explores some primary concerns, which have always haunted human beings, and reveals them from the perspective of our contemporary globalized world. The opera is shaped like a meditation on the hegemonic power of the destruction of memory, the devastation of the Earth and even the collapse of humanity. It evolves in the fringes between dream and reality, between the visible and invisible, being divided in several acts where five characters, two sopranos, one bass and two narrators (a female and a male voice), live and dwell constantly between these two parallels. The opera also involves seven acoustic instruments: flute, clarinet, percussion, piano, violin, viola, cello, as well as live electronics and extended video scenography.
A Laugh to Cry is a metaphysical theatre embodying eternal archetypes with music and multilingual libretto by Miguel Azguime.
A Laugh to Cry pursues Miguel Azguime’s goal, as poet and composer, to grasp an ideal balance between language and music, to merge the language’s semantic and metaphorical components with its sonic values, in order to achieve his concept of “speech as music and music as speech”. A Laugh to Cry extends Miguel Azguime’s research on voice analysis, re-synthesis and processing, aiming at creating a dynamic continuum between timbre, harmony, rhythm and voice spectra.
A Laugh to Cry
à memória do meu pai
libreto, texto:
Miguel Azguime
Parte 1
PRÓLOGO
Parte 2
AO CREPÚSCULO
Ao crepúsculo
na brecha entre os mundos
separam-se as águas somente
detidas ainda pela memória do rio
a correr
ultrapassando as velocidades
conhecidas
a da luz e as outras
a premonição da luz naqueles
momentos sombrios
pelo mar adentro do corpo com
o corpo à flor da pele
a ver
no mesmo escuro inquietante e
opaco lugar que luz
incerto na demanda que o conduz
velar-se para a descoberta da ideia
remanescente
reminiscência da mente que
percorre a traços largos
com as mãos tacteando o fundo do
mundo que agora jaz
nem preto nem branco
um cinzento frio de cor parada
mas de freio nos dentes
para largar e partir a qualquer
momento
a vontade e a sede de beber o que
nos falta
e nos deixa a sonhar
Parte 3
FAZ UM TEMPO
Faz um tempo que faz tempo não
fazia
o tempo presente
está mau tempo nesta delonga
o tempo esgota-se e perde o tempo
nas irregularidades do vaguear
e suspende-se no vagar da
cadência periódica dum silêncio
temporalmente demora
ora calado
ora oralmente
na passagem dum temporal
agem ventos de rajada
raga das horas alterosas
adaga dos dilúvios de emoção
depressões fortes
descidas de temperamento
mudanças de pressão
Escorre por entre as mãos a ficar
velhas com o tempo a fazê-las
compostas no equilíbrio das linhas
de vida e demarcação
suspensas nos fios manipuladas
mãos por mãos
no tempo instável de reencontrar
na origem que nos espera
quem desate o nó que nos prende
e nos dota
das previsões lógicas do mistério
do tempo
Parte 4
INTERMEZZO – A LAUGH TO CRY
Parte 5
DÉVELOPPEMENT
Il se développe un développement
qui produit un sous-
développement
et qui se déploie et qui s’étale et
qui s’accroit et qui s’étend et qui
s’amplifie
Il se développe un développement
qui ment
il se développe un développement
qui nous instruit à mentir
il se développe un développement
qui nous instruit à séparer les
choses
il se développe un développement
qui nous instruit à ne pas relier
les choses
il se développe un développement
qui nous instruit à seul considérer
additions et multiplications de
colonnes de chiffres à leurs propres
fins
il se développe un développement
qui nous instruit à nous
enfoncer dans la matière jusqu’à
l’écrasement
Il se développe un développement
qui efface les mots
les mots communs
les mots qui aiment
les mots d’autrui
les mots solides
les mots des aires
Le mot...
Désert
Il se développe un développement
qui produit un sous-
développement qui se déploie et
qui s’étale et qui s’accroit et qui
s’étend et qui s’amplifie
qui se déploie qui s’étale qui
s’accroit qui s’étend qui s’amplifie se
sé sa sé sam, se sam sé sé sa, sé sé
sa se sam, sé sa sé se sam, sa sam
sé se sé...
