A Day in the Garden
or
Diatribe of the Demiurge
An Oratorio
G.D. O’Bradovich III
NB-I posses the full score on a flash drive in Muscore format. The following is the structure for the musical setting.
Orchestration
Soprano The Serpent
Alto Eve
Tenor Adam
Bass The Lord God
Boy alto Pre fall Adam PFA
Chorus
Violins
Violas
Cellos
Bass
2 Flutes
2 Oboes
2 clarinets B flat
2 Bassoons
2 Trumpets
2 French Horns
3 Trombones
1 Tympani in C and G
Number 1: Overture 6/4 andante
Length
Key Theme
Tutti a# minor
Solo d# minor flute a
Tutti g# minor
Solo c# minor oboe a1
Tutti f# minor
Solo b minor clarinet a
Tutti e minor
Solo a minor bassoon a1
Tutti d minor
Solo g minor bassoon a
Tutti c minor
Solo f major horn a1
The tutti sections represent the six days of creation.
The sixth day is different from the previous days [the creation of Man] and this signified by the horn solo in a major key.
The orchestral section for the final chorus is played after the introduction.[?]
The decent from the high notes to the low notes and the increase from one note to a chord of six notes shows the increasing density of Creation.
Number 2: Recitative in C Major 4/4
Length 8 measures
Strings only
PFA Now the -serpent was more -subtil than any -beast of the 4
field which the LORD -God had made. 2
And -he said unto the -woman, 3 9[12]
Number 3: Duet in C Major andante 4/4
Length 46 measures
Serpent Yea, hath God -said, Ye shall not -eat of ev’ry- tree of the-garden? C 6
Eve We may eat -of the fruit of -the trees of the -garden: 4
But of -the fruit of the -tree which is in 4
The midst of the-garden, 2
-God hath -said, 2 18
a minor
Ye shall -not eat of it,
neither shall ye- touch it, 2
-lest ye -die. A 2 6
Serpent Ye shall not -surely die: C 2
For -God doth know that- in the day ye- eat thereof, theme a C 3
then your eyes shall be open’d, theme b G 3
And -ye shall be as -gods, theme a C 2
Knowing good and evil. Theme b C 3 13
37 [36]
The listener is expecting the Serpent to be masculine as the tenor has sung “and he..”.
Eve’s reply is with quarter notes, half notes step wise moves showing she is an immature creation .
The Serpent moves by thirds and fourths.
Eve is only supported by the strings, whereas the Serpent is supported by strings and woodwinds.
Number 4: trio
Length 26 measures
PFA And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food,
Serpent and that it was pleasant to the eyes,
PFA And a tree to be desir’d to make one wise,
Serpent she took of the fruit thereof and did eat,
PFA And did eat
Serpent and gave also unto her husband with her;
Eve And he did eat.
The serpent was correct in stating they would not die from the fruit.
Their eyes were opened.
Number 5: Aria in G major 2/4 andante
length 86 measures
Serpent And -the eyes -of them -both were -open’d,
and they -knew that- they were -naked;
`
And -they sew’d -fig leaves -together,
And made -themselves -aprons.
And they- heard the -voice of the -LORD God- walking
in the -Garden -in the -cool -of the -day:
And Adam -and his -wife hid- themselves -from the
Presence -of the- LORD God
amongst -the trees -of the -garden.
The text ”and made themselves aprons” is repeated to emphasize Adam and Eve are covered.
However, this covering is not sufficient for the Lord God as he later makes” coats of skin”, I.e. he kills to cover them.
This is consistent with his nature of sacrifice for wrongdoing.
Number 6: Trio in D Major allegro 4/4
Length 77 measures
D Major
Lord God Where art thou? D 6
Where art thou? A 5
Where art thou? D 5
16
2
Adam I heard -thy voice in the -garden, 5
And I was- afraid, D 3 10
1
because I was- naked; 2
and I hid -myself. D 3 6
16
Amajor
Lord God Who told -thee that -thou wast- naked? 5 6
Hast thou eaten of the- tree,
Whereof -I commanded -thee that- thou shouldest -not eat? E 7
2 9
Adam The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, 5
she gave -me of the -tree, -and I did- eat. A 4 9 24
D major
Lord God 1
What is this that thou- hast done? D 3 4
1
Eve The serpent beguiled -me,- and I did- eat. D 5 6 10
66
There is nothing in the text to lead one to believe that Adam’s responses are not honest replies: “ I was afraid.” etc.
