East of the Sun, West of the Moon

This is something I've been working on off and on for the past three years. I still have three scenes for Act 2 to finish, but decided to share Act 1 for now. The original idea was for this to be a ballet, as I wanted the challenge to tell a long story only though music. I included a breakdown for each scene to know what is happening. It is based off of a Norwegian fairytale, with a few modifications here and there.

 

East of the Sun, West of the Moon
ACT 1

Scene 1:

During a great famine, a peasant (Åge), is searching through the woods, looking for food. Suddenly a great white bear (Bjørn) appears before him. The bear offers to give him all the wealth and food he could ever need, in return for his only daughter. Although troubled at the thought of what the bear will do to her, he accepts, knowing that his wife and other children will starve if not.

Scene 2:

Upon returning home, the peasant tells his family of the bears offer of wealth and food. His wife (Liv) and sons are shocked that he has traded away his only daughter. His daughter (Tove) is horrified that her father has given her away to this magical bear, but accepts her fate, knowing that it will save her family from starvation.

Bjørn comes to collect his payment and bestow upon the family what he has promised. Before their eyes, their shack is transformed into a mansion, filled with gold and endless food. Tove reluctantly follows Bjørn into the forest.

Scene 3:

The Bjørn and the Tove travel through the woods, with few words spoken. A pack of wolves attack, but are driven off by Bjørn.

As they reach the edge of the woods, Tove suddenly sees a magnificent castle. Bjørn informs her that this will be her new home. Bjørn tells her that the only rule she must follow, is to never light a candle during the night.

Scene 4:

As night falls Tove prepares for bed and puts out all of the candles in her room. She climbs into bed in the darkened room and begins to drift to sleep. She is startled by someone entering the room, she calls out, but no one responds. She goes to light a candle, but then hears the voice of Bjørn, reminding her that she must never light a candle during the night. After awhile she also drifts to sleep.

Scene 5:

Almost a year has passed and Tove has discovered that Bjørn isn’t the monster she first thought him to be. She finds herself beginning to feel a deep affection for him, just as she notices that he also is falling in love with her.

Scene 6:

One day Tove asks Bjœrn if she may visit her family, as she is missing them. He grants her wish, but makes her promise that she will not speak to anyone about her life at the castle.

Tove returns to her family and they throw a celebration in honor of her visit. During the celebration, her mother continually tries to ask her about what goes on at the castle, but she manages to avoid the questions. After the party has finished, Liv corners her and demands answers to all of her questions. Tove reluctantly tells her mother about the mysterious man who enters her bed each night. Her mother tells her that after the man has fallen to sleep, she should light a candle so she can see who it is. She tells her mother that she is forbidden to do that, but her mother tells her that no one will ever know.

Scene 7:

Back at the castle, the pattern of events continues as before. During the night the mystery man enters her room, climbs into bed and falls asleep. After a few nights, she decides to do as her mother has said. She waits a long time after he has fallen asleep and then lights a candle. She leans over his body to see the face of a beautiful young prince. She is so captivated by his face, that she doesn’t realize that melted wax starts to drip from the candle. It lands on the sleeping man, the heat waking him from his slumber. He sees her looking at him with the candle and jumps from the bed.

He explains that he is Bjørn, and a witch (Revna) had transformed him into a bear, because he refused to marry her. Under the curse, he must spend each day as a bear, only becoming a human at night. The only way to break the curse, was for a woman to fall in love with him, without ever looking at his true face. Only by earning her trust could the curse be broken. After apologizing for having failed her and himself. He must now marry Revna and be imprisoned in the house that is east of the sun and west of the moon for the rest of his life. The room suddenly goes dark, as light reappears, Tove finds herself in the forest, alone.

I think this would work well as a background to a ballet/film/opera, but it's definitely interesting enough on its own too. I like the pacing in the first scene, how the slow parts build up to the massive tension.