MICHAEL's JOURNEY AROUND THE EARTH
  with Trumpet and Orchestra

A large terrestrial globe is seen against the background of a starry sky. Musicians, as penguins, are seated around the globe at the South Pole. Entrance steps lead from the front into the globe.

ENTRANCE
MICHAEL, as trumpeter, enters from the right, a step at a time, playing as he walks. All players murmur amongst themselves. The trombone attacks him straight away, engaging him in a short duel. MICHAEL reaches the entrance steps. Horns/ tam-tam/ tuba play a signal 3 times (first note C of the MICHAEL formula). Each time the signal is played, MICHAEL goes up one step. It becomes quiet.

FAREWELL
MICHAEL plays the MICHAEL formula (beginning on top C). Then he turns around, goes up the steps into the globe. The globe lights up, Asia Minor is seen. Horns/ harmonium/ organ/ tam-tam start playing, the tuba plays the signal - like a ship's horn (first falling a fourth, then descending down the scale a minor sixth) for the...

DEPARTURE
Alto flutes/ violas/ vibraphone/ harp independently start a ritornello (first segment of the EVE formula). The globe starts turning eastwards. The instruments come in with accelerando playing 2 synchronous sforzato-chords.

1st Station (Germany)
A window opens in Germany. MICHAEL comes out of the globe, plays the nucleus of his formula   in low register, beginning on C1, establishes close contact with alto flutes and violas which play the EVE formula in the same register, beginning on B flat. Three sustained high violin-chords and harmonics of the harp give this station a characteristic colour.

1st Bridge.
At the tuba signal the Head of the LUCIFER formula (a rising seventh), MICHAEL withdraws. The window closes. The orchestra plays faster, the first 'cello replaces the violas in the duet with the alto flutes.

2nd Station (New York)
At the signal of the horns (the first 2 segments of the MICHAEL formula) and tuba (the first two segments of the LUCIFER formula), a window opens on America in New-York. MICHAEL appears from it and with the MICHAEL formula beginning on B natural2, establish fiery contact with the orchestral trumpets at the same time responding to their violent conflict with the trombones which hammer out the LUCIFER formula , beginning on low E. Tom-toms and cymbals sharply punctuate phrases and off-beats in the abruptly changing tempi. In the second repeat the parties exchange the formulae: MICHAEL, orchestra trumpets and horns alternate segments of the LUCIFER formula in low register with sections of the MICHAEL formula in high register and trombones do the same.
Two clarinettists - a clownesque pair, a cross between swallow
and penguin wander into this confrontation. They skittishly and humorously play a virtuoso mixture of segments of all three formulae - always synchronously - and run through the orchestra, now and then looking at the music of the penguins or blowing into their ears.

2nd Bridge
At the tuba-signal, the 2nd segment of the LUCIFER formula, MICHAEL disappears Inside the globe, the window closes. The conflict between trumpets and trombones, commented on by the swallow-pair, slows down.

3rd Station (Japan)
At the signal of the horns (once again the first 2 segments of the MICHAEL formula) a window opens in Japan. MICHAEL appears, plays the LUCIFER formula in low register, starting with E flat1 (coloured by cor anglais and oboe); the violas play the EVE formula starting with low A flat, while bassoon and bass clarinet play the nucleus of the MICHAEL formula, beginning with bottom B flat. Harmonium, harp, bongo drum, geisha-bell, keisu and tamtams determine the colouring of the soundscape. The first general fortissimo so startles the clarinettist-pair that they flee away to the right.

A tuba signal, the 3rd segment of the LUCIFER formula, announces the end.  The window closes, and a grave solemn recapitulation of the nuclei of the three formulae, played at three constant pitches B flat  - E - C sharp, conclude the 3rd station.

4th Station (Bali)
At the sound of the chromatic beginning of the 4th segment of the MICHAEL formula, played by horns, a window opens in Bali. MICHAEL plays, together with trumpets and horns, an artistically elaborate development of the MICHAEL formula, beginning on top A. Modulated piano, vibraphone, gongs and low hand-drumming create a fiery, sparkling, festive atmosphere.

