Miguel Kertsman
O Saci
Duration: 50'
Libretto: Miguel Kertsman
Choir: CHAMBER MUSIC/ENSEMB MUSIC THEATRE (OPERA BALLET
Solos:
speaker
Roles:
Optional Narrative
Instrumentation details:
flute
1st piano for 4 hands
2nd piano for 4 hands
violoncello
O Saci
Printed/Digital
Translation, reprints and more
Miguel Kertsman
1. Klavier 4-händig (O Saci)
Available digitally
Type: Stimme
Language: Deutsch
Miguel Kertsman
2. Klavier 4-händig (O Saci)
Available digitally
Type: Stimme
Language: Deutsch
Miguel Kertsman
Violoncello (O Saci)
Available digitally
Type: Stimme
Language: Deutsch
Sample pages
Video
Work introduction
The Children’s Music Theater piece, “O Saci”, has thus far been performed over 30 times in London, Evanston, Chicago, Vienna, and the Bregenz Opera Festival.
Based on the Brazilian mystical and traditional folklore legend “Saci Pererê,” O Saci is a unique family and children’s theater experience proven to mesmerize young children while entertaining audiences of all ages.
With the storyline embedded in the music score for four-hand piano, flute, and cello, this tale is brought to life on stage by a compact yet impactful ensemble of four musicians and four acting dancers.
O Saci can also be performed as pure Chamber Music, Ballet (music and dance), Pantomime, or Music with story-telling narrative with or without dance or movement.
The 45 - 50 minute production introduces the Saci, a mischievous forest creature, in his native land, Brazil. Pulling pranks is his favorite pastime, and when caught in the act he uses one of his magic powers – turning himself into whirlwind – to blow himself away from his pursuers. But he travels too far, across the great ocean, and lands in a new, strange place.
Rescued from drowning by a water sprite, the equally playful Cai, Saci surveys this strange new land and makes a new friend in Cai although at first they do not really like each other due to their many differences.
Getting to appreciate each other’s attributes and differences, they work together using their magic powers to save a farm house in a country village from a great fire. Now fast friends, Cai introduces Saci to snow and winter play.
Though enjoying his new environment, Saci longs to return to his Brazilian forest, and as such sets out to continue his quest to once again find home. Meaning, he disappears, re-appears, plays a prank or two (after all one can’t change a legend) and travels within his whirlwind to his next adventure!
O Saci has already been to London, England, Chicago USA, Vienna’s Museum Quartier and the Bregenz Festival in Austria… and the adventure continues!
What is necessary to perform this work?
Miguel Kertsman
O Saci, a Musical Tale about the Power of Friendship and Collaboration
Performance / Production Setting Options:
Chamber Music, Ballet, Pantomime and Dance (with or without narrative)
O SACI is a Chindren’s Music Theater Work intended to provide musicians, performers, presenters, stage directors and producers with the freedom of choosing how to present the piece:
Chamber Music (concert stage)
Ballet
Music with spoken narrative
Dance and pantomime.
The following storyline synopsis is embedded in the music score and must be the guide for any and all performances regardless of the chosen production format.
Directors, performers, or producers wishing to stage O Saci as Music Theater, if so desired, may derive a script from the storyline upon request, and approval from the Publisher, Amazonica Music, Aurua Sounds, Ltd. Contact: [email protected]
Music by Miguel Kertsman
Concept by Miguel Kertsman freely based on the traditional Brazilian Folklore legends of “O Saci Pererê”
Storyline by Miguel Kertsman and Killian Heilsberg
NARRATIVE:
I. O Alvorescer na Floresta (Dawn in the Forest)
One early morning in a forest surrounding the majestic hills of Brazil’s Serra do Mar (The Ocean’s Mountains), deep inside where life blooms, a saci lies dozing under some leaves. Like all sacis, he teases and scares travelers, spoils milk, eggs, and just about all that can go wrong in anyone’s household in the woods, from misplaced objects to burned bread, will probably be the saci’s “work.” He smokes his pipe, but his red cap is a little jauntier than most of his kind. The cap of course is what gives sacis their magical powers enabling them to appear and disappear at will, and manipulate the wind among other things.
Waking, Saci stretches and lolls, slowly unfurling like a frond. He listens to the forest for a moment or two, rolls over and rises on his single, strong leg, swaying with the world around him.
II. Saci Pererê! Treloso, e Danado (Saci, the Prankster!)
Off in the forest, a noise breaks his reverie. Saci looks off towards the sound. He grins, gleefully, and looks around for a place to hide. Ducking behind a shrub, Saci waits.
A young woman, beautiful and cheerful, with a golden tan and long flowing onix-black hair, enters carrying a bucket, climbing around trees picking ripe delicious pink mangoes, humming to herself, dancing a little, and starts to leave when Saci jumps out from behind the shrub and startles her.
He makes a big fuss, rushing her and making lots of noise, and she drops the bucket running off. Pleased with himself for being so funny, Saci hops around. He laughs hard and eats all the mangoes!
III. A Jornada (The Voyage... to a Distant Land...)
So caught up in laughing and congratulating himself on his latest prank, he causes a dust whirlwind – his favorite way of getting around. At first, he is not alarmed, since he makes whirlwinds all the time, but he soon finds out that this time around it is out of his control.
The whirlwind carries him from his home in Brazil across the great Atlantic Ocean all the way to a strange new land and because he has traveled over water, his powers are gone. He tries and tries to work up a whirlwind to get back home but cannot, and hops around in frustration.
