Once Upon the Wind
Available for Production
ORCHESTRATION:
Piano Only or 12 Players
Version A: Piano Only
Version B: Flute, Oboe, Clarinet in Bb, Bassoon, Vibraphone (struck and bowed), Accordion (with piano keyboard, Stradella Bass), Harp (double action), Violin I, Violin 2, Viola, Violoncello, Double Bass (C extension)
CHORUS:
None
ROLES:
3 Singers
DOMOVOY, a house spirit (Tenor)
SOLDIER (Baritone)
MOTHER (Mezzo-Soprano)
DURATION:
31’
Can we hold on to loved ones forever — or should we learn to let them go? Can we fight the inevitable — and if we do, at what cost? Hoping to keep his dying mother alive, a soldier captures death. The soldier's resident “house spirit” thinks he knows better, but is his mother the one who really knows the right path to choose? Based on an old Russian folktale, Once Upon the Wind is a powerful musical fable that reflects upon the moral implications of playing with nature.
Synopsis
Scene One
The time is long ago; the place, the Russian countryside. The DOMOVOY, a mischievous House Spirit, is up to his usual tricks: pranking, blowing out candles, teasing the cat. But he also seeks a hidden treasure. Through his habitual spying, he has seen his master, the SOLDIER, capture Death in a magic sack, and now is obsessed with stealing the prize for himself, though what exactly he will do with it, he is not certain. If he finds the sack, will he let Death go? Would that be disloyal to his Master, or simply a chance to rule benevolently and show a wiser side? The SOLDIER unexpectedly returns and catches the spirit at his game. Offering treats and gifts to divert the DOMOVOY’s attention, the SOLDIER grabs the sack, ties it even more tightly and takes it away.
Scene Two
The SOLDIER’S MOTHER, gravely ill, lies in bed. The SOLDIER tries to wake her, but she has lost all interest in the world. The SOLDIER excitedly reveals that in order to keep her alive, he has captured Death in a sack. He urges her to take the precious sack and store it out of reach of the fickle DOMOVOY. Alarmed at what her son has done, his MOTHER convinces him that he must release Death back into the world so that the ill and suffering can find repose, wars can end, and she too can have the release she longs for. As mischievous as the DOMOVOY seems, she says, even he would know Death must be released to do its work. The remorseful SOLDIER opens the sack and Death dashes out and flies away, tearing the magic sack and taking the MOTHER’s soul.
Scene Three
Distraught, the SOLIDER returns to the DOMOVOY and begs him to use his own magic to mend the sack and bring Death back. Feverishly, he calls out to Death to return and take him too. The DOMOVOY warns his master that not only are all games with Death dangerous, but Death is now so terrified of the SOLDIER that it may never return for him at all. The SOLDIER resolves to set forth alone, in hopes of finding Death and making amends.
Media
Audio
Materials
Piano Vocal Score
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