director of Pathetic Gas and Electric sings this:

(3/4) Lets Build us a Nuclear Reactor

A gift of technology

It will increase our life quality factor

And make more electricity! 'tricity! tricity....(cadenza)

Well we'll find a nice place

Not too far out of town

A place with some rivers and trees

We'll supply 'lectric power for the folks all around

With a hidden surprise on the Breeze, on the Breeze on the Breeze: (cadenza)

(Refrain #1)

Mutations! What's Mutations?

Mutations is the Screwing up of Chromosomes

From Atomic Radiation

Mutations is - our Money at work!

(Refrain #1 sung a second time by the chorus)

We want to protect our Great Industry

And so we thought that it should be insured.

So we went to the Insurance Companies

They all said that our plan was absurd. was absurd was absurd....(cadenza)

So we went to the Capital

And we bought us some Laws

And we bought us some Congressmen too

And for years and years, we had no trouble at all

Until all this commotion from (pointing to the audience) people like You!

(Refrain #2)

Mutations! What's Mutations?

Mutations is the Screwing up of Chromosomes

From Atomic Radiation

Mutations is: YOUR Money at work!

(Refrain#2 sung a second time by the chorus)

Well if we can't build our Nukes

To Run your TVs

We still gots to have

Something to sell! (NO cadenza this time)

We'll Use. them to make Bombs

Make America Strong!

And Blow this poor planet to Hell!

(Refrain #1 with part of the chorus)

(Refrain #1 with chorus with Audience singing along, Johnny Watthour conducting the audience spasmatically and out of beat!)

After this the music turns darker and Watthour announces the plan to keep it open indefinitely - with the chorus of Nuke plant workers singing about this dismal choice and how they are chained with this dark responsibility. Suddenly the San Andreas rumbles to punctuate their point. Watthour and Withers sing a reprisal of Mutations on top of this and this is interrupted by offstage singing of a Verdi-an chorus of antinuclear protestors singing:

(6/8) (Allegro, dance tempo)

Too Cheap to meter!

Our Friendly little Atom!

That Fiendish little Atom!

The Friendly Fiendish little Atom that is FREEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! (they hold this for nearly a minute in increasing atonal then tonal harmony with a big sfz at the end followed by stunned silence)

(FFF, Presto con Staccato) You Better Check it out! (FFFFF) HA!!!! (followed by laughing)

The music merges as the protestors start singing another chorus and Watthour directs his employees to go deal with the protestors. The blocking here is similar to the beginning of Il Trovatore when the Captain of the Guard is finished telling the Count's story, and they suddenly hear the Trouble-adore singing off stage - and the soldiers suddenly rush off in a chorus to go try to capture him.

For Watthour's arrival, I might have him float onto the stage on a Silver Vulture singing right out of Lohengrin "Eat Voles! Eat Voles! My Lovely Buzzzz-erd""