UMS Concert Program, : Text Of Pragensia --

Text of
PRAGENSIA
PROLOGUE
Tutti This fountain, begun in the Prague castle in 1554 and completed in 1559.
Soprano solo
This fountain, begun in the Prague castle in 1554 and completed in 1559; The maker being TomaS the gunsmith
Bass duet
Myself Vavrinec Kficka from Bityska who alone the figures moulded and into form definitive with Tomas Wolf casted.
Tutti as above
HOW FIRE BALLS ARE MADE
Tenor solo Whoever so wishes to make fireballs for fields and towns
Basses and soloist
Take balls of iron and around each wind six metal strips; resin and gunpowder dissolve, to this add sulphur and saltpeter
Female voices Sulphur and saltpeter
Tenor and others And what you will and see how thus it burns!
INTERLUDE
Tutti
In a cauldron this mixture repeat, all the while over ironballs you pour, and each enclose in hemp, and on a wooden slab, the balls thus rolled and sulphur sprinkled until each its form derives (sound of shooting).
Tenor alternating with the chorus The sooner you may shoot, the better! And wherever you shall shoot . . .
All Damage and fire shall you cause (sound of shooting).
HOW BELLS ARE MADE
Alto solo
Whosoever wishes to make bells, into moulds of wood or iron press clay and take them to the firer.
Continues with male voices
On straw thus place the mould, and with a bludgeon the cover pierce, until the wax by fire is melted, into the clay is drawn, once more to be fired.
INTERLUDE
Meanwhile the chorus sings Give peace unto our days, for that which our lives most need is peace.
Soprano continues with the preparation
If so you wish between the bell covers molten liquid pour Then in a cavity upon crosses so fix the bells and immovably enclose them, engrave them. Into ashes burn grapevines, and with this ash mix salt, vinegar, chalk and oxes bile. If so you wish, add bones from a calf's head, burnt and ground.
INTERLUDE
Female voices Into the oven with the bells must be, one pound of earth and seven pounds of copper.
Male voices To perfect the substance add to ten pounds, three pounds of pewter.
Female voices
Once all is poured and cooled, so from the cavity withdraw, and pound the mould, thereby removing the encased bell.
Meanwhile male voices repeat Give peace unto our days . . .
Female voices continue Take out the bells and with sandstone so clean.
Alto solo Thus finished, the bell is formed.
(this is repeated in Tutti and simultaneously the prayer for peace is sung) THE STONE OF WISDOM
Baritone solo and basses
He, who the wisdomstone possesses, is able to perceive the wisdom of the whole world, as reflected by a mirror. His power is thus enormous. All metals to gold can he change, and retain youth and health in all people.
Bass solo and chorus
In the beginning, the stone is as potent as poison, killing all. Its progression is akin to a spirit, strong, forceful and penetrating. At the end
Chorus The most perfect medicinal remedy.
Baritone solo and chorus
And here begins the composition of the stone. It comprises four substances water, so named sage's mercury earth, so called gold fire, meaning sulphur air, meaning ammonia. These four elements are one.
Tutti
Vitriol, saltpeter and salt of ammonia shall you distill in a glass. First gently, then the fire explodes, and finally, when nothing remains for distillation, burn it up. At the end, with a quick fire burn it up again the ghosts shall pass through the smoke and remain in the glass (noise INTERLUDE).
Bass declaiming alternately with the chorus
Take up sixteen parts of mercury, two parts of sulphur, one or oneandahalf parts of gold, mix all together in a stone vessel and grind for three hours. Put all in a glass, called Phiole. This glass has a long, thin neck, is rounded at the base; so let it stand three days and nights, the stone coagulates, absorbing the body, the soul and the spirit.
Female voices
The fire is stimulated by a white dress, with three strands of thread it burns but lightly and stays as a gleam of moonlight. The dress of the stone shall be made of four strips and from the beginning, as a red light burning in candles.
Male voices And now stable is the wisdomstone created is the elixir, the living, lovely child,
Tutti
Sleep, death and anxiety, sleep sadness and poverty, sleep all is attained what was lost.
More and more forbidding voices increase in volume
"Futility upon futility. Found what was lost, and the secret is obtained, great and complete."