The Samian Being an operatic adaptation of Metamorphoses Book XV  Libretto written in Latin by Lóránt Kelemen Musical score composed by Michael Maier   Overview: Staging: Act One: Mathematicus Act Two: Theoreticus  Act Three: Electus Aria of the Aphorisms The Sundering of Croton Coda- A Requiem for the Master

 

 

Overview:

After being telepathically shown a first-hand account of the life and times of Pythagoras and his disciples by his regnant Zalmoxis, Lorant Kelemen was tasked by his sire to preserve this tale for posterity. Drawing inspiration from the avant-garde work of Jacopo Peri (an old Florentine acquaintance with whom he has continued to correspond over the years), Kelemen decided to do so with an opera— reviving the traditions of classical Greek tragedy, but with modern updates like musical accompaniment being provided by solo violin (and, in the climatic finale, by a 15-piece chamber orchestra).

 

In addition to showing the heretofore unknown true account of Pythagoras' life and teachings, The Samian is also rife with occult allegory and symbolism:

 

Much of the mythology which has sprung up around the early life of Pythagoras is preserved, depicting him as a Christ-like figure in Act One. With the recounting of this 'mythological' story, Kelemen hopes to weaken some of the bonds the 'historical' story of the Immaculate Conception and Resurrection hold in the minds of his Christian audience, by showing that these New Testament stories are much older cultural tropes that predate the Bible.

 

In Acts Two and Three, allusions to some of the occult knowledge gathered by Pythagoras and his mystery cult is presented to the audience. Pythagoras travels the world, learning the secrets of many cultures, and then shares these teachings with his disciples through aphorisms and allegory. Emblemata which illustrate these occult precepts to the elect among the audience— and which may pique the curiosity of and edify the uninitiated— are projected onto the stage's backdrop by an illumination device of Kelemen's manufacture: a magic lantern.

 

Act Three ends with Zalmoxis summoning divine lightning, striking down both himself and the angry, ignorant, and envious mob which seeks to destroy Pythagoras and his disciples. However, the most radical part of the opera comes after this sacrifice: an orchestral requiem for the martyrs, and an entreaty to the audience to rebel against the forces of tyranny that seek to keep them ignorant, cowed and subservient. 

 

As an operatic production of what is ostensibly yet another of Ovid's Metamorphoses (following Peri's Dafne in 1597 and Euridice in 1600), Kelemen hopes to hide his occult wisdom in plain sight— unrecognized and unacknowledged by the majority, but hopefully intriguing enough to some amongst the audience who will then seek to delve deeper... and who can then perhaps be brought into the fold of his Hermetic Brotherhood shadow cult.

 

Staging:

After the style of Greek tragedy, all of the actors don masks depicting their roles. The stage's backdrop displays emblemata, which have been hand-painted upon glass slides and are then projected by an alchemical naphtha-fueled magic lantern. On a riser upstage in front of the backdrop stands the fifteen-member Chorus of the Elderly and the solo violinist who performs the score which accompanies the singers. Behind the backdrop sits the fifteen piece chamber orchestra, waiting to be revealed in the coda.

 

Act One: Mathematicus

 

While Mnesarchus, the father of Pythagoras, is in the city of Delphi on matters pertaining to his business as a merchant, he and his wife, Parthenis, decide to consult the oracle of Delphi as to whether the Fates are favorable for their return voyage to Syria. The Pythoness, the prophetess of Apollo, is seated upon the golden tripod over the yawning vent of the oracle (with smoke and incense rising up from the tarpdoor in the stage). She does not answer the question they have asked. Instead, she tells Mnesarchus that his wife is with child and will give birth to a son who is destined to surpass all men in beauty and wisdom, and who throughout the course of his life will contribute much to the benefit of mankind. 

 

Mnesarchus is so deeply impressed by the prophecy that he changes his wife's name to Pythasis, in honor of the Pythian priestess. When the child was born at Sidon in Phœnicia, it is— as the oracle had said— a son. Mnesarchus and Pythasis name the child Pythagoras, for they believe that he had been predestined by the oracle. Many strange legends have been preserved concerning the birth of Pythagoras. Some maintained that he was no mortal man: that he was one of the gods who had taken a human body to enable him to come into the world and instruct the human race. Pythagoras was also one of the many sages and saviors of antiquity for whom an immaculate conception is asserted. 

