Terra Terra

Infobox Album
Name = Terra Terra -The Aqurarius Era
Type = studio
Longtype = 2nd part of The Accacha Chronicles
Artist = Nicholas Lens


Released = 1999 and 2005
Recorded =
Genre = Contemporary classical
Length = 71:18
Label = Sony BMG
Producer = Nicholas Lens

Reviews =
Last album =
This album =
Next album =

Terra Terra -The Aquarius Era is a musical work by Nicholas Lens. It is the second part of the operatic trilogy The Accacha Chronicles.
The work follows on the successful first partFlamma Flamma.
In 12 sections, the score combines orchestra, chorus and six operatic voices that contrast with the eerie tonalities of two female "nasal-natural" singers .

Cover, Creations and Adaptations

*The cover of "Terra Terra" (above right) shows a vague image of Lens' daughter Clara-Lane as foetus.

*Terra Terra - The Aquarius Era premiered live on 30 October 1999 at the Musikhalle Hamburg in Germany.

*The newly published score of Terra Terra (rewritten by Lens in 2005 as second part of The Accacha Chronicles), did not premiere yet.

*A video film entitled "Anima Superba" (track 12 of "Terra Terra") was directed by Isabelle Desprechins and produced by Tabaran Company.

The film was shot around the Ganges river in India showing original footage of death and birth rituals.

Credits

Second part of the operatic trilogy by Nicholas Lens The Accacha Chronicles

Music, Libretto and Concept: Nicholas Lens
Published by Schott Music International Mainz/ New York
Studio version released by Sony BMG International (1999 and 2005) (BMG Classics 74321 697182 and Sony BMG 82876 66239 2)

Introduction

(according to the booklet)

"The earth dies."
"The old earth dies."
"Now it’s waiting for the water man."

The watergod Aquarius seems to be in a good mood. He cycles quietly around in a pedal boat. The pedal boat is actually a gigantic royal hydrocycle on top of a huge waterspout. He is on his way to Earth with his wife Maramnan and his divine retinue, the dragonflies Lecka & Pecka and the epicenes Ismail, Stoycé and Luna-Serena.
Everyone is pedaling. With some exaggeration, and if it weren't for the waterspout, it might have been a family tableau at the Flemish coast on a Sunday afternoon.
As Earth becomes closer, Aquarius wonders how the human mortals will react to his visit. Could it possibly affect them emotionally? The divine company hears the mighty watergod muttering all manner of things to himself. It has to be said: no prophet expected the inescapable water treatment for the world so soon, although the signs were crystal clear: there was the swiftly rising water worldwide while the hydrophobic power of Cypher was fading.
Aquarius smiles. His time has come. He stops pedaling and says: “As we all know, we, the gods couldn’t care less about time. However, to kill some time, I was thinking of having some entertainment.”
His listeners, this heavenly raggle-taggle crew of gods, spontaneously nod in agreement. And Aquarius continues: “How will the mortals interpret the era of the water renaissance? Do they realize that it is not without reluctance that I, Aquarius, will wash over them, those scaly mortals, those fossilized, filthy fishes?!?”
The watergod is perspiring as a result of his own excitement. Maybe his sweat, negligently dropping in the Galaxy, will cause a couple of new Milky Ways.
“Yes, okay, that’s fine,” murmur the listening gods, “but what about the promised entertainment?”
Aquarius calms down and whispers confidentially: “Imagine that we're a bunch of ordinary people going through this water change, and fantasize about it. Put yourself in their shoes and feel free to use and to imitate all possible sensations and feelings that humans daily experience: intense joy, deep sadness, self-pity, jealousy, fear etc... In other words: Let’s have some fun!”
Almost everyone thinks it’s a great idea.
Only the naughty Stoycé suppresses a yawn, again. But isn’t he secretly happy as a sandboy as long as something happens?
The dragonflies Lecka & Pecka argue about the latest fashion on Earth and what to wear.
Cypher doesn’t feel comfortable with all this water stuff. He may appear shortly but will leave as soon as he can.
Does The Aquarius Era frighten Cypher?
The lovely Luna-Serena dreams of getting back into the emotions of a female human being like she did in Flamma Flamma. Not surprisingly a quick decision is made.
The princely Ismail looks really dismayed! It was his turn to play a girl! Later on the boyish epicene is only too pleased to remain an androgyne, what he is and always will be.
The graceful Maramnan -who still cherishes the gods as if they were her own children- resolves to join them in this challenging but innocent pastime.And Aquarius? Once again Aquarius is amused to see how his suggestion gains a lot of support and giggles quietly. A little tear of happiness escapes from his canthus and drops down on the fast approaching Earth.
Aquarius doesn’t realize that the tear liquid of from restrained joy provokes a world flood the likes of which mortals have never seen before.
Definitely, beyond all doubt, this must be Terra Terra, The Aquarius Era.

Track listing

1 Mors O Suavissima Rerum
2 Molitur Memoria
3 Milliens Millenae
4 Moritur Terra
5 Terra Aquarius
6 Eia! Eia! Fetus in Vulva
7 Mater
8 Pater
9 Pupulus
10 Infans Dolore
11 Pupulam O Puram
12 Anima Superba
13 Deus Meus

External links

* Official website [http://www.nicholaslens.com/ Nicholas Lens' Website]
* Time magazine [http://www.time.com/time/international/1995/951009/sightings.html]
* Schott Music International [http://www.schott-music.com/autoren/KomponistenAZ/show,3527.html]
* Internet Movie Data Base [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0502203/]
* Biff, New York [http://www.wbff.org/films/detail.asp?fid=607]
* Compact Discoveries [http://www.compactdiscoveries.com/CompactDiscoveriesArticles/Flamma.html]
* Sonymusic [http://www.sonymusic.com/artists/NicholasLens/flamma1.htm]
* Sony BMG [http://sonybmg.de/artists2.php?iA=4&artist=187779]