A Mother's Tears by Jacques Bailhé

2 Pianos ~ 4 hands 2 Cellos

Preface

We immediately associate Vivaldi’s Stabat Mater with church because, of course, it’s a contemplation of Mother Mary experiencing the Crucifixion of her son, a defining event of the Western world—in many respects, the defining event. But none of that story took place in a church. It took place in 1st-century Judea, a city that socially, was not really so different from our own.

If we recount the events in plain language, without religious associations, it’s a story that occurs every day in every city around the world: a mother’s child is brutally, senselessly killed with a gun. More often than not, the child is innocent in every way—innocent of any crime, and still so young. We see images of this repeated on the news without end. A weeping mother cries out in unbearable pain, the “reason” for the killing pathetically meaningless and insignificant compared to the loss.

By our inaction, we allow this to continue. We’re told, “You can’t save people from themselves,” but isn’t that the opposite of what Jesus told us? Isn’t that obviously wrong weighed against the eternal love and devotion of a mother? Their countless cries and prayers through the ages have not been answered. Our mannered sympathy and bizarre rationalizations do nothing to end this. We are as brutal as ever. That strikes me as hopelessly tragic. I would be overcome with despair, except for this:

As these images and sounds come from my television, what I see every time is a mother standing as a pillar of strength, begging, demanding that we abandon antiquated ideas and uphold the fundamental ideals of civilization: co-operation, harmony, compassion.

This dance marvels at the towering, inexhaustible strength of mothers—mine and yours—as yet another begs us to change.

Scenario

In a city park, at the end of her workday a mother walks toward her son in a playground. He waves.

She sees a man pull a gun. He fires. Vanishes. The crowd slowly clears as mother looks for her son. He lies dying.

She lovingly cradles him. He struggles for his last breaths. On-lookers gather. He dies in her arms.

She tenderly wipes his face, neatens his hair, then gathers her strength to defy the pain that would drive her insane. Police arrive. On-lookers offer sympathy. She is lucid, filled with fire, but also compassion. She begs, pleads that we stop this senseless violence forever.

She watches her son taken away. On-lookers leave in shame. She is alone.

Where to go? What to do? How to live? What for? With him, went her hopes, her dreams, her life.

Her son returns to inspire her love, joy, and the strength to live. He fades on and off. She fights to stay with him, refuses to let him go. He shows her he will always be with her. She watches him vanish into eternal bliss, then faces us, arms outstretched, begging us to come to our senses.

Production Design

A small city park. Beautiful late afternoon sunlight. It fades to cold, blue dusk as the child dies.

As the sky grows dark, lights in buildings in the background are seen.

As the action progresses, the structures of the buildings disappear, leaving only the lights which become like stars. They begin to move as her son re-appears to dance with her.

At the end, the mother stands alone against the now swirling stars.

Music

Small numbers above the end of tempo lines indicate the target tempo. Where such lines end with a metronome mark, that mark is the target tempo.

Sound effects at the opening are specific and will be provided by Jacques Bailhe Publishing. Prefer live gun shots by one of the pianists for concert only performance.

Position instruments to create clearly distinguishable left and right. Remove piano lids.

Prefer amplified ‘cellos with slight delay effect. Place speakers on stage to preserve perspective. Add light reverb to house mix in small venues.