Shortly after the beginning the clarinettists reappear from the right and wander through the orchestra, playing and pausing briefly by musicians here and there. With every pause they freeze with a gesture. They disappear to the left at the back, shortly afterwards reappearing in a completely different spot, then skirt the orchestra, blowing into the conductor's face, and dawdle through the left half of the orchestra.

At the climax of the trumpet-solo the 1st viola player gets up and plays a violent solo over a 'molto ritardando  of the orchestra, while MICHAEL withdraws into the globe and the window closes.

5th Station  (India) 
With 7 'marcato' notes of the descending chromatic scale from the 4th section of the MICHAEL formula, horns signal the beginning of the 5th section. A window opens in India. MICHAEL timidly stutters his own formula, beginning on G2, - interspersed with protesting, tearing glissandi - continually flung from side to side between solo violins / alto flutes / violas / bass-clarinet, who synchronously play the EVE formula  and cellos / double basses, who play the LUCIFER formula.
At this station, in particular,the slowly descending glissandi of the harp provide the ground colour, mixed with hissing (sibilant and guttural) and whispering colouring of the sounds made by trumpets, horns and oboes.
As the hymn-like combination of the nucleus of the EVE formula (starting on F) and  the nucleus of the LUCIFER formula (starting on C) is played, MICHAEL steps back, the globe closes in India. Announced by a horn signal the first section of the MICHAEL  formula beginning with C2  - this part of the journey leads into...

6th Station (Central Africa)
in which a window opens slowly in Central Africa. MICHAEL peeps cautiously out of the globe, the MICHAEL formula, played in a clipped manner, starting from low B natural, shoots out in the direction of the tuba, with occasional high, piercing blasts of the MICHAEL formula beginning on F sharp2. The tuba  aggressively staccato, plays the LUCIFER formula in its lowest register, starting on B, superimposed with a faster, point-like projection of the LUCIFER formula - also starting on B - played by trombones/ bassoons/ cellos / double bass. Muffled signal rhythms and the roll of the tom-toms and the tam-tam, mysterious glissandi, wandering chromatically, with tremoli and trills of the violins, alto flutes, violas, bass-clarinets  tinged with the occasional jangling of chains and tam-tam - determine the atmosphere of the 6th station.
The second development of the LUCIFER formula is determined in an extremely aggressive way, with staccato, double- and flutter- tongue, by the trombones - doubled by cellos and bass-clarinet. The tuba blares and rages, doubled by double-basses / bassoon / harp bisbigliando, while the tom-toms hammer away african-style'!  MICHAEL disappears. The window remains open. A hatch opens directly above the tuba. MICHAEL appears from it. The globe stops! From now on MICHAEL blows his trumpet into the bell of the tuba, bending over with every note, trill, glissando, fragment of the melody and with every flutter-tongue.
The tuba roars, flutters trills, accentuates and with the last 3 clear top F sharps of the trumpet it bellows horribly in three cascading glissandi - the third throughout its entire range. Then the tuba groans repeatedly in ascending-descending chromatic fragments.
Once again the trombones come in 'furioso' - in parallel with double-bass and cellos - playing the LUCIFER formula starting with E / F sharp/ B, over the eruption of the tom-toms. The globe begins to revolve again, MICHAEL disappears, the hatch closes. Accompanied by the moaning of the tuba... West Coast of Africa is seen directly in front.

TURNING BACK
A bassett-horn signal sounds from afar: the long drawn-out beginning of the nucleus of the EVE formula, starting with E flat2. MICHAEL's head shoots out of the open window, He calls: "Ba-a-ck"', stares towards the East. The globe has stopped with this call and now revolves westwards. MICHAEL plays the first fourth (interval) of his formula, starting on F2, as his signal, EVE-melody sounds on; MICHAEL repeats, slightly modified, his fourth, listens attentively to the end of the EVE formula and then comes in together with the full orchestra:

7th Station (Jerusalem)
MICHAEL plays alternately segments of his own formula and the characteristic glissando and appoggiatura of the  EVE formula as well as the embellished segments of the EVE formula; at the same time violins / oboes / alto flutes / bassoons / cellos /double bass play the MICHAEL formula chordally beginning on E flat, in the swift rhythm of the EVE formula trumpets / trombones/ tuba are at the same time setting a homophonous harmony, in which the sections of the MICHAEL formula (starting with F2) and the EVE formula (starting with E flat) alternate in the continual rhythm of the MICHAEL formula. The basic tone is brilliant, festive, happy.

