CANTANIA 2021
VIRTUAL
Music and text
Òscar Peñarroya
Lyrics and text
Cèsar Aparício
Music direction
Elisenda Carrasco, Oriol Castanyer, Montserrat Meneses
Stage direction
Adrià Aubert, Marta Gil, Cristina Martí
Musical coordination
Pep Prats
SYNOPSIS
Marcel is sad. His mother and father have recently split, and lately he is not very fond of social life. Some classmates make jokes that he doesn’t like, and even though Gina invites him to her birthday party, he prefers to stay at home. Dad bought a very powerful computer and Mom gave him a cell phone. Marcel is delighted to spend hours with his new digital devices.
A stormy day will be the starting point of an extraordinary adventure. Meeting Sara and her virtual universe will open doors for him that he had never dreamed of. Exploring, playing and learning will be the paths that will lead them both to discover new worlds and to make an inner click that will change them forever.
Marcel Welcome to L’Auditori. The show is about to begin.
Gina Remember that no photos can be taken with a flash…
Marcel And most importantly, don’t neglect to mute cell phones.
Gina What about mobile phones, right? (Music begins.) Who would have thought that so many things fit in this device!
Marcel Like a calculator…
Gina An alarm clock…
Marcel A camera…
Gina A video camera…
Marcel A typewriter…
Gina A music player…
Marcel A notepad…
Gina A weather station
Marcel A compass…
Gina God forbid!
Marcel This device does it all!
Gina And to think that everything is based on ones and zeros…
Marcel Some and zeros?
Gina Yes. It is seen that the language of these critters is the binary code.
With a few zeros you pass all the information, take up a few megabytes or a lot of teres.
Choir 1 and 4 Some and zeros, some and zeros, some and zeros, some and zeros, some and zeros, some and zeros to infinity.
Marcel Meges and teres?
Gina Yes, man. With ones and zeros you create files that weigh more or less and can be sent to another user over the 3G or 4G network, or using wifi, or via Bluetooth…
Choir 2 and 3 Kas, megas, gigs and teres. Megas, gigs and teres. Megas, gigs and teres.
Choir 1 Ones and zeros… to infinity.
Marcel But what words do you say…
Gina And one day you realize that you use your mobile for hours and hours! You must be careful not to run out of battery. And the data! And in certain places, so as not to disturb you, you have to put it in airplane mode or in vibration.
Choir 3 Wifi, Bluetooth, 3 and 4G, 3 and 4 and 5G… Wifi, Bluetooth…
Choir 2 Kas, megas, gigs and teres. Megs, gigs
Choir 1 Ones and zeros… to infinity.
Choir 4 Battery, airplane mode, mobile data, vibration…
Choir 2 Kas, megas, gigs and teres. Megas, gigs and teres. Megs, gigs and teres…
Choir 3 Wifi, Bluetooth, 3 and 4G, 3 and 4 and 5G… Wifi, Bluetooth…
Choir 1 Ones and zeros… to infinity. Uns and zeros…
Marcel and Gina Welcome to the digital world!
Marcel, Gina and choir Welcome to the digital world!
Choir Welcome to the digital world! For some, the ideal world. Say goodbye to letters and smoke signals. It is the era of the speed of light. It is the era of virtual reality. Welcome to the digital world! For some, the most real world. Will there be anyone who wants to live under the sky of this parallel world?
Marcel It’s very strange, the digital world. It is a world that you cannot touch but that comes to you in other ways.
Gina And so, from home or from anywhere with an internet connection, you can live a lot of different experiences just by clicking.
Choir Create an avatar, become a lion, [ʎə’o] or maybe a turtle. Chat and make friends from Morocco or Japan. And play! Yes! Learn how to make couscous. Learn English or Russian. Step on the moon.
Gina and Marcel Create an avatar, become a lion, [ʎə’o] or maybe a turtle. Chat and make friends from Morocco or Japan. And play! Yes! Learn how to make couscous. Learn English or Russian. Step on the moon.
Choir Welcome to the digital world! For some, the world better. Explore the jungle from your living room. Compose melodies, as you have long wanted.
Marcel There is only one problem, at the father’s house: I can’t stand the kangaroo.
Choir You can’t imagine all you can do about it. It is the paradise of the timid. Be who you want to be. Set your own limits.
Marcel What do you mean? What can you do to show that you are someone else?
Gina For example.
Marcel Then could it be that you’re chatting with someone other than who you say you are?
Gina It could be.
Marcel What fear, no?