IV. O Encontro (The Meeting)
So deep is his fury, Saci does not notice a beautiful, mystical forest dweller, one of the Gwragedd Annwn, a young water sprite, comes closer to him in the light dappled forest. She is a light, magical pale creature, like reeds waving underwater, strong and graceful, silent in her approach. The water sprite watches him hopping around, blustering and coughing, and cannot help but laugh at him. None too happy at being laughed at, Saci fumes. She suddenly appears graciously floating over a shiny forest lake and Saci shouts at her in Portuguese: “Ha ha, vai cair, vai cair!... cai, cai!” Meaning: “Ha ha, you’ll fall... fall, fall! “
Since Saci could not pronounce her name, Gwragedd Annwn, (actually very few people can!) he decided to call the enchanting stranger “Cai.” Cai mocks him and Saci turns away, angry, pouting. She sees she has hurt his feelings and tries to make peace. Saci is not interested in anything she has to say and turns away every time she comes close. She gets frustrated and pushes him. He turns and pushes back.
Cai is about to push him again, the two nose to nose, when Saci’s cap falls in his eyes. She grins and he shoves it back, furious, but sees her happy smile and can’t help but smile back at her. She steps back and offers to shake his hand, which he accepts.
Cai asks Saci where he is from and he answers with a dance. She copies his dance and adds her own steps, telling him where she is from. Fascinated, Saci starts moving faster, gaining his strength and getting some of his powers back.
V. A Colaboração (Collaboration – working together)
Two villagers run past them, fleeing from a fire in the forest. There is great despair among the people as they are frozen in fear of losing their animals, crops, and homes. Their lives are at stake and the people remain paralyzed in anxiety having been caught by surprise by a sudden and powerful fire spread. Cai conjures rain to try putting out the fire, but it is not strong enough. Saci tries to blow out the fire with wind but is not strong enough, either.
Suddenly, Saci’s wind catches one of Cai’s raindrops, carrying it a long way. They watch it go to the far ends of the fire and look at each other, having the same idea at the same time! Cai conjures more rain, Saci more wind, and they combine them to put out the fire.
The villagers return, happy, and thank the pair. As they leave again, Cai and Saci are left alone.
VI. Cai e Saci conversam, sonham, e Fazem um Pic Nic! O Tempo Voa... Brincadeira na Neve (Cai and Saci Dream and Have a Pic Nic! Time Flies... Playing in the Snow)
Cai shyly smiles at Saci. Saci shyly smiles at Cai, making a slight breeze to push her hair out of her face. She grins and offers him a piece of cheese. He takes the cheese, tastes it, and grins hugely at her, taking another large bite. She grins back at him and leans her shoulder to his as they sit together, in the forest, and have a picnic.
As the hours go by, Saci starts to feel very cold not understanding what is happening and why all of a sudden these very light, small, beautiful cold and white flocks begin to fall over his head... He collects some of the novel material in his right hand and notices that it melts becoming water -- he is perplexed, since the only time he had ever seen anything remotely like that was at a farmer’s home near his woods in Brazil. Sr. Batista, had a strange box in his house which was very cold inside containing delicious foods and beverages.
Amused at her new friend’s reaction, Cai tells Saci about winter and the four seasons, both concepts foreign to him. Cai invites Saci to slide on the ice… Saci tries several times only to slide, lose his balance and onto the ice or snow over and over again! Eventually, with Cai’s help, Saci learns how to graciously slide over the ice or snowy patches… and the two embark on a beautiful dance.
Saci of course knows that perceived time itself is not linear, but soon realizes that months in fact had already gone by unnoticed as he and his new friend shared stories and adventures together.
VII. A Festa, Ciranda da Amizade (Celebration, The Friendship Dance)
Again, off in the forest, a noise breaks their reverie. It is now spring in this tempered climate forest and Saci looks off towards the sound. He smiles, and looks around for a place to be. Standing behind a shrub, Saci waits with a large smile and his hands full of freshly picked flowers (he could not find any majestic banana tree leaves or Brazilian “papola” flowers there!)
A young woman, beautiful and serene, with a golden pale, and lovely strawberry colored curls, enters carrying a bucket, picking flowers, humming to herself, dancing a little, and starts to leave when Saci gently calls her and offers the surprised wanderer a gift. Cai joins Saci and together they gently enjoy the enveloping scent of the flowers, and smile at the girl. Their aura is genuine and full of love.
The young woman reaches out for the flowers, thanks them and runs to tell the villagers about her encounter with the two magical creatures, one from so close, and the other from so far away, and so very different from one another, who the people then realize were responsible for saving them from the great fire. In great jubilation, everyone gets together, dances, and celebrates!
... However… of course one cannot really change a legend...!
Once the party subsides and beautiful starry night skies grace the land, Saci chooses a specific farm house near the village and proceeds to scare the farm’s dogs, hide the farmer’s favorite pipe, spoil a couple of eggs and then suddenly...
Strong wind and “SWOOOSH!”
Saci appears in the middle of the village startling a couple of night wanderers, waking almost everyone from their sleep with all that noise and fuss, laughing, and rejoicing... He is a saci! A prankster he must be!
Saci creates some strong whirlwind and invites Cai to join him on a journey back to his homeland, Brazil... but something does not go quite according to plan...
The whirlwind again was too strong becoming out of control, and Cai couldn’t join him, at least not this time. Saci soon finds himself in another, new, strange land instead... and his adventures continue!
C Copyright 2009/2012 All rights reserved Amazonica Music, Aurua Sounds, Ltd. New York. License at will Universal Edition / Scodo, Vienna