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recitative

julianna mccarthy

Sopranos most likely,
lyrics and spintos
hard to tell
then there was
the confusion of altos
that showed up just before
sunset last Thursday.
Why are there always so many altos?
Who sent the oratorio for God’s sake?
That’s baritone country.
A cantata possibly, but an oratorio?
And what about all those motets and nonets
lined up on the ridge hovering
that is so rude.
What we need is a few contraltos.
Nothing scares contraltos.
But after the Solstice they’ll
all be on their way to Salzburg,
so there goes the Requiem; no way to have
a really drum thrumming De Profundus with-
out them. Forget a great bleeding Kyrie too.
The coloraturas are all at Glyndebourne;
it will be mezzos or nothing
if any of them are left over
from the migration to Spoleto.
Which leaves Die Frau ohne Schatten
fogged in and left out.
O, Maledizione!