Wednesday 11 April 2012

The Breaker of Hearts (ENO Mini-Opera)


The Breaker of Hearts

The Chorus of Sleepers appear, shuffling, shambling, (un)dressed for sleep – sleepwalking. They could be all ages, all races, but they move as one, united in sleep. There is a low hum. When they sing, they are usually divided into either boys and girls, or men and women, depending on their ages.

GIRLS
Here he comes.

BOYS

Here he comes.
GIRLS
Here he comes.

BOYS

Hear his tread on the stair.
GIRLS
He comes.

BOYS

Smell his scent in the air.
GIRLS
He comes.

BOYS

Feel the twinge of despair.
GIRL
He comes.

BOYS

Know he is near.
GIRLS
Softly-slinky and grimly-gory.

BOYS

Heart-Breaker prowls in the witching hour
looking out for joy to devour,
never letting new hopes flower
and turning every sweet dream sour.
GIRLS
Touting lies and the barely true
he swigs a cup of witches' brew,
takes a face you thought you knew
and turns it into something new.

CHORUS
He comes –
the Lurker of Dreams, the Breaker of Hearts.
Closer and closer, rising up from Hell;
The actor of the Id, he plays many parts
and now you must fall for his spell.
GIRLS
He comes.

BOYS

He comes.

Already, this Breaker of Hearts can be seen approaching
CHORUS
He comes.
He'll bring your fear to you,
it's a gift to you of his;
it won't be anything new
you know already what it is.
GIRLS
Hear him closer.

BOYS

He comes.
GIRLS
Getting closer.

BOYS

He comes.
GIRLS
Drawing closer.

BOYS

He comes.
CHORUS
Here he comes.
He comes to play with your greatest fear;
to hurl you from heights or drown you in ice,
to scorch you, scald you, burn you.
He'll chase you with dogs and with wolves,
he'll chase you down flights, you'll get into fights;
you'll murder, rape and maim.


Here he comes.
He'll show you the deaths of those you hold dear,
make it your fault, make you feel the blame;
it'll scar you, scare you, bleed you.
He'll send his creatures to devour you,
and takes a care to send your biggest scare -
his snakes, his crows or his bugs.


Here he comes.
GIRLS
He comes from the depths of deepest Hell.

BOYS

Nearer.
GIRLS
Even the angels fear his tread.

BOYS

And nearer.
CHORUS
He comes with:
Legal writs and rich men's Wills,
money bags and heart burn pills.
DREAMER 1
In my dream, my son is on trial
for treason and starting a fire.
I swear he's an innocent boy;
and even the judge says I'm a liar.

The shadowy Breaker of Hearts resembles a distant judge
CHORUS
He'll take your heart and he'll tear it.
DREAMER 1
I fall on my knees to beg for his life,
'He has a child just a few days old,
please, won't you show him some mercy?'
but the judge's smile is bloody and bold.
CHORUS
He'll take your fears and he'll make them real.
GIRLS
He comes.

BOYS

He comes.
CHORUS
He comes with:
A dozen corpses, a deathly moan;
a childhood terror, now re-grown.
DREAMER 2
In my dream I'm back in the camp,
condemned once more to a lifetime of pain,
back where the Jew should fear to be.
And the Commandant is there again.

The Breaker of Hearts appears to assume a military aspect
CHORUS
He'll take your memories and he won't spare you.
DREAMER 2
Every night he comes to take me back,
back to Dachau where my people burned.
Every day I must endure my life
To which my people can never return.
CHORUS
There is no escape from the dread of sleep.
GIRLS
He comes.

BOYS

He comes.
CHORUS
He comes with:
a diagnosis ready-made;
his only hope is to get paid.
DREAMER 3
The doctor could have cured my sister.
Now I see him every night,
leaning over me in my dreams -
I can't shake him from my sight.

The Heart-Breaker now looks faintly medical
CHORUS
He'll take your trust and he'll snap it.
DREAMER 3
The operation was easy but not that cheap
and we had no way to pay.
Now she's cold and in the ground,
and it's too late even to pray.
CHORUS
The Heart-Breaker grinds the bones of hope.
GIRLS
He comes.

BOYS

He comes.
CHORUS
He comes with:
a cross in his hand, and a rosary,
pouring on guilt and misery.
DREAMER 4
Sins and sinner you find here,
clutching feebly at a cross.
Twenty Hail Marys twice a day,
else he says that my soul is lost.

The Heart-Breaker now bears a striking resemblance to a priest, and looms larger than ever before
CHORUS
He sees your sins, he knows your fears.
DREAMER 4
I've tried to do as I've been taught,
but I've fallen into a snare.
Well you know, oh my God,
women's beauty is not fair.
CHORUS
He'll burn your guilt right into your soul.
GIRLS
He comes.

BOYS

He comes.
GIRLS/BOYS
Touting lies and the barely true
he swigs a cup of witches' brew,
takes a face you thought you knew
and turns it into something new.
Heart-Breaker prowls in the witching hour
looking out for joy to devour,
never letting new hopes flower
and turning every sweet dream sour.
CHORUS
He's come!

Finally, the Breaker of Hearts comes into focus. The Chorus, in their sleep, are probably terrified of him, though strangely immobile.
HEART-BREAKER
Sleep no more!

They all scream, briefly, as if awaking from a nightmare.


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