Hégémonique supérieur
prépondérant prééminent
prépotent autocratique sous-
développé en développement et le
développement doit s’accroître de
pourcentages certains d’incertitude
pour cent âges et toujours
démentis qui se développent
déments en sous développant
Le développement infini nous tue
le développement infini nous tue
dans le fini
dans le fini il suicide l’humanité
en déferlante accélération il
a perdu l’équilibre et surfe un
rouleau vers le suicide
il se développe un développement
qui provoque un envahissement
surviennent des milliards
d’affamés écartelés déchirés
dépouillés oppressés suffoqués
étouffés étranglés exténués brisés
détruits
bannis dans un fini qui nie et
exclut
La terre exterminée
les cultures terrassées
les étoiles effacées
la matière éteinte
le savoir tué
l’art tué
le vivre tué
Vers l’abîme
imbu ainé perpètre la descente
jusqu’à sombrer dans la léthargie
finale d’un vide insondable et
tragique
Engloutissement sans précédent
miasme du soufre
et l’errance prédite de la mémoire
La souffrance en avalanche nous
couvre désormais
et noie dans l’aven profond
l’espérance insolvable
vers la destruction plaine
nulle haine
ni plus aveux ni pénitences en
solution
Et ils surviennent des milliards
d’affamés écartelés déchirés
dépouillés oppressés suffoqués
étouffés étranglés exténués brisés
détruits
Nous avons perdu la vue
nous avons perdu le goût
nous avons perdu l’amour
nous avons perdu les enfants
nous avons perdu les ancêtres
nous avons perdu le corps
nous avons perdu la mémoire
nous avons perdu les cultures
nous avons perdu la communauté
nous avons perdu l’histoire
nous avons perdu
nous avons perdu
nous avons perdu
nous avons perdu
perdu du per du père dupe nous
nous
nous avons gagné le mal d’être
On a tué le présent l’on meurt dans
le passé et l’avenir n’existe plus
Parte 6
EM TRÂNSITO
Por definição o que transita é
transitório
e o trânsito não leva a lugar
nenhum
é um repositório em transe para
comunicar com outros lugares
comunicantes entre si
a teoria dos vasos assegura um
nível constante por onde fluímos
espaços de confronto do tempo
com as ideias
estados de permanência dinâmica
equilíbrios por apurar
até que a proporção se inverta e
deixe lugar à transigência
exaltação que termina em agonia
e se apaga por fim num trágico
lugar vazio
Parte 7
LA MORT
La mort en porte à faux
ultime et première
triomphale sur tous
sentencieuse sur tout
la chaleur permutée en froid
le souffle inversé en pestilence
désintégration de toutes les
composantes de l’être
anéantissement de l’ensemble
ni plus vestiges de décombres
Parte 8
DÉPASSER L’HISTOIRE
Il faut dépasser l’histoire
sans déchoir dans le probable
qui dévale en pente raide vers
l’hystérie de guerre et les barbaries
perpétuées
celle du fond des âges qui mutile
détruit torture massacre
et celle du présent consommé
du froid de l’hégémonie du calcul
sur les vies humaines
Parte 9
ENVELOPPEMENT
Enveloppés dans un linceul qui
nous change en chrysalide
le développement inverse est un
enveloppement libérateur
tout envelopper pour tout
transformer
de l’intérieur détruit et reconstruit
s’élabore un message pas encore
formulé
comment par un bout commencer
dénoncer l’énoncé du
commencement en semence due
l’enveloppe découvre un corps
secret autrement identique
une nouvelle origine sur le chemin
de la voie
Parte 10
SUBTLE ENERGY EXCHANGE
A void is to reveal the complete
fulfilment accomplished realized
achieved
performed to your satisfaction and
contentment
but without neither goal nor aim
nor objective nor purpose
Mediating a transcription by
simply dictating timelessly seated
conducting the communion
between earth and sky
no-mind condition
full body commotion
what’s alive and percolating now
just with the flow
what emerges and erupts all
boundaries dissolved
Subtle Energy eXchange
expanding extending increasing
releasing broadening spreading out
and weaving
embracing entwining interlacing
zigzagging knitting merging and
reconciling
all energies into a fused whole
such an altered state
