Premiered by Modern Sound Collective – Kai Leung, artistic director.
VIEW PERUSAL SCORE:
MSC0024 – Jabberwocky – PERUSAL SCORE PDF
PROGRAM NOTE:
Jabberwocky, from Lewis Carroll’s Alice Through the Looking Glass, employs a variety of made up words to tell the story of a fearsome monster and a brave boy’s journey to defeat it in battle. This highly dramatic musical setting leans into the dark and mysterious mood of this text, while preserving some of its playful character. A gradual build leads us towards a triumphant climax in which the Jabberwocky is slain, but the energy quickly dissipates and returns to the ominous atmosphere from the beginning of the piece, leaving the listener to speculate what may have happened next.
ORIGINAL TEXT:
Jabberwocky
Lewis Carroll (b. 1832-1898)
Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
“Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!”
He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought —
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.
And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!
One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.
“And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!”
He chortled in his joy.
`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
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