WORK
Nature's Complaint
to God about Mankind
A Story in Music
for Mezzo Soprano, Mixed Choir,
String Instruments and Hand Drums
PHILIP CARLESTON
First Part
Nature complains to God about her treatment at the hands of Mankind (1). She reminds him of their original passion (2) and recalls the ecstasy of creation (3).
Then came Man. What a delight it was to play with the human couple! How could the game with the snake and the tree have gone so wrong ? A splinter of emptiness enters the hearts of humans ( 4) and they leave the garden. Who drove them out ? “Not you, Lord. Not I.“ (5)
Nature seeks to draw the humans back into gentle play but they steal off with everything she offers them. Why? They don’t reply.(6). They are possessed, it seems, by the words of the serpent: “As gods you will be if you eat of the fruit of the tree.“ (7)
Second Part
Nature loses patience with Man, who taunts her: “Where is now this God of yours ? “ Even Nature begins to doubt. Enough! What has been created can also be dissolved (8). She summons all beings to dance the world out of existence, back into its original unity (9), and returns to heaven (10).
She has the vision of a garden, where a figure robed in white speaks words of comfort to her and of love (11) . Coming to herself again, Nature knows she was blinded, deafened, numbed to the presence of God by the fevered activity of Man. If only Humankind would give up the relentless pursuit of eternity and learn to be human! (12)
First Part
1. Complaint (Choir)
2. First Passion (Soprano Solo)
3. Dance of Creation (Choir )
4. Eden (Soprano Solo)
5. Nowhere (Choir)
6. Something I don’t Understand (Soprano Solo)
7. Gods (Choir)
Second Part
8. Tell me (Soprano Solo and Choir)
9. Dance to the End of Time (Choir)
10. Back into Heaven (Choir and Soprano Solo)
11. The Garden (Soprano Solo with Choir a capella)
12.To be Human (Choir and Soprano Solo)
© 2017 . Nature's Complaint . Philip Carleston