makes us float upon a cloud of
supreme bliss
There are times
just a hand crawling skin on
a snake mind
letting the pleasure in
getting in close touch
whispering desire to drown into ecstatic fire
Parte 11
LES RÊVEURS
Les rêveurs conjuguent unité et
différence
dans un accord du verbe qui voit
de toutes les couleurs
ils assemblent dans la
transmutation les pensées qui se
repoussent
capables de tout rêver et de tout
recommencer
ils émergent à temps en dehors de
l’histoire
et bâtissent la forme qui demeurait
cachée
Parte 12
ASSOMBRO
O assombro de ti está em todos os
lugares
nas palavras que invento
nos sons que desenho
no sonho que percorro
na luz que me fascina
no corpo que me retém
tu és o ar que respiro a cada
momento
naquele que voo e me liberto
tu és a mão da minha mão
tu és a voz do pensamento
demente eu quero ser a tua
semente
crescermos em todos os lugares
até não podermos mais
Parte 13
TOPIQUE OMNISCIENTE LA FORME
Topique omnisciente la forme /
for me ethnic simoon equipotent
is to all differences belonging
to human humanity humming
unity producing multiplicity
unanimously keeping inseparably
the diversity of harmony within
the union of the unison united
son of the one sound reason of
resonance resuming whom to hum
That’s clear! That’s clear? Dark’s
clear!
A Laugh to Cry
to the memory of my father
libretto
text: Miguel Azguime
Part 1 PROLOGUE
Part 2
AT TWILIGHT
At twilight
in the gap between the worlds
waters are split but still held by the
memory of the river running
overtaking known velocities
as the one of light and the other
ones
the premonition of light in those
dark moments
into the sea of the body where the
body is skin-deep
seeing
in the same dark disturbing and
opaque place that gives light
uncertain of the demand that
leads it
veiling for the discovery of the
remaining idea
reminiscence of the mind that
travels at large strokes
hands groping the bottom of the
world which is now lain
neither black nor white
a cold grey frozen colour yet with
a bridle on teeth
ready to release and leave at any
moment
the willingness and thirst to drink
what we miss
and leaving us dreaming
Part 3
SUCH A TIME
It’s such a time that since long time
hasn’t happened
present time
the weather is bad in this
deferment
time runs out and loses time
in the irregularities of roaming
being suspended in a regular
cadent wandering of silence
temporal time-delay
either silent
either oral
at the passage of a tempest
act wind gusts
raga of towering hours
dagger of floods of emotion
strong depressions
descents of temperament
changes of pressure
Slipping through the hands that
age with the time to create them
composed of the balance of life and
demarcation lines
suspended on wires manipulated
hands by hands
unstable in time to rediscover the
origin awaiting us
who will untie the knot that binds
us and endows us
with the logical predictions of
time’s mystery
Part 4
INTERMEZZO – A LAUGH TO CRY
Part 5 DEVELOPMENT
One develops a development that
causes an underdevelopment
and which unfolds and which
spreads and which increases and
which extends and which amplifies
One develops a development that
lies
one develops a development that
instructs us to lie
one develops a development that
instructs us to separate things
one develops a development that
instructs us not to connect things
one develops a development that
instructs us to consider only
additions and multiplications of
columns of numbers for their own
purposes
one develops a development that
instructs us to sink into the matter
until crushing
One develops a development that
erases the words
the common words
the words that love
the words of others
the solid words
the words of areas
The word...
Desert
One develops a development that
causes an underdevelopment and
which unfolds and which spreads
and which increases and which
extends and which amplifies
which unfolds which spreads
which increases which extends
which amplifies unfolds spreads
increases extends amplifies olds
eads eases ends ies, eases eads ies
olds ends...