 

Act Two: Theoreticus

Pythagoras grows to adulthood and travels the world— Egypt, Judea, Persia, India. In each locale, the Chorus dons masks of the local priesthood, and initially rebuff Pythagoras' entreaties to join. They eventually relent, and share their secrets, which are represented by various allegorical emblemata projected onto the stage's backdrop.

 

After becoming an initiate in the Eleusinian mysteries, learning all that was possible from the Greek philosophers, Pythagoras goes to Egypt, where— after many rebuffs and refusals from the Chorus of Elderly (donning masks of Egyptian style)— he finally succeeds in securing initiation in the Mysteries of Isis, at the hands of the priests of Thebes. 

 

Pythagoras then travels among the Jews and is instructed by the Rabbins concerning the secret traditions of Moses and Solomon. Amongst the Magi of the Kabbalistic Rose, he learns the Arts of Kothar-wa-Khasis, the semitic Hermes Trismegistus. 

 

Then this intrepid 'joiner' wends his way into Phoenicia and Syria where the Mysteries of Adonis are conferred upon him, and crossing to the valley of the Euphrates he tarries long enough to become versed in the secret lore of the Chaldeans, who still dwelt in the vicinity of Babylon.

 

Finally, Pythagoras makes his greatest and most historic venture through Media and Persia into Hindustan where he remains for several years as a pupil and initiate of the learned Brahmins of Elephanta and Ellora, where he is known as Yavancharya, the Ionian Teacher.

 

 

 Act Three: Electus

Now middle aged, Pythagoras returns from his wandering and establishes a school at Croton, a Dorian colony in Southern Italy. Upon his arrival at Croton, those holding important positions in the surrounding colonies seek his counsel in matters of great import. He gathers around himself a small group of sincere disciples whom he instructs in not only the secret wisdom of the many cultures which has been revealed to him, but also in the fundamentals of occult mathematics, music, and astronomy, which he considered to be the triangular foundation of all the arts and sciences.

 

 

 

Aria of the Aphorisms

 "Pythagoras' solo becomes a duet as he is joined by his slave Zalmoxis. Duet becomes trio as Milo joins the cult. Pythagoras' adventurous daughter Damo comes on stage, making it a quartet. Next, the scheming Alcamaeon, and then more and more family members and disciples come on stage and sit at Pythagoras' feet, joining the song. Quintet, sextet, septet, octet! Only opera can do this! In a play, if more than one person speaks at once... it's just noise, no one can understand a word. But with opera, with music you can have individuals all talking at the same time, and it's not noise, it is a perfect harmony!"

 

Sung by Pythagoras:

Govern your tongue before all other things, following the gods.

This aphorism warns man that his words, instead of representing him, misrepresent him, and that when in doubt as to what he should say, he should always be silent.

 

Sung by Zalmoxis:

 Declining from the public ways, walk in unfrequented paths.

By this it is to be understood that those who desire wisdom must seek it in solitude.

 

Sung by Milo:

Assist a man in raising a burden; but do not assist him in laying it down.

The student is instructed to aid the diligent but never to assist those who seek to evade their responsibilities, for it is a great sin to encourage indolence.

 

Sung by Damo:

The wind blowing, adore the sound. 

Pythagoras here reminds his disciples that the fiat of God is heard in the voice of the elements, and that all things in Nature manifest through harmony, rhythm, order, or procedure the attributes of the Deity.

 

Sung by Alcmaeon:

Having departed from your house, turn not back, for the furies will be your attendants.

Pythagoras here warns his followers that any who begin the search for truth and, after having learned part of the mystery, become discouraged and attempt to return again to their former ways of vice and ignorance, will suffer exceedingly; for it is better to know nothing about Divinity than to learn a little and then stop without learning all.

 

Sung by Brontinus:

Nourish a cock, but sacrifice it not; for it is sacred to the sun and moon.

Two great lessons are concealed in this aphorism. The first is a warning against the sacrifice of living things to the gods, because life is sacred and man should not destroy it even as an offering to the Deity. The second warns man that the human body here referred to as a cock is sacred to the sun (God) and the moon (Nature), and should be guarded and preserved as man's most precious medium of expression. Pythagoras also warned his disciples against suicide.

 

Sung by Telauges:

Receive not a swallow into your house.

This warns the seeker after truth not to allow drifting thoughts to come into his mind nor shiftless persons to enter into his life. He must ever surround himself with rationally inspired thinkers and with conscientious workers.

 

Sung by Arignote:

Offer not your right hand easily to anyone.