Gina Now. Is that in the digital world things are like in real life. They are funny or scary depending on how you use them.
Choir Who wants books made of paper? Who will want vinyls or CDs? One click and you can see the Super3 Club.
Marcel Welcome!
Gina and Marcel Welcome! One click and you can watch the Super3 Club.
Gina, Marcel and choir One click and you change if it doesn’t weigh you down. Welcome to the digital world!
Gina and Marcel Welcome!
Choir As human as doing good and evil.
Choir, Marcel and Gina Everything hangs from a cloud: a cloud that mirrors us in a virtual sky.
Babysitter Listen, boy: I have to make a very important call! Go to the kitchen and snack! (Marcel sighs.)
Marcel My name is Marcel and I am no longer a child. There are a lot of older people who don’t understand it. Everything can be true and it can be a lie. Being old does not give you reason in life. Everyone tells me the sea is blue. Everyone tells me the sky is blue. And I always tell them, “It depends.”
Choir Today I learned in English class an expression that made me think…
Choir 3 and 4 “I’m feeling blue.”
Marcel I’m feeling
Choir 1 and 2 I’m feeling blue.
Marcel I’m feeling blue.
Choir and Marcel It doesn’t mean you feel blue. It’s just that you’re very sad, like when you see him gray during the day and you want him to leave you alone.
Babysitter Boy! Have you already done your homework?
Marcel I’ve already made them!
Babysitter So come here, I’ll put more on you.
Marcel Oh
Marcel I must tell you that I have long liked gray enough. I like the gray of the sea in winter. I like the gray of the sky when it rains. I have separated parents. It’s been a year. And I see they are a little weird: generous and friendly… And with diplomatic smiles…
Choir 1 and 2 I feel gray
Choir 3 and 4 I feel gray
Marcel I feel gray
Choir and Marcel … Like a lunch without a cake.
Marcel A powerful computer has my father in his office and even though he always leaves it to me…
Choir … I feel gray…
Marcel … When he leaves…
Choir … I feel gray…
Marcel My mom bought me a cell phone. He says that this is how we can call each other when we are missing.
Choir and Marcel But I feel gray as an engagement gift.
Marcel It’s when it rains that I’m happy. It’s when no one wants to go out. In language and math I’m a crack, but that doesn’t make me at all popular. There are jokes that make me cry and recreation can be very long… When it rains I don’t have to suffer. The yard is everything to me!
Choir Today I learned English class…
Marcel I’m feeling blue
Choir … An expression that made me think…
Marcel I’m feeling blue
Choir 3 and 4 I’m feeling blue
Marcel I’m feeling
Choir 1 and 2 I’m feeling blue
Marcel I’m feeling blue
Choir and Marcel It doesn’t mean you feel blue. It’s just that you’re very sad.
Choir 1 and 2 Like when you see him gray during the day.
Choir 3 and 4 When you want them to leave you alone.
Marcel And you don’t care what the sky looks like…
Marcel and choir … Gray or blue!
Announcement #1 – Choir Do you want good abs?
Marcel Oh no…
Choir Sculptural pectorals?
Marcel Heavy
Choir Four weekly doses. Monumental muscles!
Marcel What can I do to stop pop-ups with ads? Pope needs to update antivirus already…
Announcement #2 – Choir Hey! Do you want bowls? You! Do you want bowls? Pottery course “Do you want bowls?” Do you want some cups? Do you want bowls?
Marcel To make pottery is me now…
Announcement #3 – Choir Do you want…
Marcel Shut up! One moment…
Choir … Artificial intelligence?
Marcel Create your own intelligence… artificial…
Choir An assistant?
Marcel Do you need an efficient assistant?
Choir A virtual friend?
Marcel A virtual friend? Oysters…
Choir Create yours here.
Marcel Let’s try. Let’s see… Installing artificial intelligence app… Wow!
Choir Choose the look of your virtual assistant:
Marcel Very good… Features…
Choir Genre…
Marcel Here we go!
Choir Hair…
Marcel Fet!
Choir Eyes…
Marcel Fet!
Choir Nas…
Marcel Fet!
Choir Mouth, ears…
Marcel Done and done!
Choir Roba…
Marcel Damn, what a fuller program!
Choir Voice…
Marcel Choose the voice of your virtual assistant. If you want, you can use a pre-existing human voice as a model. (Marcel plays Gina’s voice message again.)
