Blogs by Edward C. Patterson
Gentlemen of Japan
1/11/2009 11:42:48 AM
What does Rachely of Babylon, The Death of a Redstart and The Pirates of Galicia all have in common? Anybody . . . Anybody? Well, these are three of perhaps twenty-five unproduced Ed Patterson operas written between 1959 and 1961. They were unproduced because I never wrote the music, except in my head and when I sang them aloud in my bedroom. I even mentally composed Overtures, Ballets and here and there an Intermezzo. The sign of a crazy boy, eh? Well, I had a neighbor across the street who saw my vision and she tried to marry Rachely of Babylon to Brahms' Symphony No. 1.
I was a budding Opera queen. I was taken totally by the Opera The Mikado. It was the beginning of a full life devoted to the world of Gilbert & Sullivan, and beyond. Sullivan was the attraction, but soon W.S. Gilbert was my first mentor, leading me to a world of words that swarmed from the hive and over my mind and hands and typewriter.
Rachely was a forceful drama about a fictional Queen of Babylon, who lost her throne and love (and her virginity) over a libretto that chortled in broken cuneiform and a ridiculous rewrite of history. I barely knew where Babylon was, except for the Hanging Gardens and all them fig trees. Still, there was a Chorus of Bablyonian courtiers that would have felt at home in my High School music class.
Better than drama was tragedy —The Death of a Redstart, which engaged a troop of birds, all types, but particularly a Redstart named Petitius (pronounced Pet-teet-tee-yus). Why a Redstart would have a Latin name is less curious than why a Redstart would be a tenor in an all bird Opera. Well, if it was good enough for Aristophanes, why not me? (BTW, I saw The Birds last year and it wasn't good enough for the old Greek). To this day, I can sing portions of the Love Duet: "Petitius, I lo-o-ove you." The tune has haunted me for my entire life. As for The Pirates of Galicia, which I thought was somewhere in Spain (probably landlocked; but if it was good enough for Shakespeare . . .), it reflected my exposure to The Pirates of Penzance. The rousing chorus "Men of the Sea, De-de-de-dee, De-de-de-dee!" was sure to bring the opening night audience to its feet (or the men in white coats to my seat).
This array of libretti sailed from fingers and mind for three years, unabated. At first blush, you might be blushing, but even this excursion contributed to the creative forces that would shape my future writing. As bad as the poetry was, it was rhythmic enough to jolt me into the repetitive sonorities that naturally flow now from my pen. "I got rhythm! I got music!" It was during this time that I developed this important facet. I also worshipped (and still do) at W. S. Gilbert's sarcastic throne. It will come as no surprise that even in my novel The Jade Owl, I have one character (a bureaucratic type) say: "Due economy must be observed," a direct quote from Pooh-bah in The Mikado. I also merit Gilbert with my interest in things Oriental. When I first came to study East Asian History and Culture, years later, I came through Japan instead of China, where I earned my meat and potatoes. So Gilbert and Opera (I started attending The Brooklyn Conservatory of Music about this time with the aim - my parent's aim too - to become the next Jussi Bjoerling) gave my typewriter a new and inventive twist. I created worlds that didn't exist and became emotionally charged with characters that should have remained dead, both my own and others. Dickens crept into my reading. Shakespeare trickled. Disney tickled (Old Yeller). So, "if you want to know who we are, we are Gentlemen of Japan." The only regret I have is that I lost the folder with all my wonderful libretti in them. I would love to sing them again in the quiet hours between revising the mega-tomes I craft today.
Next up (If you'e up to it?) — Road Trip! Until then, I'm on a frozen pond whistling "Petitius I lo-o-ove you. Wu wu wu Wu wu wu wu-wu."