Hegemonic superior
prominent prepotent autocratic
underdeveloped in development
and the development must be
increased by certain percentages of
uncertainty for hundred ages and
always denying that it develops
dement in under developing
The endless development kills us
the infinite development kills us in
the finiteness
it suicides humanity finitely
in wave acceleration it lost its
balance and surfs a coil to suicide
one develops a development that
causes invasions
arise billions of hungry torn ripped
stripped oppressed suffocated
stifled strangled exhausted broken
destroyed
banished into a finiteness that
denies and excludes
Earth exterminated
crops terraced
stars erased
matter off
knowledge killed
art killed
life shot
Towards the Abyss
the eldest imbued perpetrates the
descent
until falling into the final lethargy
of an unfathomable and tragic
void
Unprecedented engulfing
miasmas of sulphur
and the foretold wandering of
memory
Suffering in avalanche covers us
now
drowning into a deep abyss of
insolvent hope
towards plain destruction
no hate
no more confessions nor solutions
for regrets
And arise billions of hungry
torn ripped stripped oppressed
suffocated stifled strangled
exhausted broken destroyed
We lost sight
we lost taste
we lost love
we lost children
we lost ancestors
we lost the body
we lost the memory
we lost the cultures
we lost the community
we lost history
we lost
we lost
we lost
we lost
lost lost father father dupe dupe
we we
we have won the wrong being
Present has been lost one dies
in the past and future no longer
exists
Part 6
IN TRANSIT
By definition what transits is
transitional
and the traffic leads nowhere
it is a repository in trance to
communicate with other places
communicating with each other
vessel theory ensures a constant
level at which we flow
spaces of confrontation of time
with the ideas
dynamic states of permanence
unclear equilibrium
until the proportion is reversed
and leaves room for compromise
exaltation that ends in agony
and is finally quenched in a tragic
empty place
Part 7
DEATH
Death in cantilever
first and last
triumphant over all
sententious throughout
heat permutating into cold
breath inverted in pestilence
disintegrating every component
of being
annihilation of the whole
no more remains of rubble
Part 8
BEYOND HISTORY
We must go beyond history
without falling into the probable
which descends a steep slope into
war hysteria and perpetuated
barbarities
the ones from the background
of ages which mutilate destroy
torture massacre
and the ones of the consumed
presence
of the cold hegemonic calculation
upon lives
Part 9
WRAPPING
Wrapped in a shroud changing us
into chrysalis
the inverse development is
a liberating wrap
wrap everything to transform
everything
destroyed and rebuilt inside
to elaborate a message not yet
formulated
how to start at one’s end
announcing the beginning of due
seed
the envelope discovers a secret
body otherwise identical
a new origin in the course of the
way
Part 10
SUBTLE ENERGY EXCHANGE
A void is to reveal the complete
fulfilment accomplished
achieved
performed to your satisfaction and
contentment
but without neither goal nor aim
nor objective nor purpose
Mediating a transcription by
simply dictating timelessly seated
conducting the communion
between earth and sky
no-mind condition
full body commotion
what’s alive and percolating now
just with the flow
what emerges and erupts all
boundaries dissolved
Subtle Energy eXchange
expanding extending increasing
releasing broadening spreading out
and weaving
embracing entwining interlacing
zigzagging knitting merging and
reconciling
all energies into a fused whole
such an altered state
makes us float upon a cloud of
supreme bliss
There are times
just a hand crawling skin on
a snake mind
letting the pleasure in
getting in close touch
whispering desire to drown into
ecstatic fire
Part 11
DREAMERS
Dreamers incorporate unity and
difference
into a verb conjugation which
perceives in all the colours
they assemble the opposing
thoughts in transmutation
capable of any dream and of
starting all over
in time they emerge outside
history
and build the form that has
remained hidden
Part 12
THE WONDER
The wonder of you is in all places
in the words that I invent
in the sounds that I draw
in the dream that I follow
in the light that fascinates me
in the body that retains me
you are the air I breathe at every
moment
where I fly and free myself
thou art the hand of my hand
thou art the voice of thought
insane I want to be thy seed
we will grow in every
place until we’ve had enough
Parte 13
TOPIQUE OMNISCIENTE LA FORME
Topique omnisciente la forme /
for me ethnic simoon equipotent
is to all differences belonging
to human humanity humming
unity producing multiplicity
unanimously keeping inseparably
the diversity of harmony within
the union of the unison united
son of the one sound reason of
resonance resuming whom to hum
That’s clear! That’s clear? Dark’s
clear!
