The Story of the Opera
Act III
Some length of time has passed and the families are again in Mother Noah's home. The women are trying to piece together an orderly account of all that has taken place since the ordeal of the Flood. They sing a jumble of dates and times which only become more confused as they seek to set them down. Their amusing frustrations are interrupted by an agitated Shem who bursts onto the scene, ordering his wife, Ada, to gather their children quickly and depart. "I am being pursued by madmen..my brothers!"
The impending clash between the three brothers prompts Mother Noah to attempt to take charge of the situation. When Hamm and Japheth come raging into the house, armed with weapons and intent of doing battle, Mother Noah places herself and her grandchildren in the midst of the violent brothers.
The situation grows more ominous when Shem reveals that Japheth and Hamm's wife, Noema, were having an affair at the time the Ark was deserted. The murderous outburst of Hamm causes Japheth to take one of the grandchildren hostage for his own protection. A violent and bloody battle is about to erupt within the family.
Mother Noah, in a selfless act of great courage and personal jeopardy, takes command. She disarms each of the sons, removing each grandchild from harm's way. Then in a concluding aria, she sings of The Plan; The Plan revealed to Noah at the time of the Flood, The Plan that they are betraying.
She draws her grandchildren about her, reminding them that a Promise was part of The Plan: a Promise made to them and to all future generations. "Never again shall such destruction rain down on the earth. The rainbow's brilliant arc shall forever be the sign of that Promise."
Mother Noah then orders the grandchildren to "Bring a pot, grab a pan...put smiles on those faces, a song in your heart. A great celebration, my precious ones, we're going to start!" With these words Mother Noah draws first the children, then the wives, and finally the husbands into the song and dancing as before: "O greet the sun with shouts of joy!...Rejoice, this is our day!"
The opera ends with these words of longing and hope, these words that echo the Promise, sung defiantly by Mother Noah who leads all of her children in this affirming celebration. The concluding chords of music reflect the enduring hope of the human family, played out despite a persisent undercurrent of violence and debasement.
|
|
|