Edward C. Patterson
Post a Comment
More Blogs by Edward C. Patterson
• My Call to Chinese History - Sunday, March 4, 2018
• Author Urges Resistance - Sunday, February 25, 2018
• Coming Out - Reversing the Lie - Sunday, October 14, 2012
• Fishing the Ocean Dry - Thursday, October 11, 2012
• The Imagination Runs Wild - Tuesday, October 9, 2012
• A Holiday Message from The Indie Spotlight - Friday, December 24, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon 83 - Saturday, December 18, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon - 82 - Monday, December 13, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon 81 - Sunday, December 12, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon - 80 - Friday, December 10, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon 79 - Thursday, December 9, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon 78 - Tuesday, December 7, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon 77 - Saturday, December 4, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon 76 - Wednesday, December 1, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon 75 - Monday, November 29, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon 74 - Saturday, November 27, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon - 73 - Friday, November 26, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon - 72 - Monday, November 22, 2010
• A Guide to Author Jargon for Readers - 71 - Sunday, November 21, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon - 70 - Friday, November 19, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon - 69 - Thursday, November 18, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon 68 - Wednesday, November 17, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Authro's Jargon - 67 - Monday, November 8, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon - 66 - Sunday, November 7, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon - 65 - Saturday, November 6, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon - 64 - Friday, November 5, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon - 63 - Thursday, November 4, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon - 62 - Wednesday, November 3, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon - 61 - Monday, November 1, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon - 60 - Thursday, October 28, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon - 59 - Wednesday, October 20, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon - 58 - Tuesday, October 19, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Authro's Jargon 57 - Monday, October 18, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon 56 - Thursday, October 14, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon 55 - Wednesday, October 13, 2010
• A Reader's Giide to Author's Jargon 54 - Tuesday, October 12, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon 53 - Monday, October 11, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon 52 - Sunday, October 10, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon 51 - Saturday, October 9, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon 50 - Friday, October 8, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon 49 - Thursday, October 7, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon 48 - Wednesday, October 6, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon 47 - Tuesday, October 5, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon 46 - Monday, October 4, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon 45 - Friday, October 1, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon 44 - Thursday, September 30, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon 43 - Wednesday, September 29, 2010
• A Reader's Guider to Author's Jargon 42 - Tuesday, September 28, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Authors Jargon 41 - Monday, September 27, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon 40 - Sunday, September 26, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon 39 - Saturday, September 25, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon 38 - Friday, September 24, 2010
• An Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon 37 - Thursday, September 23, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon 36 - Wednesday, September 22, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author Jargon 35 - Tuesday, September 21, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon 34 - Monday, September 20, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon 33 - Sunday, September 19, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon 32 - Saturday, September 18, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon - Friday, September 17, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon 30 - Thursday, September 16, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon 29 - Wednesday, September 15, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon 28 - Tuesday, September 14, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon 27 - Monday, September 13, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon 26 - Friday, September 10, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon - Thursday, September 9, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon 24 - Wednesday, September 8, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon 23 - Tuesday, September 7, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon 22 - Monday, September 6, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon 21 - Sunday, September 5, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon 20 - Saturday, September 4, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon - Friday, September 3, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon - Thursday, September 2, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon - Wednesday, September 1, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Global Jargon 16 - Tuesday, August 31, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon 15 - Monday, August 30, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon 14 - Sunday, August 29, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon 13 - Saturday, August 28, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon 12 - Friday, August 27, 2010
• A Reader's Guider to Author's Jargon 11 - Thursday, August 26, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon 10 - Wednesday, August 25, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon 9 - Tuesday, August 24, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon 8 - Sunday, August 22, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon 7 - Saturday, August 21, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon 6 - Friday, August 20, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon - Wednesday, August 18, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author Jargon - Tuesday, August 17, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon 3 - Monday, August 16, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon 2 - Sunday, August 15, 2010
• A Reader's Guide to Author's Jargon 1 - Saturday, August 14, 2010
• What can working on that you can talk about? - Friday, August 6, 2010
• Do you own an e-book reading device? - Friday, July 30, 2010
• What drives you to chose the career of being a writer? - Thursday, July 22, 2010
• Do you set yourself goals when you sit down to write such as word count? - Sunday, June 13, 2010
• What do you draw inspiration from? - Sunday, June 6, 2010
• Do you start your projects writing with paper and pen or is it all on the computer? - Wednesday, June 2, 2010
• What is the most productive time of the day for you to write? - Sunday, May 30, 2010
• Sinological Summers - Thursday, May 14, 2009
• My Call of Chinese History - Tuesday, March 24, 2009
• Cowboys and Indians - Thursday, March 12, 2009
• Who gives a Rat's Bone - Wednesday, March 4, 2009
• Poetry in Motion - Monday, February 23, 2009
• Marching through Georgia - Friday, February 20, 2009
• Homespun Boy - Thursday, February 19, 2009
• Over the Falls - Friday, January 16, 2009
• The Road Goes Forever On and On - Tuesday, January 13, 2009
• Gentlemen of Japan - Sunday, January 11, 2009
• Falling Of a Cliff - Saturday, January 10, 2009
|