However, Eve is clearly lying when she states ”The serpent beguiled me.”
According to the text, this is a false statement as the Serpent stated Eve would not die, her eyes would be opened and she would be like god.
Therefore, one can infer that Eve believes she can deceive the Lord God. Why Eve would believe this is not directly explained in the text.
This is contrasted to Adam’s statements which, from the textual evidence, is honest.
Number 7: Aria in D minor andante 4/4
Length 28 measures
Lord God Because thou -hast done this,
Thou art curs’d above all cattle,
And above ev’ry beast -of the field; 5
Upon -thy belly- shalt thou go,
and dust shalt -thou eat all the days -of thy- life: 6
And -I will put enmi-ty between thee and -the woman,
And between thy seed -and her seed; 7
it shall- bruise thy head,
and thou shalt -bruise his-heel. 5
The minor measures alternate between the tonic and dominate keys to show the Lord God is rigid and incapable of change concerning his concept of wrong doing and punishment. There is no concept of mercy or forgiveness.
One trombone used and no trumpets.
Number 8: Trio in G Minor allegro molto 4/4
Length 49
Lord God I will -greatly multiply -thy sorrow and thy -conception; cadence 1 4
B flat
Eve The serpent beguiled me,.
Serpent Ye shall not- surely die:
For -God doth know that- in the day ye- eat thereof,
Then your eyes shall -be open’d, 10
G minor
Lord God
in -sorrow thou shalt bring -forth children; cadence 1 4
B flat
Eve and I did- eat.
Serpent Ye shall not surely die:
and -ye shall be as- gods,
Kno-wing good and -evil. 6
G minor
Lord God
and thy -desire shall be to -thy husband, cadence 1 4
G major
Eve The serpent beguil’d me, 11
Serpent Ye shall not- surely die:
For- God doth know that- in the day ye-eat thereof,
then your eyes shall be opened,
G minor
Lord God and he shall rule- over-thee. Cadence 2 4
G major
Eve and I did -eat.
Serpent Ye shall not surely die:
and-ye shall be as- gods,
Kno-wing good and- evil. 6
The first two beats of the measure are now in the tonic and the second two beats are in the dominant.
At the point, the serpent and Eve finally respond to the curses of the Lord God in the relative major.
The key change to G major shows Eve is growing and undergoing change. Two trombones are used.
Clarinets and oboes in their respective sections. Two trumpets are used.
Number 9: Quartet in C Minor allegro maestoso 4/4
Length 63 measures
Lord God
Because thou hast hearken’d unto the voice -of thy wife, cadence
Adam The woman -whom thou gavest -to be with- me,
Lord God
and hast eaten -of the tree,
Of which I com-manded thee, 10
E flat
Adam she gave me of the tree,- and I did -eat.
Eve The serpent beguiled me, [and I did eat].
Serpent Ye shall not -surely die:
For- God doth know that- in the day ye- eat thereof,
then your eyes shall be opened, 12
C minor
Lord God Saying, Thou shalt not -eat of it: cadence 1
cursed is the ground -for thy sake;
In -sorrow shalt thou eat- of it all the days -of thy- life; cadence 2 9
E flat
Adam The woman whom thou gav’st to be with me,
Eve and I did- eat.
Serpent and -ye shall be as -gods,
Kno-wing good and -evil. 7
C minor
Lord God Thorns also and -thistles shall it bring -forth to thee; cadence 1
And -thou shalt eat the herb- of the field; cadence 1
In the -sweat of thy face shalt- thou eat- bread, cadence 2 10
C major
Adam she gave me of the tree,-and I did -eat.
Eve The serpent beguiled me
Serpent Ye shall not -surely die:
For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof,
then your eyes shall be open’d, 10
C minor
Lord God
till thou return un-to the ground;
-for out of it wast -thou taken: cadence 1
for -dust thou art, -and unto dust shalt -thou re-turn. Cadence 2 9
The minor section now alternates between tonic and dominate every beat.
