posted
I Posted this on the other side a week ago- I am ressurecting it here because I am a vain person and wish to discuss my ideas in public.
"I finished EG about 9 months ago, and this past quarter I took a class on 19th century symphonies. We studied of all things, Romeo Et Julliete, by Hector Berlioz, the French symphonist/conductor. It is a dramatic symphony in 7 movements which is based in part on the french translation of the play by Garret (that is, the translation of shakespeare), in part on an English staging of the play, and in part on scenes created by Berlioz or Garret.
It started tumbling around in my head what an interesting subject EG would be for a dramatic symphony (though off limits since the characters are copyrighted of course). Here is the general schema of the Symphony: Ender's Game, as I imagine it might be:
Movement I (overture): "Prologue" C-Minor
a. Earth. An impression of the earth nearing the end of the 21st century. Theme in the clarinets and oboes with the strings playing a restrained marching rythm. b. The bugger hords. screeching presto strikes from the violins and hits from the bass signal the bugger invasion. The picollo is a call to action, and the trumpets, etc lead the humans to battle. The winds gradually die down and are swallowed by the strings, until... c.The Mazer Rackem theme. Rises from an offstage flute, and peirces through the cacophony. All is silent and still, save for a few bleeting calls from the brass.
Movement II(sonata): Allegro, "The Battle School" c-minor a. The Mind Game. Ender's theme always prevelaint in the viola, plays a stilted and quieting lament which is slowly taken up in the orchestra. As the strings join in, the theme sweeps through a number of variations and "conversations" with other sectional soloists. Ender still in the viola, explores the facets of the game, eventually reaching the tower at the end of the world, and meeting with Peter. A short prelude to peter's theme is forshedowed in G-major. b. Bonito de Madrid. E-major Begins with a folk "adelita" type caprice with solo guitar, but is soon joined by a female double chorus. They sing high canonic repititions of "Bonito, Bonito," with other lyrics about honor and loyalty, all in spanish. The "bonito" is also a foreshadowing of the Hegemon theme. c. The Battle Room. This part is the dramatic retornello to the mind game theme, but this time in C-major, with the strings going full tilt. Horns blare and clarinets swing like in a Mahler folk dance, with an abrupt end, and the return, and death of the Bonito theme, now in e-minor.
Short return to the earth theme between movements.
Movement III(freely strophic) Andante: "Arose" a. The Teacher. Rackem and Ender themes form a mini double concerto. b.The Simulator. The jeesh-members represented in the parts of a fugue, imitating the style of Bach's art of fugue. c. The Final Test. The fugue tunes continue, and are met by a return of the bugger horde, this time the jeesh are represented in the winds, except for ender in solo viola. The planet explodes, and the stage falls deadly silent. Rising from the mist is a double men's chorus repeating Bean's part of the fugue lines, but to the text "Oh that I could die for you, oh Absalom my son, my sons."
Mov. IV a. Graff. (as to pere lawrence in RJ). Male Bass soloist, in the tradition of Beethoven's 9th. b. The hive queen. Ender's theme, in the viola again, is joyous at the end of the war, until it mixes with a theme from the end of the world, and then is joined in a soulful duet with the Cello, representing the Hive queen. A full chorus now sings softly "If we had kissed it would have been the miracle to make us human in eachother's eyes, instead we killed eachother." etc. c. The Tomb of the Hegemon. Prefaced by an echo of the "bonito" theme in the sopranos, now changed to "peter, peter, hegemon." The death of the Hegemon mirrors the birth of the hive queen, and the Hegomon and Hive queen theme are joined in F-major to signify peace. The death of the Hegemon is signaled in a mini "dies irae," and onlt the voice of the hive queen remains (or Petra, its both, with a reference to Petra's theme from the simulator)
d. Finale, Now in C major. An elysium theme similar to Brahms 1st or Beethoven's 9th. But this time with a soft ending, in a nice and slow andante which fades to a legetto, and falls to a calm sleep." ----------------------------------------------------
OSC responded to a comment of mine on copyright infringment, and there the matter rested:
Orson Scott Card: It all depends on if you're doing a symphony (i.e., no words) or an oratorio or opera. A symphony based on Ender's Game could not possibly infringe copyright and would only enhance the value of the property.
But the piece you describe is choral, and the words would indeed present the voice of various characters. Thus you would need permission. And for that, you'd have to impress the owner of the rights with your composing talent <grin>."
Posts: 9912 | Registered: Nov 2005
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quote: d. Finale, Now in C major. An elysium theme similar to Brahms 1st or Beethoven's 9th. But this time with a soft ending, in a nice and slow andante which fades to a legetto, and falls to a calm sleep."
Definitely a good idea, but if I could make a suggestion, you could choose to switch the finale to A minor near the end. Maybe the strings could start another march pattern, to signify the beginning of Ender's voyage. Just an idea. Posts: 1594 | Registered: Apr 2006
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posted
NO MUSICALS! Although I find the idea novel, I abhore most musicals for their vacuous music and the actors' often divatic histrionics. I always did musical in Highschool because it was considered the highest form of stage-art by students and faculty (Shakespeare anyone?). I wanted to act but I could have done well without the abhorrent showtunes...
Sorry to anybody that's a real musicals fan, but as far as I'm concerned the music in a typical show is indefensibly bad. :0
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posted
I don't have any themes written specifically for this, that would be an organic process that would start, ohhh.... at a mini-grand piano next to a window overlooking a beach in the carribean somewhere.
"David's Lament" Is a reference to Ender's Shadow. Bean quotes David's words upon the death of his son in battle, even though it signifies his victory. He loves his enemy so much, that to kill him hardly seems a victory, but instead a terrible kind of defeat in his life. This is a parallel to the EG story, his ability to kill the buggers stemming from knowing them so well, and in the end realizing that he loves them too. "If we had kissed it would have been the miracle to make us Human in each other's eyes. Instead we killed each other..." Love and murder are bound up into a single thought and theme, to love and to kill are linked in the story and in the symphony.
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Be sure to check out several tracks as it may not be what you think it is. OK, I'll just explain because that link skips around so much you don't get a full idea of what it is. There is a narrator as is obvious from the first track. But there are also soloists, choirs, actors and dialog. I've been listening to most of what is on that lnk and I haven't heard anyone but the narrator. Oh well.
Track 15, 17, 22, 23, and 25 have vocals (you must check out 22, 23, and 25). After track 30 it is remixed stuff (not part of the original album).
I know someone is going to hate this style (sometimes it kinda sounds discoy) but I don't care. I think it is awesome.
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I *CAN'T* be that old. 
