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Table 1.
A Consideration of Marc Blitzstein’s Choral Opera, The Condemned (1932)
Scene Characters Duration Tempo Indications Libretto

1 The Condemned 116 Tempo moderato (. = 56) – The Condemned awakes from a
(TTBB) measures Allegro (. = 120) – Maestoso dream and ﬁnds himself on death

(. = 80) row: “This is the day I am to be
killed!”

2 The Condemned, 60 Andante ( = 60) The Condemned seeks to reassure
the Wife (SSA) measures his wife: “I need you to be strong, I
must believe in hope.”
3 The Condemned, 76 Giusto (¢ = 132) – Con moto The Friend consoles the
the Friend (BB) measures (¢ = 116) – Meno mosso Condemned: “You shall be our
(¢ = 100) martyr. It is a glorious death.” The
Condemned states: “I do not want
to die.”

4 TheCondemned, 90 Commodo (. = 72) The Priest seeks to comfort the
the Priest (TT) measures Condemned, who rejects God.

5 The Condemned 91 Larghetto risoluto ( = 66) – In a soliloquy, the Condemned
measures Allegro non troppo ( = 116) – states emphatically: “There is no
Tempo I ( = 66) God; there is only Man.” But he
o
ends the movement expressing his
fear of death.

6 The Condemned, 192 Vivace ( = 120) – Adagio ( = Fearful, the Condemned calls
the Wife, measures 63) – Allegro ( = 100) – Più back the Priest, who absolves him
the Priest allegro (. = 100) Tempo di of his sins. The wife cries.
Vivace I ( = 120) – Tranquillo
o
7 Instrumental 33 Cantabile ( = 60) The Condemned rests, exhausted.
tableau measures

8 The Condemned 72 Lento Sostenuto ( = 40) The Condemned again denies God:
measures “I need no heaven. The earth shall
one day be enough. All men are my
brothers.”

9 The Condemned, 24 ¢ = 80 – ¢ = 112 The Condemned and the Wife
the Wife, measures exchange goodbyes.
the Friend

10 The Wife 97 Grave ( = 58) – Allegro The Wife describes the execution:
measures ( = 88) – Andante con moto “He lies, beaten, slain by them!
(. = 44) – Strepitoso ( = 144) They murder him in cold blood!”

11 The Friend, 147 Allegro assai ( = 84) – Largo The survivors ﬁnd their own
the Wife, measures ( = 56) – Tempo I – Largo meaning in the death of the
o
the Priest ( = 56) – Tranquillo ( = 66) Condemned.

CHORAL JOURNAL June/July 2021 Volume 61 Number 11 37

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