Beginning of the second act of the opera

 

 

 

 

 

Smoker's tango

Opera in 4 acts

Music and libretto: Urs Brodmann

 

 

 

 

 

This opera is not a glorification of smoking; no, it aims to use this theme in an unconventional way and with subtle humor to highlight human weaknesses and their not entirely uncontroversial excesses.

The protagonist of the story, a cigarette manufacturer, passionate cigar smoker, and connoisseur, lives and works in a country where, since January 1st, a new law has imposed a virtually total smoking ban. This means that anyone wishing to smoke can only do so on a private plane at an altitude of 13,472 meters or higher, or, in a leap year, between November 17th and February 29th, while swimming or diving at least 34 meters from the shore. Anyone caught violating this law is imprisoned, and if they are caught smoking a second time after serving seven months, they are permanently banished to the "Smokers' Island."

The Smoker, for whom the smoking ban is a complete nonsense carries on smoking in his privacy, at his home as well as at his office in his company. Yet, his wife, the priest, his employees and his tenants, who are all delighted in a fanatic way of this new law will watch him, scold him threaten him and ultimately denounce him to the State Police and he will then be arrested . As a consequence of the measures taken by this dictatorship against smoking, in that country, smokers and non-smokers no longer understand each other.

The smoker, in his search for the last refuge for smokers, goes to the brothel, a place where he can still smoke secretly and where he meets Anne. After a raid at the brothel, he is exiled along with Anne to the Smokers’ Island where, during their wedding party, the story takes an unexpected turn.

So it doesn't take much imagination to realise that this unusual love story offers plenty of material for humour, eroticism and drama.

 

 

In connection with opera, I would also like to point out how important cigar smoking was in earlier times, when there was still much to discover and invent. The emotional way of thinking and acting that was quite normal for our ancestors, when famous politicians, artists, inventors, philosophers and connoisseurs enriched, embellished and advanced our world creatively while smoking cigars, and no one took offence at smoking, is now a thing of the past. As we know, Sigmund Freud conducted his dream research with his patients lying on the couch, smoking cigars as a matter of course. Many researchers would not have had the patience for their deadly tedious research work without the calming effect of cigar smoking. I am also convinced that Thomas Mann needed the pleasurable calming effect of his cigars in order to write his great novels.

I would like to quote Thomas Mann once again ” But a day without tobacco would be the worst boredom for me, a whole gloomy day without charm and if I would have to think to myself: there is nothing to smoke today – I think I would not have the courage at all to wake up, really, I would stay lying in my bed.”

And according to Franz Liszt: “A good cigar dispels the meannesses of the life.”

A multitude of other examples can be quoted where the cigar is a source of inspiration for great ideas, quality of life and a never-ending joie de vivre.

With this current stage composition, I would like to bid farewell with mixed feelings to the beautiful old days when great inventions and works of art were created, accompanied by much cigar smoke, and to remember them posthumously and nostalgically, and I hope that I have succeeded in doing so with this opera.

Urs Brodmann