Gina’s voice Hi, Marcel. How are you? I’m Gina
Marcel 23 %… Locating new files… 35 %… I see this will take a long time… I don’t like to sit and wait! 39 %! Processing
Bufa! It looks like it’s raining harder now! I think it got stuck… Now you don’t hear any noise. Ep! 55! It’s like a road with no return.
Choir 1 Some and zeros, some and zeros, some and zeros…
Marcel Combining the chosen features… What does it do?
Choir 2 Megs, gigs, teres… Megs, gigs, teres
Marcel 70 %!
Choir 3 Wifi, Bluetooth, 3 and 4 G
Marcel This speeds up a lot!
Choir 4 Airplane mode, battery, vibration, mobile data
Marcel 80 %! Installing flexible subroutines… 90! Accessing the central system…
(Lightning and thunder. Marcel is frightened and a glass of water falls on the computer. The sound of fuses has gone out. The light goes out.)
Babysitter Oysters! The leads have jumped. Boy, don’t move from here! (A red dot appears on the screen. A red dot also appears on Marcel’s cell phone.)
Marcel I need a complete list of irregular English verbs… What else can you do?
Choir I search the net and find things that can’t be found. I choose and put in logical order irrefutable arguments. One detail gives me clues to draw conclusions. And when I’m assigned a task, I get to the bottom of it.
Choir and Sara I can design a banner for you. I can choose you a good shampoo. Let me tell you all I can do for you.
Marcel How are the fractions?
Sara You will say
Choir I make infallible calculations: simple and complex calculations; I cross data with seemingly unconnected records; I am an expert in technical terms that many people confuse; solve math problems in less than half a second.
Sara What else can I do for you?
Marcel What else can I do with you?
Sara and choir I solve math problems in less than half a second.
Marcel Solve math problems in less than half a second.
Choir and Sara I can order you sushi or pizza; I find bargains like no one else. I know it paralyzes you all I can do for you.
Marcel Sara, thanks to your help I got a 10 in the English exam.
Sara You’re welcome.
Marcel You are the best!
Sara Changing the subject, the virtual reality glasses I asked for have already arrived.
Marcel Oysters! And how did you pay for that?
Sara They are free. The German company Wunderbrille sends them to you as part of its customer acquisition campaign. How about we visit Saturn’s rings right now?
Choir Travel through space and time, dive into the fire of the sun, cross a good black hole, choose your star and take flight.
Marcel Wow, Sara! This is amazing !!!
Sara So wait and see The world of Farucàrun.
Marcel It’s my favorite book!
Sara I know. Do you want to be the protagonist?
Choir Follow the trail of a treasure, dodge the shadow of a vulture, learn to cast spells, challenge the tyrant king. Do not be afraid!
Marcel I have revived the book like never before.
Sara I find that you do very well of Mag Gíring.
Marcel I love this character. With his wand you can do anything. Like you, Sara!
Sara Wouldn’t you like to be an evil wizard?
Marcel Do you mean I can make other characters?
Sara You can be who you want to be!
Choir and Sara You can be the protagonist of incredible adventures. I can take you with my glasses to thousands of possible worlds. You can get in the middle of zombies or you can fly with a dragon. And all this does not cost me much. You’re with a crack. It swims between beings of marine waters. Play in a bamboo forest. You can’t imagine all I can do for you. It goes from boring routine. Choose your dish from a long menu.
Choir 3 and 4 You won’t need toys…
Choir 1 and 2 Flat with seagulls…
Choir, Sara and Marcel You can’t imagine
Choir 3 and 4 … Everything i…
Sara … Everything i…
Choir 1 and 2 … Everything i…
Marcel … Everything i…
Sara and Choir … I can do it for you.
Marcel … I want to do with you.
Choir 1 and 2 Run, jump, look, go up, come back, go down, turn, look!
Choir Run, jump, look, go up, come back, go down, turn, look!
Choir 1 and 2 I don’t like anything like going with the gang to the park.
Choir 3 and 4 Hours pass but play never gets long.
Choir 1 and 2 Run, jump, look, go up, come back, go down, turn, look!
Run, jump, look, go up, come back, go down, turn, look!
Choir 3 and 4 Run, jump, look, go up, come back, go down, turn, look!
Run, jump, look, climb!
Choir 3 and 4 Run, jump, look, go up, come back, go down, turn, look!
Choir Come and play!
Choir (to canon) I come running and grab the snack. I don’t stop at all, I want to play. What friends will come? I want to be there. Of course! We run around, laugh together and fall exhausted. Playing… time stops under a clear sky.
