Fair Katrinelje and Pif-Paf-Poltrie (Soprano, Flute, Cello, and Piano)

Fair Katrinelje and Pif-Paf-Poltrie, part of the in-progress Brothers Grimm Song Cycle. For soprano, flute, cello, and piano. 7.5 minutes. (2008) Performed Nov. 21, 2008 at Cal Poly, Pomona (CA) as part of the Charles Lindsley Memorial Vocal Scholarship Fund Raiser: “The Feminine Voice.”

From the upcoming Brothers Grimm Song Cycle;
for Soprano, Flute, Cello, and Piano

The story of Fair Katrinelje and Pif-Paf- Poltrie is a lesser-known fairy tale found in the Children’s and Household Tales of Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, the famous “Brothers Grimm”. First published in 1812, the collection of “Grimms’ Fairy Tales” stems from the alleged oral tradition of folk lore handed down for generations throughout the Germanic and French countrysides, with other influences as diverse as the oral traditions of England, Norway, Serbia, India, and Persia.
Fair Katrinelje and Pif-Paf-Poltrie is a comedic dialogue. Our hero, Pif-Paf-Poltrie, is out to seek the hand of his beloved, the Fair Katrinelje, in marriage. Being the gentleman that he is, he approaches in turn each member of his beloved’s family to ask their permission. Father Hollenthe, Mother Malcho, Brother High-and-Mighty, and Sister Käsetraut all respond in turn similarly –
essentially, “If it’s all right with everyone else, it’s all right with me.”

The challenge for the vocalist is to convey the essence and the hilarity of the dialogue by highlighting, with the mannerisms of the voice, the attitudes and characteristics of each character speaking. Above each character’s lines, it is made clear whom it is that is speaking and the emotional context within which it is being spoken. The vocalist has complete freedom to effect these roles in whatever manner and to whatever degree is deemed appropriate, provided the musical integrity of the work is kept intact.