This warns the disciple to keep his own counsel and not offer wisdom and knowledge (his right hand) to such as are incapable of appreciating them. The hand here represents Truth, which raises those who have fallen because of ignorance; but as many of the unregenerate do not desire wisdom they will cut off the hand that is extended in kindness to them. Time alone can effect the redemption of the ignorant masses.

 

Sung by Myia:

When rising from the bedclothes, roll them together, and obliterate the impression of the body.

Pythagoras directed his disciples who had awakened from the sleep of ignorance into the waking state of intelligence to eliminate from their recollection all memory of their former spiritual darkness; for a wise man in passing leaves no form behind him which others less intelligent, seeing, shall use as a mold for the casting of idols.

 

Sung by Theano:

Speak not about Pythagoric concerns without light.

The world is herein warned that it should not attempt to interpret the mysteries of God and the secrets of the sciences without spiritual and intellectual illumination.

 

 

The Sundering of Croton

 

As is so often the case with genius, Pythagoras by his outspokenness incurred both political and personal enmity. Among those who came for initiation was one who, because Pythagoras refused to admit him, determined to destroy both the man and his philosophy. By means of false propaganda, this disgruntled one turns the minds of the common people against the philosopher. The mob sets fire to the homes of Pythagoreans across the city. Milo struggles mightily to save his family. Pythagoras disappears from his temple. Damo gathers her father's scrolls and sails away from Croton. Alcmaeon slinks away. Only the freed slave Zalmoxis remains alone in the temple. 

 

Zalmoxis performs a mighty ritual to summon vengeance and retribution from the sky. He calls out:

"Perkūnų yra daug! There are many thunders! Whether Jupiter, Perkunas, Zibelthiurdos, Zeus, Perun, Thor, Hadad, or Yahweh! The storm-winds, the thunder from colliding clouds, from whence comes the lightning! Hear my plea! Preserve my master and his knowledge! Smite his enemies, and I shall offer myself willingly..."

 

 

Coda- A Requiem for the Master

 With a rumble and crash of timpani and a flash of pyrotechnics, both Zalmoxis and the backdrop fall, revealing a chamber orchestra backstage, spread out behind the chorus of the elderly. 

 

15-piece Chamber Orchestra:

Woodwinds

1 Flute

1 Soprano Dulcian

1 Bass Dulcian

Brass

2 High Horns 

2 Low Horns 

Percussion

1 Timpani

Strings

2 Violins I

2 Violins II

2 Viola

1 Cello

 

Orchestra begins playing a bombastic, driving fortissimo possibile, while the Chorus of the Elderly sings:

 "Our city burns! The temple is shattered! Thus is the end of all who seek out those things which man was not meant to know!"

 

The orchestra grows quiet. Milo, Damo and other disciples return to the stage. The actors sing only to the accompaniment of the original solo violinist, playing a mournful dirge:

"We shall scatter to the four winds, and create schools of our own. Oh Master, we shall keep your knowledge alive."

 

The disciples leave the stage, leaving only the crumpled body Zalmoxis center stage.

 

Orchestra launches again into fortissimo possibile. Chrous descends the riser and advances downstage, gesturing after the departed disciples:

"You are threats to our hegemony! You will be hunted! Persecuted! Silenced!"

 

Solo violin dirge. Zalmoxis returns to his feet and begins descending into the stage upon a trap door, arms outstretched towards audience:

"I shall descend into the earth, and here, in the darkness, I shall tend the flame of your knowledge undying. Visit the interior of the earth and rectifying you will find the hidden stone." 

 

Orchestra, fortissimo possibile. Chorus advances to edge of stage, point at and singing directly to audience:

"Harken unto us and listen! We shall tell you all you need to know! Never question your elders!  There are things man was not meant to know!"

 

Behind the line of the chorus, Pythagoras rises up from the trap door center stage, carried aloft by a mechanae:

"I was not a sage— one who knows. I was a philosopher— one who is attempting to find out. I speak unto you by parables, but would willingly bring you to the right, simple, easy and ingenuous exposition, understanding, declaration, and knowledge of all secrets. And this is my greatest gift to you: the ability to think and reason for yourselves. Be curious."

 

The Chorus turns and attempts in vain to grab the Samian as he ascends into the heavens. The Chorus scurries offstage into the wings as the music reaches a crescendo, ending with a new backdrop being unfurled, depicting the tetractys.

 

 

 

Fini.