Choir 1 and 2 Run, jump, look, go up, come back, go down, turn, look!
Run, jump, look, go up, come back, go down, turn, look!
Choir 3 and 4 Run, jump, look, go up, come back, go down, turn, look!
Run, jump, look, climb!
Choir 1 and 2 I don’t like anything like going with the gang to the park.
Choir 3 and 4 Hours pass but play never gets long.
Choir 1 and 2 Run, jump, look, go up, come back, go down, turn, look! Run, jump, look, climb!
Marcel Tururú tururú (Sara is silent.)
Marcel Go, Sara! Imagine we are talking, but with music. I ask, you answer. Xuba Jewish Durí…
Sara No!
Marcel (To encourage her) Much better! Two to two…
Sara Tell me!
Marcel Tim tum!
Sara Ta! How fun… Badum badd dimé é
Marcel Thursday!
Sara Two!
Marcel Stop it!
Sara Stop!
Marcel Zim zem zam zum!
Sara Two second two baths!
Choir Do you feel like the pace is changing? It stings and follows its path. Try making the melody and you’ll see. Let go to play with the voices. You won’t enjoy it if you don’t believe us. And then you will feel the harmony… You know you fly when you sing. You know you love to fly. It spreads its wings and travels to a distant world. Choose a land or another time. Nothing happens if you don’t know the language, that music is the most universal language.
Marcel Dumba!
Sara Dumbà!
Marcel Xivap!
Sara Júvap!
Marcel Badam!
Choir 1, 2 and Sara It will stop!
Choir 3, 4 and Marcel Two!
Choir 1, 2 and Sara Duduà!
Choir 3, 4 and Marcel It will stop!
Choir 1, 2 and Sara Bu!
Choir 3, 4 and Marcel Xubidà!
Choir 1, 2 and Sara Two or two stops!
Choir 3, 4 and Marcel Badim!
Choir 1, 2 and Sara Badamdà!
Choir 3, 4 and Marcel Xivap!
Choir 1, 2 and Sara Júvap!
Choir 3, 4 and Marcel Badam!
Choir 1, 2 and Sara I will say I will say I will stop!
Choir 3, 4 and Marcel I will say I will say I will stop!
Choir 1, 2 and Sara Shoot and shoot!
Choir 3, 4 and Marcel Xubidà!
Choir 1, 2 and Sara David!
Choir 3, 4 and Marcel For daduru!
Choir 1, 2 and Sara Du!
Choir Do you feel like the pace is changing? It stings and follows its path. Try making the melody and you’ll see. Let go to play with the voices. You won’t enjoy it if you don’t believe us. And then you will feel the harmony… You know you fly when you sing. You know you love to fly. It spreads its wings and travels to a distant world. Choose a land or another time. Nothing happens if you don’t know the language, that music is the most universal language.
Sara Marcel, put on your glasses. Let’s go on a trip! (Marcel puts on his glasses.)
Choir (in Irish) Open your eyes! The sun has risen! Open your eyes, Fill yourself with light, the day is already beginning! Everything beats and moves again. The voice is born to create harmony. How much music inside you! The heart sings and the skin dreams. (to Mozart)
(Marcel takes off his glasses and goes to the piano. He plays the melody of his right hand as if he were a piano concertmaster.)
Choir Open your eyes! The sun has risen! Open your eyes, the day is already beginning! Everything beats and moves again. The voice and harmony are born. (rock ‘n’ roll)
(Marcel puts on sunglasses and picks up a microphone. He and Sara dance.)
Choir and Marcel Open your eyes!
Choir The sun has risen!
Choir and Marcel Open your eyes
Choir the day is already beginning! Everything beats and moves again.
Marcel Batega, batega
Choir The voice and harmony are born.
Sara I love to do:
Sara and Marcel Duba duba duba duba duba!
Choir How much music inside you!
Everyone The heart sings, the skin dreams. (eastern air)
(Marcel and Sara grab some fans and dance.)
Sara The new melody is playing.
Marcel A spark that becomes a song. (tango)
(Marcel puts a rose between his teeth and dances a tango with Sara.)
Choir Open your eyes! The sun has risen! Open your eyes, the day is already beginning! Everything beats and moves again. The voice and harmony are born. How much music inside you! The new melody is sounding: a spark that becomes a song. The heart sings and the skin dreams. (African singing)
(Marcel and Sara dance an African dance.)
Choir Open your eyes! Open them!
Sara and Marcel Look at! Open your eyes!
Choir Open your eyes! Open them!
