PRANK "РОЗЫГРЫШ" ©2023
Screenplay for a feature film by Alex Sino and Taras Kutsenko
From the creators of GRAMMY ® and International Award Winning projects:
| MADE IN MIAMI | GLOBAL OASIS VOL. 1 | PRANK | PRICE | JUST a DAY | MAGIC SONG | STAY
ODE TO JOY | I'LL STAY WITH YOU | DING-DONG JESTER | GLORY | NIMOZO | BELIEVE
THE POWER OF NATURE | THE LAST ROMANCE | THE PATTERNS ON THE STONES
LYZISTRATA | THE STARTING POINT | THE GATE OF ALL WONDERS | FREEZE |
About
What does the word "PRANK" mean?
A joke? A rehearsal of a piece of music? Or is a "prank" a draw in a difficult life situation?
Radio play "Prank" is an intellectual and fascinating "fantasy-detective", with "picturesque" scenes of rehearsals of Gustav Mahler's First Symphony "Titan", musical tales, humor, and phantasmagoria, leading to an unpredictable finale. The events of the radio performance up to the last minute cause tension in the audience waiting for the denouement.
The performance uses excerpts from Gustav Mahler's works in carefully selected by the authors vivid performances, as well as original compositions by Terry Haimat on poems by Alex Sino.
About the Authors: Terry Heimat is a conservatory professor, multi-instrumentalist, composer and conductor. Alex Sino is a music producer, music lyricist and writer.
PRANK
SYNOPSIS:
This story occurred in a large European city without reference to a specific country. For many years, the city has had a symphony orchestra under the baton of a famous conductor, the Maestro. In recent years, Maestro has been facing financial problems in maintaining the orchestra financed by the philanthropist-founder. The experienced administrator, Semyon Grigorievich Machler, worked for Maestro for many years. Maestro needed him to settle conflicts with musicians and the financial management of the orchestra.
To save the reputation of the orchestra, Maestro decides to take a risky step and introduces Gustav Mahler's First Symphony "Titan" into the orchestra's repertoire. This confused the Founder of the orchestra and caused apathy among the musicians. The musicians did not accept his interpretation of the "Titan" Symphony especially the main part of the symphony - "The Hunter's Funeral" with its primitive beginning and the funeral march in the development. In almost anecdotal scenes of the orchestrators living in the dormitory, it was often discussed that it was bad luck to play the Hunter's Funeral. Mahler himself defined the mood of this piece as "...the eerie, ironic, oppressive gloom of a funeral march." Furthermore, the very idea of the beasts mourning for their dead tyrant is not sympathetic to the orchestrators.
Worrying that the musicians' misunderstanding and rejection of the work may lead to the crash of the orchestra, the Founder, without consulting the Maestro, announces to the administrator the decision to invite a Young Conductor, a trainee, to join the orchestra. The Young Conductor was fond of popularizing the repertoire and offered to work with the musicians on Hunter's Funeral. The Maestro decides not to interfere with the young talent and leaves for a vacation at a mountain resort, having previously invited the Young Conductor to visit him after rehearsals and to discuss the interpretation of the symphony.
A few days after the Maestro's departure, the Orchestra Administrator was contacted by the police. It turns out that a snow avalanche has occurred at the mountain resort where the Maestro and the Young Conductor met. According to the police, one of the vacationers died under the snowslide. Police started investigating which of the guests had died. The administrator tried to contact the conductors, but their phones were silent. The rumor that Maestro tragically died instantly spreads around the orchestra. For some reason, the musicians believed that the Maestro was the one who had died.
Meanwhile, the unharmed Maestro and the Young Conductor appeared in the administrator's office. It turns out that they were left without communication and did not receive the administrator's messages, but managed to get to the city. Maestro and Young Conductor, having heard about the incident at the resort, discussed the theme of death and immortality in "Hunter's Funeral." Indeed, Mahler too, said Maestro, was very afraid of death. And more than physical death, he was scared of oblivion after death. He was worried he wouldn't have enough time to write his music, or, even more monstrous for him, he was worried that people would forget his work. Mahler wanted to survive his death. For him, immortality meant striving to live not only the present or the past but also the future, to live the eternity of the spirit.
