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WORKS
A Rose
  • A Rose

A Rose

Music and Libretto by Kamala Sankaram
 
Chamber Opera in One Act
Dur. 14 mins
 
For voice, flute, oboe, tabla, piano, violin and viola

  • NOTES

    Originally commissioned by Houston Grand Opera


    CAST OF CHARACTERS
    SNEHA (soprano) — late 20s or very early 30s. Hip, smart, beautiful, savvy, Gujurati descent, very American, PhD in psychology.

    SIDDHARTHA (tenor) —Also known as SID. early 20s: naïve, a highly optimistic dreamer, he is cute in an interesting way but he is not classically handsome, and he’s a little awkward. Kashmiri descent, came to America when he was 16.


    SID’S MOTHER AND FATHER (Hindustani classical singers) —
    traditional and conservative parents from Kashmir. Mid-aged. Mother is notably younger than the father. They wear traditional but contemporary appropriate Indian dress.

    LOCATIONS
    An Indian wedding hall
    SID'S MOTHER AND FATHER'S home
    A flower shop on Fannin Street

     

    PERFORMANCE NOTES
    HINDUSTANI SINGERS are meant to improvise sargam in raga Jaunpuri during the indicated sections of the score. I have included sample sargam in case singers don't feel comfortable improvising.


    WINDS
    Color trill- rapidly alternate between different fingerings for the same pitch.

     

    PERCUSSION
    The score includes basic thekas. Feel free to add fills as best fits the character of the performance.

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