Sir Harrison Birtwistle
The Second Mrs Kong
Short instrumentation: 2 2 2 2 - 4 2 0 2 - perc(4), acc, sax(2), cimb, str(16 0 6 6 4)
Duration: 120'
Libretto von: Russell Hoban
Übersetzer: Sven Hartberger
Choir: SATB
Roles:
Kong
tenor
Perl
soprano
Anubis / Tod von Kong
bass-baritone
Vermeer
baritone
Spiegel / Spiegel Echo
lyric soprano
Inanna (Mrs Dollarama)
mezzo-soprano
Mr Dollarama
baritone
Swami Zumzum
tenore buffo
Orpheus
countertenor
Madame Lena
alto
4 Modelle / Zweifel / Furcht / Verzweiflung / Schrecken
low mezzo-soprano
mezzo-soprano
soprano
high soprano
Eurydice
lyric soprano
Die Toten
choir
Der monströse Bote / Joe Shady
bass
Paganini
violin
Instrumentation details:
1st flute (+alto fl
picc)
2nd flute (+picc)
1st oboe
2nd oboe (+c.a)
1st clarinet in Bb (+cl(A)
cl(Eb))
2nd clarinet in Bb (+cl(Eb)
bass cl)
1st saxophone (sop.sax(Bb)
alto sax(Eb)
bar.sax(Eb))
2nd saxophone (t.sax(Bb))
1st bassoon
2nd bassoon (+cbsn)
1st horn in F
2nd horn in F
3rd horn in F
4th horn in F
1st trumpet in C
2nd trumpet in C
1st tuba (+euph)
2nd tuba
accordion
cimbalom
1st percussion
2nd percussion
3rd percussion
4th percussion
1st/2nd violin (desk 1)
3rd/4th violin (desk 2)
5th/6th violin (desk 3)
7th/8th violin (desk 4)
9th/10th violin (desk 5)
11th/12th violin (desk 6)
13th/14th violin (desk 7)
15th/16th violin (desk 8)
1st/2nd viola (desk 1)
3rd/4th viola (desk 2)
5th/6th viola (desk 3)
violoncello (desk 1)
violoncello (desk 2)
violoncello (desk 3)
contrabass (desk 1)
contrabass (desk 2)
Birtwistle - The Second Mrs Kong
Printed/Digital
Translation, reprints and more
Sir Harrison Birtwistle
Birtwistle: The Second Mrs KongType: Libretto/Textbuch
Language: Deutsch
Sir Harrison Birtwistle
Birtwistle: The second Mrs. KongType: Klavierauszug (Sonderanfertigung)
Language: Englisch (Großbritannien)
Sir Harrison Birtwistle
Birtwistle: The second Mrs. KongType: Studienpartitur
Language: Englisch (Großbritannien)
Sir Harrison Birtwistle
Birtwistle: The Second Mrs. KongType: Libretto/Textbuch
Language: Englisch (Großbritannien)
Sample pages
Work introduction
After The Mask of Orpheus (1973-1984), Birtwistle returned to the Orpheus myth with The Second Mrs. Kong; but this time, Russell Hoban’s libretto deals with our modern world of computers, television and video, with an American sense of humour which surely justifies the designation “comic opera.” The two main characters – a gigantic ape (complete with excerpts from the original King Kong film of 1933) and Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring – are not living beings; they are ideas, and that dooms any personal encounter and possible love relationship before they can begin. Nonetheless, Birtwistle gives the ape and the girl beautiful, lyrical arias, just like Vermeer and Orpheus.