Listening attentively to the conductors' conversation, the administrator Semyon Grigorievich suggests a diabolical prank mystery: to take advantage of the rumors that one of the conductors has died. So, he conveyed an idea not to say anything to musicians that would indirectly confirm the rumor that Maestro had died. After musicians see that the Maestro is alive, they will take it as a sign of good luck and an omen of long life. Everyone would be cured of the "bad prognostications" associated with the performance of "Hunter's Funeral".
The conductors agreed that one of them would not come to the dress rehearsal, so the orchestra would rehearse with one conductor, however, at the concert, the other conductor, who had supposedly died in the boarding house, would miraculously appear. Thus the orchestra will experience the syndrome of the "funeral of the conductor", and will play with an emotional rise exactly as the conductor intended.
To the amazement of the musicians and the administrator himself, not the Young Conductor, but the Maestro came to the dress rehearsal. The musicians played "not simply the partiture" of the symphony for the first time out of anxiety, but a tragedy, where they heard Mahler's terrible childhood in a large family, his loneliness in his own home, his fear of the vulgar street, his problems in family life, arguments with his wife, and her frequent adulteries, humiliating Mahler.
Maestro was pleased with the rehearsal but worried whether the prank had gone too far. Administrator assures Maestro that he has arranged with the Young Conductor and the Founder that there will be an empty chair in the middle of the first row at the concert, next to the Founder and other guests. Maestro would start the concert. Musicians impressed by the emotions they experienced at the dress rehearsal, would perform the "Titan" and especially "Hunter's Funeral" as tragic and voluminous as it was in rehearsal. At the end of the first part of the symphony, the Young Conductor would sneak into an empty chair. The audience will see him, but the orchestra will not. When "Titan" is played and the lights are turned on, the Young Conductor will be discovered by the orchestrators. In this way, everyone will have learned their lesson.
On the day of the premier, everything went according to the administrator's plan. The orchestra played brilliantly. After the first part was done, Maestro turned to the hall and saw an empty seat in the front row. The Young Conductor has not come...
The Maestro covers his eyes with his hand and returns to the events in the snow-covered resort, to his conversation with the Young Conductor about Mahler's music. They said that "Titan" and "Hunter's Funeral" is eternal, the mourning for tyrants is repeated over and over again, and the "beasts" never learn anything. Or they are afraid to learn.
The ideal state in life, to which Mahler aspired, was hindered by struggle and vanity. But life, says the Maestro, is impossible to know without suffering and eventual death. Mahler's feelings toward life, death, music, and family were not simple - he simultaneously loved, feared, hated, and felt guilt.
"Immortality is music. And who knows what life is?" - asks the Young Conductor Maestro.
"One can only assume that life is a hoax."
SYNOPSIS:
This story occurred in a large European city without reference to a specific country. For many years, the city has had a symphony orchestra under the baton of a famous conductor, the Maestro. In recent years, Maestro has been facing financial problems in maintaining the orchestra financed by the philanthropist-founder. The experienced administrator, Semyon Grigorievich Machler, worked for Maestro for many years. Maestro needed him to settle conflicts with musicians and the financial management of the orchestra.
To save the reputation of the orchestra, Maestro decides to take a risky step and introduces Gustav Mahler's First Symphony "Titan" into the orchestra's repertoire. This confused the Founder of the orchestra and caused apathy among the musicians. The musicians did not accept his interpretation of the "Titan" Symphony especially the main part of the symphony - "The Hunter's Funeral" with its primitive beginning and the funeral march in the development. In almost anecdotal scenes of the orchestrators living in the dormitory, it was often discussed that it was bad luck to play the Hunter's Funeral. Mahler himself defined the mood of this piece as "...the eerie, ironic, oppressive gloom of a funeral march." Furthermore, the very idea of the beasts mourning for their dead tyrant is not sympathetic to the orchestrators.