Sara and Marcel Look at! Open your eyes! (hip hop)
(Marcel turns his cap with his visor back and beatboxes with a microphone. Sara gestures hip-hop with her hands.)
Choir Everything beats and moves again. The voice and harmony are born. (sardana)
(Marcel and Sara have a lot of fun dancing a sardana.)
Choir How much music inside you! The heart sings, the skin dreams. (A curtain rings. Marcel is frozen in time.)
Sara Alert! What’s wrong with me? I can’t do calculations. I don’t process like before and I notice that so much data collapses me… And I feel… I feel surprise and joy… I feel dizzy and I get so excited…
Choir He says the music is calm…
Sara and Marcel (Calm… Calm…) Says music pushes
Sara and Marcel (Pushes us…) He says that music helps us lose our senses…
Sara and Marcel (He says it makes you lose your mind!) Living with music is fun. He says it nourishes the spirit.
Sara and Marcel (Apa! Good profit!) And whoever sings of sorrows is frightened.
Sara and Marcel (Run, run! Good wind!)
Choir He says music embraces.
Sara and Marcel (Oh, and so much!) He says he keeps the memories.
Sara and Marcel (How many memories…) He says that music understands the strongest hearts.
Sara and Marcel (Understands hearts… and with little effort…) He says that music can take you to places and times where no one can take you,
Everyone as if it were glasses that transport you to unreal or virtual universes that we cannot touch (with the hand).
Choir Plim, lead…
They fall at random. They are like small beats. Petals and leaves dance wet rhythms and sounds. Drops heading towards the sea, drops exploding and falling silent…
Lead, lead…
We were in the middle of summer. We walked through hills. We skirted a river. All three singing songs. Sudden raindrops… Lightning and thunder… In the rain we smiled together, holding hands, mom, dad and me.
Rain that makes me smoke, rain that brings me light, you know how to decorate the scene: you come back and I sob. Rain that drowns the pain, rain that washes everything…
Choir 1 and 2 Lightning and thunder return.
Choir 3 and 4 Images from yesterday are back.
Choir 1 and 2 Better times come back.
Choir 3 and 4 They come back and stay with me.
Choir 1 and 2 They rain from the sky, which melts
Choir The eyes of the world weep. You are magical!
Marcel (Hurt) Sara… I thought we were friends… (Answering on the intercom) Yes, Gina. Ara low.
(Marcel, reluctant and angry with Sara, leaves the house.)
Sara I understand that you grow when you give. I’ve seen you hurry up late. I have met people. I have learned to value art. I loved the clear water,
watching the rain and snow. Now there is still a challenge: Now it’s time to learn to say goodbye.
Choir It’s hard to say goodbye… It’s hard to say goodbye… Goodbye, Marcel…
Sara Goodbye… Touch learn to say goodbye.
Sara and Choir Bye…
(A very loud thunder sounds and the red dot disappears.)
Marcel Oysters! This lightning has fallen very close!
(Suddenly, Marcel regains consciousness and grabs his cell phone to talk to Sara.)
Marcel Sara… Sara! That you are not there? Sara !!!
Gina (Looking at the heart) Look: Marcel is finally coming to play with us!
Choir (They shout for joy.) Long live! Yes!
Gina Come on, let’s play run-jump!
CREDITS
Solo girl voice Mar Maestu, Maria Santallusia | Solo boy voice Jordi Vidal, Edgar Martínez, Eloi Gómez | Flute and piccolo Elisenda Masachs, Anna Pujol | Clarinet and saxophone Francesc Puig, Cesc Miralta | Trumpet Gonzalo Álvarez, Ramon Figueras | Trombone Jordi Gómez, Darío García, Maria Cofan | Piano and keyboard Jordi Castellà, Paul Perera, Óscar Peñarroya | Percussion Robert Armengol, Núria Andorrà, Sabela Castro | Drums and percussion Dani Guisado, Guillem Arnedo | Double bass and electric bass Ferran Puertas, Miquel Àngel Cordero
Recording The Auditorium – June / July 2019 | Mixing and digital editing Can Ferran – July 2019 | Digital recording and editing Ferran Conangla and Enric Giné | Mixing and mastering Ferran Conangla
This cantata will be sung by 12,000 children in the 4th, 5th and 6th years of Primary Education during the months of May and June 2021 at L’Auditori in Barcelona, Granollers and Mataró.
Head of Educational Service Violeta Amargant | Coordination of the Cantania Marta del Olmo. Contact