(2001-2004)
Adapted from Lewis Carroll by Gary Bachlund & Marilyn Barnett
After the stories of "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking-Glass."
In two acts for eighteen soli (playing multiple parts) and chamber orchestra
Act Two
Through the Looking-Glass
Tweedledum and Tweedledee
v. Tweedledum and Tweedledee
[The No-Name woods become darker, more menacing. Tweedledum and Tweedledee step out from behind a tree.]
Tweedledum and Tweedledee
Deedum deedum dum, etc.
The endings of the names suggested those nonsense syllables which children sometimes sing, and so we decided to have the two tenors do exactly that. Often they sing together, agreeing all the while the disagree.
Tweedledum
If you think we're wax-works...
Together
... you ought to pay, you know.
Tweedledum
Wax-works weren't made to be looked at for nothing.
Together
No how!
Tweedledee
Contrariwise, if you think we're alive,
you ought to speak.
Together
Speak. Speak.
Alice
I'm very sorry.
Together
Deedum deedum dum, etc.
Tweedledum
I know what you're thinking about,
but it isn't so, nohow.
Tweedledee
Contrariwise, if it was so, it might be;
and if it were so, it would be;
but as it isn't, it ain't.
Together
That's logic.
Logic.
Tweedledum
Well....
Tweedledee
Well....
In the midst of the scene, Alice recites the poem as a vision of what is to come. The added seconds in the accompanying chords are a signature to some of Alice's music.
Alice
I was thinking....
Tweedledum and Tweedledee
Agreed to have a battle;
For Tweedledum said Tweedledee
Had spoiled his nice new rattle.
Just then flew down a monstrous crow
As big as a tar-barrel;
Which frightened both the heroes so,
They quite forgot their quarrel.
Tweedledum
You've begun wrong!
The first thing in a visit is
to say "How d'ye do?"
Tweedledee
How d'ye do?
Tweedledum
...and shake hands.
[They begin to go round in a dance.]
Tweedledee
Shake hands.
Together
How d'ye do?
Tweedledee
Four times round is enough for one dance.
Tweedledee
How d'ye do?
Alice
I hope you're not much tired.
Tweedledee
How d'ye do?
Tweedledum
Nohow!
Tweedledee
Nohow!
Tweedledum
And thank you very much for asking.
Tweedledee
So much obliged!
You like poetry?
Alice
Yes. Pretty well - some poetry.
Which road leads out of the wood?
Tweedledee
What shall I repeat to her?
Tweedledum
"The Walrus and the Carpenter" is the longest.
Tweedledee
"The Walrus and the Carpenter."
Alice
If it's very long,
would you please tell me first which road -
Tweedledee
"The Walrus and the Carpenter...."
vi. The Walrus and the Carpenter
The sun was shining on the sea,
Shining with all his might;
He did his very best to make
The billows smooth and bright -
And this was odd, because it was
The middle of the night.
This faux English music hall number has the two tenors trading verses, as each verse rises by half steps through the scale to B major. Whimsical "wrong note music" evidences itself as the wholly diatonic C major of the opening verse yields to a bass line in measure 6, inexplicable within the constraints of common practice harmony but clear according to the rules of polytonal voice leading. Succeeding verses include palindromic harmonic progressions and voice leadings, reflecting the Looking-Glass world through which Alice moves.
Tweedledum
The Walrus and the Carpenter
Were walking close at hand;
They wept like anything to see
Such quantities of sand.
"If this were only cleared away,"
They said, "It would be grand."
Tweedledee
"So grand!"
"If seven maids with seven mops..."
Tweedledum
"Seven!"
Tweedledee
"...swept it for half a year,
Do you suppose," the Walrus said,
"That they could get it clear?"
"I doubt it," said the Carpenter,
And shed a bitter tear.
Tweedledum
"O Oysters, come and walk with us!"
The Walrus did beseech.
"A pleasant walk, a pleasant talk,
Along the briny beach;
We cannot do with more than four
To give a hand to each."
Tweedledee
On the beach!
The Walrus and the Carpenter
Walked on a mile or so,
And then they rested on a rock
Conveniently quite low.
And all the little Oysters stood
And waited in a row.
Tweedledum
"The time has come,"
Tweedledee
...the Walrus said...
Tweedledum
"...to talk of many things:"
Tweedledee
"of shoes - and ships -"
Tweedledum
"...and sealing wax -"
Tweedledee
"...of cabbages -"
Tweedledum
"...and kings -"
Tweedledee
"...and why the sea is boiling hot -"
Tweedledum
"...and whether pigs have..."
