{"id":661,"date":"2023-04-23T21:51:45","date_gmt":"2023-04-23T19:51:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.danielschell.net\/?page_id=661"},"modified":"2025-06-08T19:41:13","modified_gmt":"2025-06-08T17:41:13","slug":"dharma-in-big-sur","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.danielschell.net\/index.php\/opera-music-theater\/dharma-in-big-sur\/","title":{"rendered":"Dharma in Big Sur"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An opera by Daniel Schell, based on the novels \u2018Dharma Bums\u2019 and \u2018Big Sur\u2019 by Jack Kerouac<\/h1>\n\n\n
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Notes by Daniel Schell, Version 05 from June 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The action<\/strong>, the story describes Jack Kerouac going from happiness and illumination to mental deterioration and despair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dhama Bums part<\/strong>: Ray Smith (Jack Kerouac) meets Japhy Ryder (Gary Snider). Japhy proposes that they climb together the Matterhorn. Follows an extraordinary lyrical and Buddhist experience.  Jack is at the top of his mental strength.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Big Sur part<\/strong>: Jack is in a cabin with friends. His mental degenerates and he suffers delirium tremens crises.  Billie tries desperately to help him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Act 1 <\/strong>Life in San Francisco<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Act 2 <\/strong>Climbing the Matterhorn<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Act 3<\/strong> Events in Big Sur<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Act 4<\/strong> Illumination on the Matterhorn<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Distribution<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soprano:                      Princess, then Billie<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Baritone                      Ray Smith then Jack Duluoz (Both figures of Jack Kerouac himself)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tenor                          Japhy Rider then Cody (or any character)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bass Baritone:             Alvah Goldbook, then Henry Morley, then Dave<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Child (recorded)         Elliott<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Origin of the characters (to be continued, to be possibly included or not) :<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Opera<\/td>From the novel<\/td>Real Name<\/td> <\/td>Interpreter<\/td><\/tr>
Ray Smith<\/td>Dharma Bums<\/td>Jack Kerouac<\/td>Age : 33<\/td>Barytone 1<\/td><\/tr>
Japhy Rider<\/td>Dharma Bums<\/td>Gary Snider<\/td>Age : 25<\/td>Tenor 1<\/td><\/tr>
Alvah Goldbook<\/td>Dharma Bums<\/td>Allan Ginsberg<\/td> <\/td>Bass 1<\/td><\/tr>
Rheinhold Cacoethes<\/td>Dharma Bums<\/td>William Burroughs<\/td> <\/td>Mentioned but not represented<\/td><\/tr>
Cody Pomeroy<\/td>Dharma Bums<\/td>Neal Cassady<\/td> <\/td>Mentioned but not represented<\/td><\/tr>
Henry Morley<\/td>Dharma Bums<\/td>JohnMon-tgomery, Berkeley librarian<\/td> <\/td>Bass 2<\/td><\/tr>
Princess<\/td>Dharma Bums<\/td>One of Japhy\u2019s girlfriends sleeps with all the men she meets<\/td>Age 20.<\/td>Soprano 1<\/td><\/tr>
Jack Duluoz<\/td>Big Sur<\/td>Jack Kerouac<\/td> <\/td>Barytone 2<\/td><\/tr>
Dave Wain<\/td>Big Sur<\/td>Lew Welch<\/td> <\/td>Bass 2<\/td><\/tr>
Billie<\/td>Big Sur<\/td>Jackie Gibson Mercer<\/td>Girl friend of Cody, mother of Elliott<\/td>Soprano 2<\/td><\/tr>
Cody Pomeray<\/td>Big Sur<\/td>Neal Cassady<\/td> <\/td>Mentioned but not represented<\/td><\/tr>
Elliott<\/td>Big Sur<\/td> <\/td> <\/td>Son of Billie, audible but not performing<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Daniel Schell Schellekens<\/strong>, (born April 5, 1944) composer. Has written many operas. The present project was already in his mind for twenty years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was mostly attracted by the moments of intense lyricism and poetry which he found in Kerouac\u2019s books. The contrast between the illuminated happiness of Dharma Bums <\/em>and the despair of Big Sur <\/em>wasthe motivation to write the present opera.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He had the opportunity to meet John Lash, then, through him, to speak with Jan Kerouac \u2013 Jack’s daughter- who liked and encouraged the project. Unfortunately, she passed away shortly after.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recently, Daniel had the opportunity to build a relationship with the Sampas family and the Kerouac Estate and to write the present libretto.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

www.danielschell.net<\/p>\n\n\n\n

clic@clicmusic.be      clicmusic@live.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

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Daniel Schell<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Jack Keroua<\/strong>c ( March 2, 1922 – Oct 21, 1969) Author and poet. His most well-known book is \u2018On the road\u2019 but the present libretto concentrates on two novels only.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Dharma Bums<\/em><\/strong>,<\/em> written in late1957, followed four years later by Big Sur<\/em> written in1962.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gary Snyder left to Japan for studying Zen in May 1956. \u201cThat summer Kerouac spent two months in complete isolation on Desolation Peak (Mount Baker National Forest) an experience covered in the Dharma Bums and treated in greater details in Desolation Angels.\u201d <\/em> [Douglas, 1957). The novel starts with the famous \u2018Six Gallery poetic reading\u2019 which  happened Oct 6, 1955. Allen Ginsberg presented Howl <\/em>, Snyder  A Berry Feast.<\/em> After a few other events in San Francisco, Japhy proposes to Smith to climb the Matterhorn Peak.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Big Sur<\/em><\/strong>, <\/em>written in 1962, depicts Jack’s deterioration. and his battle against advanced alcoholism. He seeks respite first in solitude in the Big Sur cabin, then in a relationship with Billie, the mistress of his longtime friend Cody Pomeray (Neal Cassady<\/a>). The novel culminates in a crisis of delirium tremens. The book contains the poem “Sea: Sounds of the Pacific Ocean at Big Sur”.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Bibliography<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Douglas, Ann : Introduction to The Dharma Bums, 1957<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kerouac, Jack, \u2018The Dharma Bums\u2019, written 1957, Penguin Classics<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kerouac, Jack, \u2018Big Sur\u2019, written 1962, Penguin Classics<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Media<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A demo recording has already be done of two arias: \u201cYou want to be a Hermit<\/a>\u2019 and \u2018Everything was Allright\u2019 <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Artists: Marie-Annick Beliveau, Soprano – Lorenzo Carola, Barytone \u2013 Simon Diricq, Sax Alto \u2013 Tana String Quartet \u2013<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recorded Studio Igloo, Brussels, December 2021. Engineer: Daniel Leon<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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An opera by Daniel Schell, based on the novels \u2018Dharma Bums\u2019 and \u2018Big Sur\u2019 by Jack Kerouac Notes by Daniel Schell, Version 05 from June 2025 The action, the story describes Jack Kerouac going from happiness and illumination to mental deterioration and despair. Dhama Bums part: Ray Smith (Jack Kerouac) …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":27,"menu_order":6,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-661","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danielschell.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/661"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danielschell.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danielschell.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielschell.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielschell.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=661"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielschell.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/661\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":708,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielschell.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/661\/revisions\/708"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielschell.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/27"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danielschell.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=661"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}