This is to show the Lord God realizes he is increasingly frustrated with the responses as statements of fact.
Adam has heard the previous two sections and he interrupts the Lord God after the His first line.
The response is in C minor. Adam makes a true statement that the Lord God cannot refute.
This shows that Adam can be like the Lord God, but refuses as his future responses are in major keys.
The serpent, Adam and Eve now confront the Lord God.
Adam and Eve are in the work’s tonic key of C major. This shows they are as knowledgeable as the Serpent.
Three trombones used. Clarinets and oboes in respective sections. Trumpets used.
The aria, trio and quartet are the diatribe of the title.
Number 10: Duet in C Major allegro 4/4
Length 21 measures
Tenor she gave me of the tree, and I did eat
Eve and I did eat
The unaccompanied duet with scales, trills and turns demonstrate that Adam and Eve have grown.
They are now more knowledgeable than the Lord God realizing that his power is only in the material realm. In essence, they are mocking the Lord God with this duet.
Although the Lord God will reign until the end of the age [aeon], ultimately his kingdom will come to an end.
For the cadenza, the soloists are encouraged to lengthen this section from rehearsals. This will infuriate the conductor, but as Adam and Eve have outgrown the Lord God, so the soloists have, in their own way, outgrown momentarily the conductor and composer.
Number 11: Recitative in F in 4/4
Length 14 measures
With woods only
Serpent And Adam- call’d His wife's name- Eve;
Because-she was the Mo-ther of all liv-ing.
Un-to Adam al-so and to his-wife did the
LORD- God make coats of -skins,
And cloth’d -them.
Because of Eve, life has been given to all of humanity.
Adam and Eve were clothed with aprons of fig leaves. However, the Lord God demands blood for transgressions.
The Lord God, not Adam and Eve, has killed animals for ”coats of skins”.
Number 12: Chorus in C Major allegro moderato 3/2
Length 40 measures
Cadence
A
Behold,
the man is become as one of us, C 8
G Major
B
to know good and evil: G 8
A
and now,
lest he put forth his hand, G 8
C Major
B
and take also of the tree of life, C 8
A
and eat,
And live for ever: C 8
40
The Lord God reveals he is not one, but many ”as one of us”.
They [the archons] are afraid that Adam and Eve will live forever. The reason for this fear is not stated.
The serpent is now vindicated. Their eyes were opened and they did become like god [the Creator].
Adam and Eve did not die because of eating the fruit.
Number 13: Recitative in a minor 6/8
Length 38 measures
sa Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden,
sab To till the ground from whence he was taken.
sa So he drove out the man; 5
sat and he plac’d at the east of The garden of Eden -Che-rub-ims,
The vindictive Lord God plays his last card, banishing his supreme creation from paradise.
Number 14: Chorus in C major allegro 6/8
39+5=44
and a flaming sword which turn’d ev’ry way,
To keep the way of the tree of life.
Section key cadence
A 1 C C orchestra 12
B 2 C C chorus 8
A1 3 G D “” 16
B 4 G G “” 8
A2 5 C C “” 24
B
Coda B 6 C C orchestra 8
48
To prevent Adam and Eve from gaining immortality, a Cherubim guards the tree of life.
The cadences are never on 1st beat to show that the situation, the fall into the material world, is not resolved. It is only resolved when Christ comes and subjugates all things.
Although not in a flat key, the clarinets are used to show that the Lord God is using everything at his disposable to prevent Adam and Eve from eating of the tree of life.
By not allowing his creation to eat from the tree of like, the demiurge allows them to die.
Meaning of key signatures:
4/4 the four elements of the material world
6/4 man’s number [6] combined with the material world
3/2 showing archons are rulers of material world and have some spiritual knowledge.
2/4 the serpent is in the material world and the spiritual world.
Summation of characters
Serpent 14 lines
Eve 12 lines
Adam 8 lines
Lord God 15 lines
Distribution of musical numbers
Recitative Aria Duet Trio Quartet
Serpent yes 3 yes 1 yes 1 yes 1 yes 1
Eve yes 2 no yes 2 yes 2 yes 1
Adam yes 2 no yes 1 yes 1 yes 1
Lord God no yes 1 no yes 2 yes 1