Worrying that the musicians' misunderstanding and rejection of the work may lead to the crash of the orchestra, the Founder, without consulting the Maestro, announces to the administrator the decision to invite a Young Conductor, a trainee, to join the orchestra. The Young Conductor was fond of popularizing the repertoire and offered to work with the musicians on Hunter's Funeral. The Maestro decides not to interfere with the young talent and leaves for a vacation at a mountain resort, having previously invited the Young Conductor to visit him after rehearsals and to discuss the interpretation of the symphony.
A few days after the Maestro's departure, the Orchestra Administrator was contacted by the police. It turns out that a snow avalanche has occurred at the mountain resort where the Maestro and the Young Conductor met. According to the police, one of the vacationers died under the snowslide. Police started investigating which of the guests had died. The administrator tried to contact the conductors, but their phones were silent. The rumor that Maestro tragically died instantly spreads around the orchestra. For some reason, the musicians believed that the Maestro was the one who had died.
Meanwhile, the unharmed Maestro and the Young Conductor appeared in the administrator's office. It turns out that they were left without communication and did not receive the administrator's messages, but managed to get to the city. Maestro and Young Conductor, having heard about the incident at the resort, discussed the theme of death and immortality in "Hunter's Funeral." Indeed, Mahler too, said Maestro, was very afraid of death. And more than physical death, he was scared of oblivion after death. He was worried he wouldn't have enough time to write his music, or, even more monstrous for him, he was worried that people would forget his work. Mahler wanted to survive his death. For him, immortality meant striving to live not only the present or the past but also the future, to live the eternity of the spirit.
Listening attentively to the conductors' conversation, the administrator Semyon Grigorievich suggests a diabolical prank mystery: to take advantage of the rumors that one of the conductors has died. So, he conveyed an idea not to say anything to musicians that would indirectly confirm the rumor that Maestro had died. After musicians see that the Maestro is alive, they will take it as a sign of good luck and an omen of long life. Everyone would be cured of the "bad prognostications" associated with the performance of "Hunter's Funeral".
The conductors agreed that one of them would not come to the dress rehearsal, so the orchestra would rehearse with one conductor, however, at the concert, the other conductor, who had supposedly died in the boarding house, would miraculously appear. Thus the orchestra will experience the syndrome of the "funeral of the conductor", and will play with an emotional rise exactly as the conductor intended.
To the amazement of the musicians and the administrator himself, not the Young Conductor, but the Maestro came to the dress rehearsal. The musicians played "not simply the partiture" of the symphony for the first time out of anxiety, but a tragedy, where they heard Mahler's terrible childhood in a large family, his loneliness in his own home, his fear of the vulgar street, his problems in family life, arguments with his wife, and her frequent adulteries, humiliating Mahler.
Maestro was pleased with the rehearsal but worried whether the prank had gone too far. Administrator assures Maestro that he has arranged with the Young Conductor and the Founder that there will be an empty chair in the middle of the first row at the concert, next to the Founder and other guests. Maestro would start the concert. Musicians impressed by the emotions they experienced at the dress rehearsal, would perform the "Titan" and especially "Hunter's Funeral" as tragic and voluminous as it was in rehearsal. At the end of the first part of the symphony, the Young Conductor would sneak into an empty chair. The audience will see him, but the orchestra will not. When "Titan" is played and the lights are turned on, the Young Conductor will be discovered by the orchestrators. In this way, everyone will have learned their lesson.
On the day of the premier, everything went according to the administrator's plan. The orchestra played brilliantly. After the first part was done, Maestro turned to the hall and saw an empty seat in the front row. The Young Conductor has not come...
The Maestro covers his eyes with his hand and returns to the events in the snow-covered resort, to his conversation with the Young Conductor about Mahler's music. They said that "Titan" and "Hunter's Funeral" is eternal, the mourning for tyrants is repeated over and over again, and the "beasts" never learn anything. Or they are afraid to learn.
The ideal state in life, to which Mahler aspired, was hindered by struggle and vanity. But life, says the Maestro, is impossible to know without suffering and eventual death. Mahler's feelings toward life, death, music, and family were not simple - he simultaneously loved, feared, hated, and felt guilt.
"Immortality is music. And who knows what life is?" - asks the Young Conductor Maestro.
"One can only assume that life is a hoax."