Tweedledee
"... wings."
Tweedledum
"But wait a bit," the Oysters cried,
Tweedledee
"Wait! Wait!"
Tweedledum
"Before we have our chat;
For some of us are out of breath..."
Tweedledee
"...and all of us are fat."
Tweedledum
"No hurry," said the Carpenter.
Tweedledee
They thanked him much for that.
Tweedledum
"A loaf of bread..."
Tweedledee
...the Walrus said...
Tweedledum
"...is what we chiefly need;
Pepper and vinegar besides
Are very good indeed -"
Tweedledee
Indeed!
Tweedledum
"Now, if you're ready, Oysters dear..."
Tweedledee
Dear!
Together
"...we can begin to feed."
Tweedledee
Shucks.
Tweedledum
"It seems a shame..."
Tweedledee
...the Walrus said,
Tweedledum
"...to play them such a trick."
Tweedledee
"After we've brought them out so far..."
Tweedledum
"...and made them trot so quick!"
Tweedledee
The Carpenter said nothing but...
Together
"The butter's spread too thick!"
Tweedledee
"I weep for them..."
Tweedledum
...the Walrus said...
Tweedledee
"I deeply sympathize."
Tweedledum
With sobs and tears he sorted out...
Tweedledee
...those of the largest size...
Tweedledum
...holding his pocket-handkerchief
Before his streaming eyes.
"O Oysters..."
Tweedledee
...said the Carpenter...
Tweedledum
"...you've had a pleasant run!
Shall we be trotting home again?"
Tweedledee
But answer came there none -
And this was scarcely odd...
Together
...because they'd eaten every one.
They'd eaten every one!
The last verse of this duet is in a bright B major, as a "music hall" tour de force for the tenors with the optional high B at the end.
vii. Battle for a Rattle
[The noise of snoring is heard.]
Alice
Any lions or tigers around here?
Tweedledee
It's only the Red King snoring.
Tweedledum
Isn't he a lovely sight?
Tweedledee
And what do you think he's dreaming about?
About you!
Tweedledum
If he left off dreaming...
Together
Dreaming, dreaming.....
Tweedledee
If he left off dreaming....
Tweedledum
....where do you think you'd be?
Together
Nowhere!
Tweedledee
You're only a sort of thing in his dream.
Alice
If I'm only a sort of thing in his dream, what are you?
Tweedledum
Ditto! Ditto!
Tweedledee
Ditto! Ditto!
Tweedledum
You know very well you're not real!
Tweedledee
Not real!
Alice
I am real! You selfish things!
Tweedledum
Do you see that?
Alice
It's only a rattle.
Quite old and broken.
Tweedledum
It's spoilt, of course.
My nice new rattle.
Of course, you agree to have a battle.
Alice
A battle? Tweedledum and Tweedledee agreed....
Tweedledee
She must help us to dress up.
Alice
Tweedledum and Tweedledee agreed....
[As Alice helps them to "arm" for battle....]
Continuing the lyric theme of "Dum-dee dum" which opened the scene, Alice and the two tenors reprise the melody of "Tweedledum and Tweedledee" which Alice had sung earlier. During this trio, each offers an excuse as to why the battle might be best avoided, while the other voices continue the melody.
Together
Dum deedum,
Deedledee dumdee dum,
Deedledee dum, dee deedum dum.
[Etc.]
Tweedledum
Do I look very pale?
I'm very brave, generally.
Only today I happen to have a headache.
Tweedledee
And I've a toothache.
I'm far worse than you!
Far worse.
Tweedledum
Let's fight until six, and then have dinner.
Tweedledee
Dinner!
Alice
And all about a rattle.
[They battle half-heartedly, feigning great heroism.]
Tweedledum
It's getting dark as it can.
Tweedledee
And darker.
Together
It's the crow.
The crow!
The half-cadential chord at measures 115-117 is drawn from the famous harmony in Puccini's aria from Turandot, just another of the small features from opera literature which can be found throughout the entire score, in varying degrees of obscurity.
[They scream and run off. The White Queen runs on, caught up in the wind storm. She tumbles into Alice.]
To continue to the next section, click HERE.
Adapted from Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Through the Looking-Glass and his additional letters,
by Marilyn Barnett and Gary Bachlund
2001, 2004
Copyright © 2001, 2004 by Gary Bachlund (BMI), Monrovia. All international rights reserved.