HALT
A bassett-horn calls again from afar, playing the beginning of the EVE melody, starting with D2. MICHAEL stops the whole orchestra with an energetic glissando, orders: "Halt"! The globe stops. In the silence the basset horn sounds once more. MICHAEL calls hack with the beginning of his own melody, starting on E2, and from this moment on a double rotation of the notes E2 (round to the right) and C sharp (round to the left) starts softly in the orchestra. The basset horn replies once again; then MICHAEL calls and listens intently, calls and listens, without receiving any answer. Slowly he climbs out of the globe and goes to the  right - in the direction from which the sound came. As he goes he plays single notes and fragments of the MICHAEL formula, interspersed with the first notes of the EVE formula, which he heard from the distance.
He crouches and then sits down near the double-bass who at first diffidently, then more readily, converses with him  pizzicato' over the MICHAEL formula.

MISSION
At the moment when trumpet and double-bass play the last segment of this formula synchronously in octaves, the call of the basset horn sounds again. MICHAEL - happy and excited - answers in a very similar way. The basset horn approaches playing the continuation of the EVE formula
MICHAEL jumps to his feet and takes a step in the direction of the signal, then, still playing, takes another step. MOON-EVE emerges at the back, seductively beautiful and transformed, playing basset horn.
MICHAEL bows, playing the beginning of his formula; EVE repeats it and bows as well. From now on they each learn the other's formula, segment by segment, serious and amusing, simple and virtuosic, solemn and exuberant. They both sway, dance round each other ,finally, playing delightfully and perfectly together. EVE enchants him and lures him away in a dance.

DERISION
While they both disappear, the orchestra stops, except for the
electronic organ. The swallow-pair sneak in, hide themselves, play fast synchronous passages during the rests, clamber up the steps into the globe, come out on the balcony and ape the music and movements of MICHAEL and EVE with clarinet and basset horn, impudent and funny at the same time, full of scorn and derision. Meanwhile, the long drawn-out melodies of MICHAEL and EVE sound in the far distance.

CRUCIFIXION
The 2 trombonists in the orchestra became restless during DERISION, got up and now break in testily with blasts and aggressive salvos. The tuba, soon reinforced by the two
horns, underlines its protest with long pedal-notes. A confrontation, growing sharper and more merciless, develops between the two parties. They 'nail down' the distant melody of MICHAEL and EVE with shrill piercing notes, so that it can hardly be heard. The trumpet and basset horn - invisible - slowly come closer. The skirmish between clarinet / basset horn and the two trombones becomes heated and frenetic, and  the pairs collide with utmost intensity in 7 columns of sound. In the seventh column trumpet and basset horn join in - this time close above the audience - with a sustained, mournful lament: the descending scale from the MICHAEL formula (beginning on top E3 in parallel minor sixths), which characterized the 7 stations of the journey around the Earth.

ASCENSION
It gets dark. In the orchestra a soft sparkling stream of 'staccatissimo' notes, simultaneously rising and falling, bursts forth, starting on G1  - at first very dense, then irregularly slowing down to extreme transparency.
The sounds of trumpet (playing the EVE formula beginning on F1) and bassett horn (playing the MICHAEL formula, beginning on G2) are flying very slowly and peacefully across the sky, revolving around each other, circling around, gliding.
Once more they resume playing; trumpet with the nucleus of the EVE formula (starting on Fl), basset horn with repeated G1, in parallel with every segment of the formula. From tritone C sharp2 - Gl they both accelerate: trumpet retreats in semitones to Gl - A flat1; basset horn remains one degree slower (duplets against triplets, triplets against quadruplets, quadruplets against quintuplets...). Both join in a dense trill
G1- A flat1, from which they emerge perfectly together, getting gradually slower until they come to a complete standstill.